Celiac.com 10/12/2007 - The presence of gluten serves to activate HLA-DQ2/DQ8-restricted intestinal specific T-cells. Currently, the only treatment for celiac disease is a strict gluten-free diet. A team of Italian researchers recently conducted a study to determine whether a new enzyme strategy might offer promise in abolishing adverse gluten-associated activity.
The team used mass spectrometry to analyze enzyme modifications of immuno-dominant a-gliadin peptide P56-58 and modeling studies to determine the extent of peptide binding to HLA-DQ2.The team treated wheat flour with microbial transglutaminase and lysine methylesther. They then extracted, digested and deaminated the gliadin.
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They used biopsy specimens from 12 adults with known celiac disease to generate gliadin-specific intestinal T-cell lines (iTCLs), which they then challenged in vitro with various antigen solutions.
The results showed that tissue TG-mediated transamidation with lysine methylesther of P56-58, or gliadin in alkaline conditions inhibited the interferon expression in iTCLs.
Gastroenterology, Volume 133, Issue 3, September 2007; p780-789
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