(Press-News.org)
The interaction between humans and their environment, mediated by nutrition, plays a crucial role in regulating inflammatory responses. Chronic inflammatory diseases have been on the rise, and the scientific community has been actively exploring pro-inflammatory nutrients as potential therapeutic targets. Gluten, a major component of wheat, barley, and rye, has been implicated in numerous health issues, particularly celiac disease (CD). This review essay summarizes the key findings of a recent study published in the Journal of Translational Gastroenterology, focusing on the proinflammatory effects of gluten and its implications in autoimmunity.
Gluten and Its Components
Gluten is a complex protein mixture consisting primarily of glutenin and gliadin. Gliadin, comprising about 70% of gluten, is particularly relevant in inducing harmful immune responses in CD. Gluten is abundant in the Western diet and can lead to various adverse effects beyond CD, suggesting its broader role in inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.
Gluten-Induced Inflammation in Celiac Disease
Celiac disease is a chronic, autoimmune, inflammatory disorder characterized by intestinal injury, activated immune systems, and elevated pro-inflammatory cytokines. Gluten, specifically gliadin peptides, acts as the trigger for this disease. Gliadin peptides induce mucosal inflammation, epithelial damage, and intestinal dysbiosis. Successful gluten withdrawal ameliorates these inflammatory features, underscoring the crucial role of gluten in CD pathogenesis.
Beyond Celiac Disease: Gluten and Other Autoimmune Diseases
The harmful effects of gluten extend beyond CD, affecting multiple body compartments and organs. Gluten peptides can compromise gut permeability, allowing immunogenic molecules to reach internal compartments and trigger autoimmune responses in remote organs. The distribution of gliadin peptides to these organs leads to organ dysfunction and pathology through post-translational modifications, which turn naïve peptides into immunogenic and proinflammatory molecules. This gluten-mediated inflammatory cascade is thought to be involved in a range of autoimmune diseases, including dermatitis herpetiformis, gluten ataxia, gluten allergy, and potentially other non-celiac autoinflammatory and neurodegenerative conditions.
The Place of Gluten in Human Nutrition
Despite its proinflammatory properties, gluten has long been a staple in human nutrition, providing dietary fiber, B vitamins, and minerals. However, gluten does not contribute essential nutrients, and its avoidance does not compromise human well-being except in well-defined gluten-dependent conditions. The increasing popularity of gluten-free diets, driven by pseudoscientific claims, has significantly impacted dietary habits. However, a gluten-free Mediterranean diet, combining the benefits of both approaches, may be a healthier alternative.
Gluten Side Effects and Pathogenesis
Gluten has multiple side effects, including proinflammatory and pro-oxidative activities, which lead to gut dysfunction and inadequate health outcomes. Gliadin peptides can induce cellular stress, activate proliferative mechanisms, trigger a pro-inflammatory storm, and inhibit critical ion channels and vesicular trafficking. Furthermore, gluten-related changes in gut microbiota and enhanced enzymatic modifications can lead to autoimmunity induction through molecular mimicry.
Conclusions
Gluten, as a proinflammatory molecule, plays a crucial role in celiac disease and potentially other autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. The identification of gluten's harmful effects highlights the need for a comprehensive investigation into its role in non-celiac autoimmune conditions. Gluten withdrawal can alleviate disease activity in CD and potentially other chronic inflammatory, metabolic, and autoimmune disorders. While gluten avoidance may be beneficial in gluten-dependent conditions, a gluten-free Mediterranean diet is recommended to ensure overall nutritional adequacy.
This review summarizes the key findings of the recent study on gluten's proinflammatory effects and their implications in autoimmune diseases, providing insights into the mechanisms underlying gluten-mediated inflammation and potential therapeutic avenues.
Full text
https://www.xiahepublishing.com/2994-8754/JTG-2023-00060
The study was recently published in the Journal of Translational Gastroenterology.
Journal of Translational Gastroenterology (JTG) dedicates to improving clinical diagnosis and treatment, advancing understanding of the molecular mechanisms, and promoting translation from bench to bedside of gastrointestinal, hepatobiliary, and pancreatic diseases. The aim of JTG is to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and concepts on basic, translational, and clinical aspects of gastroenterology, and promote cross-disciplinary research and collaboration.
Follow us on X: @xiahepublishing
Follow us on LinkedIn: Xia & He Publishing Inc.
