Three peptides contained in grains – wheat, rye and barley – are responsible for the occurrence of celiac disease – a disease in which the body becomes allergic to foods containing cereal protein – gluten – reports BBC News / Health.
The discovery could lead to the development of new treatments and even a vaccine against celiac disease, say researchers from the British-Australian team.
200 celiac volunteers from clinics in Oxford and Melbourne ate bread, rye biscuits and boiled barley. Six days later, blood samples were taken from them to measure immune responses to thousands of different peptides – fragments of gluten.
They identified 90 immune-inducing peptides, but three of them proved to be particularly harmful. Prof. Bob Anderson of Walter and Eliza Hall of the Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne say these three ingredients are the main culprits behind the immune response to gluten.
Currently, research is underway on a treatment method that consists in administering minimal amounts of these three peptides. However, practical, widely available medicinal uses can only be expected in a few years.
Celiac disease, also known as celiac disease, is – as it was discovered 60 years ago – a disease consisting in the occurrence of digestive and intestinal absorption disorders related to the intolerance of the sick body to gluten, protein contained in cereals. The abnormal immune response is caused by an excessive immune response to a group of cereal proteins contained mainly in wheat, barley, rye and oat grains. The disease affects approximately one in 100 people.
The toxic gluten leads to the disappearance of small intestine villi, i.e. tiny protrusions of the mucosa that increase its surface and are responsible for the absorption of nutrients. As a result, food is absorbed in minimal amounts, which leads to a variety of disease symptoms – for example, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, fatigue, headaches.
Patients with celiac disease must follow a restrictive diet throughout their lives, which is the only way to avoid an inflammatory response from the immune system. Despite diet, the effects of exposure to gluten can persist for up to five years. Due to celiac disease, it was even necessary to introduce special wafers for people (especially children) who wanted to receive communion despite their illness. (PAP)