Research links immune system disturbance and coeliac disease
A partially EU-funded international research team has identified four aspects of immune system disturbance that can lead to the development of coeliac disease. The findings could lead to new treatments for the condition as well as type 1 diabetes, which is related to it. The results are published in the journal Nature Genetics. The study received EU funding under the COPACETIC ('COPD [chronic obstructive pulmonary disease] pathology: addressing critical gaps, early treatment and innovative concepts') project, which received EUR 2.98 million of funding under the Health Theme of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). The study also received support from the Marie Curie Actions under the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6). Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disorder that attacks the bowels. It is caused by intolerance to gluten, the gummy substance found in wheat, barley and rye. Gluten intolerance is a fairly common condition that affects about 1 in every 300 people in Europe and the US, and causes poor absorption of nutrients. Sufferers usually find relief by omitting all gluten products from their diet including such common items as bread and pasta. Coeliac disease begins when the gluten in food triggers an adverse reaction in the small intestine. Although it can be diagnosed at any stage of life, it can develop early, often in babies after they have been weaned and introduced to cereal products. Symptoms include bloating, constipation and extreme tiredness. It is also connected with thyroid problems and the inflammatory bowel condition ulcerative colitis. If left untreated, coeliac disease can eventually lead to anaemia, chronic fatigue, weight loss and bone atrophy. Professor David van Heel from the UK's Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry said of the findings, 'We can now shed light on some of the precise immune disturbances leading to coeliac disease. These include how T-cells in the body react to toxic wheat proteins, how the thymus gland eliminates these T-cells during infancy, and the body's response to viral infections. 'We now understand that many of these genetic risk factors work by altering the amounts of these immune system genes that cells make. The data also suggests that coeliac disease is made up of hundreds of genetic risk factors; we can have a good guess at nearly half of the genetic risk at present.' An important finding in the study was the evidence of a shared risk between the gene associated with coeliac disease and many other common chronic immune-mediated diseases. The team has already identified a connection between coeliac disease and type 1 diabetes, and coeliac disease and rheumatoid arthritis.
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