It turns out that only a small number of people who have a genetic predisposition to develop celiac disease actually witness the emergence of this disease. Science still doesn’t have an answer to why is this happening. However, a new scientific study indicates that it is all about the reaction of specific gut bacteria to gluten.
In case you didn’t know, celiac disease is a type of immune disease in which individuals are gluten intolerant. Gluten is a type of protein that can usually be found in grains like barley, wheat, and rye. According to some stats, about 1% of Americans are dealing with celiac disease.
In case a person suffering from celiac disease eats gluten, their immune system will create a reaction that will cause damage to the small intestine. As a result of this reaction, people usually experience diarrhea, abdominal pain, fatigue, bloating, and other similar symptoms. Specific gene mutations can also lead to celiac disease. But, less than 3% of people who have these mutations end up with this health condition.
In order to determine why is this happening, Dr. Elena F. Verdu who works at the McMaster University in Canada together with her fellow scientists decided to focus on the link between gluten mixed with different types of gut bacteria and the immune system’s reactions in lab mice.
The interesting results they got were revealed in the American Journal of Pathology. Mice free of germs displayed signs and symptoms of celiac disease as a response to gluten presence. The group of scientists evaluated the results in three different groups of lab mice that had the DQ8 gene which is the same gene found in humans that makes them prone to gluten intolerance.
Things You Should Know About Celiac Disease
- More than 80% of Americans dealing with celiac disease are misdiagnosed with other health conditions or are not diagnosed at all.
- There is only one treatment for celiac disease recommended by scientists – following a gluten-free diet.
- Between 15% and 22% of persons suffering from celiac disease have a close relative with this condition.
Higher levels of proteobacteria made the pathology induced by gluten worse
Regular SPF mice showed higher gluten-induced pathology compared to clean SPF lab mice and that’s why the team decided to focus their research on the activity and role of proteobacteria varieties like helicobacter and Escherichia. By making the level of proteobacteria higher in regular SPF lab mice with the help of vancomycin (antibiotic) after their birth, the scientists have concluded that the pathology induced with gluten becomes worse. They have pointed out that the levels of IELs became significantly higher. Dr. Verdu said that their studies show that deviation of early-stage colonization of microbes in life and dysbiosis induction (imbalance related to microbes in the body) that results in an increased presence of proteobacteria, increases the harshness of responses triggered by gluten in lab mice that have a genetic predisposition to gluten sensitivity. She also pointed out that the data they got suggests that the noted increase in celiac disease presence in people in the last five decades could be induced (at least to some extent) by deviation in intestinal microbial flora. Certain therapies based on microbiota may support the prevention or healing of celiac disease in people with mild to moderate genetic risk. A review of this study, performed by Dr. Robin Lorenz (University of Alabama, Birmingham), highlights the fact that while it is true that these results support the idea that the level of proteobacteria may be directly related to the celiac disease pathology, it is also true that there is no indication that proteobacteria actually lead to this disease. Dr. Lorenz believes that proteobacteria support the immune response to gluten or to gliadin to be more precise. A few weeks ago, a scientific study published in Medical News Today has shown that people suffering from celiac disease may be more prone to nerve damage. Via Medical News Today | Celiac
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