Approximately 1% of the population suffers from celiac disease, a disease of the immune system that manifests itself with anemia, chronic diarrhea, osteoporosis or even growth retardation . The cause of these disorders is gluten, a protein that four types of grain contain: wheat, rye, barley and oats. But why does the body react like this? What drives your defenses crazy?
Well, as suggested by a team of North American researchers led by specialists from the University of Chicago, the original trigger could be the infection caused by a form of virus called reovirus , which in principle only causes mild gastrointestinal and respiratory problems.
“Our work shows that intestinal viruses can induce the immune system to overreact to gluten,” summarizes Bana Jabri, director of the research, which is published in the journal Science . His experiment consisted of inoculating two strains of reovirus , with genetic differences, in mice: the one that corresponded to the variety that infects humans developed an inflammatory response and intolerance to the protein of plant origin in laboratory animals.
Experts have also observed that celiac patients had higher levels of antibodies against the reovirus and the expression of IRPF1 genes, related to the loss of tolerance to gluten. This alteration of the immune system could occur, the scientists conjecture, around six months of age: genetic predisposition, intestinal reovirus infection and the first exposure to a diet with the protein of cereals would converge to create the “perfect storm” . A kind of immune scar that will accompany them, in the form of celiac disease, for life.
This finding encourages the hope of creating in the future a vaccine against intestinal reovirus , also suspected of being behind diabetes 1, and thus immunize children at risk of contracting celiac disease.