END
While animals in drylands hone their natural senses to find vegetation, humans have developed “external eyes” to track these vital resources.
Scientists from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) have created an advanced method that integrates high-frequency near-surface camera data with broader satellite imagery to better monitor and assess dryland ecosystems. Their approach could aid in taking timely action to prevent land degradation, contributing to improved environmental management and conservation strategies.
Their results were published in the Journal of Remote Sensing on July 8.
Drylands, including ...
Data published today in the New England Journal of Medicine Catalyst reported that MedPearl, a Providence-developed clinician-built clinical decision platform, improves primary care clinician productivity, decreases time waste on administrative tasks and improves the quality of referrals sent to specialists.
The paper details operational outcomes from MedPearl’s use among more than 4,000 active monthly clinician users and shows statistically significant improvement in total productivity, after-hours time spent in the EMR and incremental margin per referral ...
East Hanover, NJ – August 21, 2024 – Kessler Foundation researchers have published a new clinical study investigating the effects of robotic postural stand training combined with spinal cord epidural stimulation (Stand-scES) on trunk control in individuals with high-level spinal cord injury (SCI). The open access article, “Effects of Robotic Postural Stand Training with Epidural Stimulation on Sitting Postural Control in Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury: A Pilot Study” (doi.org/10.3390/jcm13154309) was published in the Journal of Clinical ...
PITTSBURGH - Carnegie Mellon University will be a core partner in a new multi-institutional collaboration that has received $26 million from the National Science Foundation to launch an Engineering Research Center (ERC) dedicated to revolutionizing the ability of robots to amplify human labor.
Nine Carnegie Mellon University faculty members, with expertise ranging from Softbotics, engineering, and computer science to psychology, and diversity and inclusion, will help to develop highly dexterous robotic hands, user-friendly interfaces, ...
Epigenetics, the modification of chromosomes without altering DNA sequences, serves as a crucial regulatory mechanism for gene expression. Among the various epigenetic marks, N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modifications on RNA have gained significant attention in recent years for their role in various biological processes, including cancer development and progression. This article reviews the latest advances in understanding the role of m6A modifications in leukemia, a heterogeneous group of hematological malignancies.
Role of m6A Modification in Leukemia
m6A Writers and Erasers
m6A modifications ...
In an era where technology increasingly merges with healthcare to enhance patient outcomes, a groundbreaking study conducted by Fuyang Yu and his colleagues introduces an innovative approach to lower limb rehabilitation. Their research, published in Cyborg Bionic Systems, outlines the development of a lower limb rehabilitation robot designed to significantly improve the safety and effectiveness of gait training through a novel method based on human-robot interaction force measurement.
Rehabilitation robots are ...
There may be a way to slow the growth of endometrial cancer through targeted cancer cell therapy, according to new research from the University of Missouri School of Medicine.
This year, around 65,000 women are expected to be diagnosed with endometrial cancer, the most common cancer of the female reproductive organs. An increased risk in development for multiple human cancers is associated with mutations in the PTEN protein, which normally regulates cell division and growth. The mutation allows cells to multiply uncontrollably.
Using mice models, Krystina Dunston, research lab manager and NextGen Precision Health researchers Tae Hoon Kim and Jae-Wook Jeong, studied the ...
Québec City, August 21, 2024 – A research team from Université Laval has shown the benefits of camu-camu on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which affects over seven million people in Canada. This exotic fruit reduces liver fat levels.
Over 12 weeks, thirty participants took either camu-camu extract or a placebo at different times in this randomized clinical trial. Participants underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to determine fat levels in the liver. Scientists observed a 7.43% reduction in liver lipids when study participants took camu-camu extract. With the ...
Inside the next generation of fusion vessels known as spherical tokamaks, scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) envisioned a hot region with flowing liquid metal that is reminiscent of a subterranean cave. Researchers say evaporating liquid metal could protect the inside of the tokamak from the intense heat of the plasma. It’s an idea that dates back several decades and is tied to one of the Lab’s strengths: working with liquid metals.
“PPPL’s expertise in using liquid metals, ...
A new study on songbirds sheds light on the power of social interaction to facilitate learning, insights that potentially apply to human development.
McGill University researchers discovered that zebra finches deprived of early social experiences could still form strong bonds with a partner later in life. Once placed into cohabitation with a male, females that had never heard a mating song before could quickly develop a preference for his melody.
The findings, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society ...