Celiac disease
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder
that can occur in genetically predisposed people of all ages. This digestive
disorder occurs in reaction to gluten, a protein that is found on wheat, rye
and barley. The body’s immune system reacts to the gluten and causes damage to
the small intestine, affecting the villi, the one in charge of promoting the
absorption of nutrients. With the villi damaged, nutrients cannot be absorbed
properly into the body.
Symptoms
• Digestive problems: abdominal bloating,
pain, gas, diarrhea, plate stools
•
Skin
rash
•
Anemia
•
Musculoskeletal
problems
•
Growth
problems (children)
•
Seizures
•
Tingling
sensation in your legs
•
Sores
in mouth
•
Missed
menstrual periods
Organs affected
The
inflammation associated with celiac disease may lead to grater chance on
developing certain gastrointestinal cancers, such like those in the small
intestine or in the esophagus. The
inflammation and lack of nutrients can also lead to problems affecting many
other organs and systems of the body.
How to prevent
it
Celiac disease
cannot be prevented. If you already have the disease, you can prevent symptoms
by eating a gluten free diet.
Treatment
Currently the only treatment for this
disease is to follow a strict gluten free diet. People living gluten free must
void foods with wheat, rye and barely, such as bread and beer.
Similar to/ looks like
•
Colic
•
Crystic
fibrosis
•
Crohn’s
disease
•
Irritable
bowel syndrome
•
Colitis
•
Osteoporosis
What happens a
cellular level?
To
understand the Celiac disease we have to start with Gluten, which can be found
in rye, wheat and barley. Gluten can be divided in two components, gliadin and
glutenin. Gliadin is the most toxic one because it is resistant to the membrane
proteasis, so they remain there after gluten is digested. The whole problem
begins at the top of the small intestine, in the epithelium. There the
epithelial cells absorb gliadin and interleukin-15 is activated, signaling
proteins for the immune system. They activate the intraepithelial lymphocytes,
which can divide in three parts, the T- cells (induce the death of pathogens),
the B- cells (release antibodies which neutralize foreign bodies) and natural
killer cells.
In the epithelium cells are being killed because B-cells are activating a protein. After the epithelial cells, gliadin is progresses into the Lamina Propria (layer under the epithelium) where an enzyme called transglutaminase increases gliadin’s capability to cause an immune response by deanimating it. After this process the antigen presenting cell grab onto the gliadin using HLA-DQ2 or DQ8 receptors. The gliadin is then presented to the gliadin-reactive T- cells through a T-cell receptor. The T-cell then trigger the release cytokines which besides being signaling proteins also destroy the cells in the villi and send out signal to continue the destruction. After the process, the T-cell and B-cells form memory cells to remember the gliadin. This cycle of destruction is repeated every time a celiac eats gluten.
AAM
No comments:
Post a Comment