In vivo gluten challenge in coeliac disease

In vivo gluten challenge has been used since the early 1950s to study the role of cereal fractions in celiac disease. While early studies relied on crude indicators of celiac toxicity, the advent of jejunal biopsy and sophisticated immunohistochemical techniques has allowed accurate studie...

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Main Authors: HJ Ellis, PJ Ciclitira
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2001-01-01
Series:Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2001/127241
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author HJ Ellis
PJ Ciclitira
author_facet HJ Ellis
PJ Ciclitira
author_sort HJ Ellis
collection DOAJ
description In vivo gluten challenge has been used since the early 1950s to study the role of cereal fractions in celiac disease. While early studies relied on crude indicators of celiac toxicity, the advent of jejunal biopsy and sophisticated immunohistochemical techniques has allowed accurate studies to be performed. Studies to determine the nature of the cereal component that is toxic to patients with celiac disease have concentrated on wheat because of its nutritional importance. A number of in vitro studies indicated the presence of one or more celiac-activating epitopes with the N-terminus of the A-gliadin molecule. In vivo challenge with three synthetic peptides subsequently indicated the toxicity of a peptide corresponding to amino acids 31 to 49 of A-gliadin. In vivo gluten challenge is the gold standard for the assessment of celiac toxicity; however, jejunal biopsy is a relatively invasive procedure, thus, other methods have been investigated. Direct infusion of the rectum with gluten has been shown to result in an increase in mucosal intraepithelial lymphocytes, occurring only in celiac patients. This method has been used to study the celiac toxicity of gliadin subfractions. The in vitro technique of small intestinal biopsy organ culture is also a useful tool and appears to give the same results as in vivo challenge. The importance of tiny amounts of gliadin in the diet, such as that which occurs in wheat starch, has been studied by in vivo challenge; this technique has clarified the position of oats in the gluten-free diet. Several studies suggest that this cereal may be included in the diet of most adult celiac patients. Studies of the transport of gliadin across the enterocyte following ingestion or challenge suggest that gliadin may be metabolized by a different pathway in celiac disease. This could result in an abnormal presentation to the immune system, triggering a pathogenic rather than a tolerogenic response.
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spelling doaj-art-0230ff20e47f4ccc8e71455ccdc5c0e42025-08-20T03:55:32ZengWileyCanadian Journal of Gastroenterology0835-79002001-01-0115424324710.1155/2001/127241In vivo gluten challenge in coeliac diseaseHJ Ellis0PJ Ciclitira1Gastroenterology Unit (Kcl), The Rayne Institute, St Thomas Hospital, London, UKGastroenterology Unit (Kcl), The Rayne Institute, St Thomas Hospital, London, UKIn vivo gluten challenge has been used since the early 1950s to study the role of cereal fractions in celiac disease. While early studies relied on crude indicators of celiac toxicity, the advent of jejunal biopsy and sophisticated immunohistochemical techniques has allowed accurate studies to be performed. Studies to determine the nature of the cereal component that is toxic to patients with celiac disease have concentrated on wheat because of its nutritional importance. A number of in vitro studies indicated the presence of one or more celiac-activating epitopes with the N-terminus of the A-gliadin molecule. In vivo challenge with three synthetic peptides subsequently indicated the toxicity of a peptide corresponding to amino acids 31 to 49 of A-gliadin. In vivo gluten challenge is the gold standard for the assessment of celiac toxicity; however, jejunal biopsy is a relatively invasive procedure, thus, other methods have been investigated. Direct infusion of the rectum with gluten has been shown to result in an increase in mucosal intraepithelial lymphocytes, occurring only in celiac patients. This method has been used to study the celiac toxicity of gliadin subfractions. The in vitro technique of small intestinal biopsy organ culture is also a useful tool and appears to give the same results as in vivo challenge. The importance of tiny amounts of gliadin in the diet, such as that which occurs in wheat starch, has been studied by in vivo challenge; this technique has clarified the position of oats in the gluten-free diet. Several studies suggest that this cereal may be included in the diet of most adult celiac patients. Studies of the transport of gliadin across the enterocyte following ingestion or challenge suggest that gliadin may be metabolized by a different pathway in celiac disease. This could result in an abnormal presentation to the immune system, triggering a pathogenic rather than a tolerogenic response.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2001/127241
spellingShingle HJ Ellis
PJ Ciclitira
In vivo gluten challenge in coeliac disease
Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology
title In vivo gluten challenge in coeliac disease
title_full In vivo gluten challenge in coeliac disease
title_fullStr In vivo gluten challenge in coeliac disease
title_full_unstemmed In vivo gluten challenge in coeliac disease
title_short In vivo gluten challenge in coeliac disease
title_sort in vivo gluten challenge in coeliac disease
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2001/127241
work_keys_str_mv AT hjellis invivoglutenchallengeincoeliacdisease
AT pjciclitira invivoglutenchallengeincoeliacdisease