The Rheumatologist
COVID-19 News
  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed
  • Home
  • Conditions
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • SLE (Lupus)
    • Crystal Arthritis
      • Gout Resource Center
    • Spondyloarthritis
    • Osteoarthritis
    • Soft Tissue Pain
    • Scleroderma
    • Vasculitis
    • Systemic Inflammatory Syndromes
    • Guidelines
  • Resource Centers
    • Ankylosing Spondylitis Resource Center
    • Gout Resource Center
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
    • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
  • Drug Updates
    • Biologics & Biosimilars
    • DMARDs & Immunosuppressives
    • Topical Drugs
    • Analgesics
    • Safety
    • Pharma Co. News
  • Professional Topics
    • Ethics
    • Legal
    • Legislation & Advocacy
    • Career Development
      • Certification
      • Education & Training
    • Awards
    • Profiles
    • President’s Perspective
    • Rheuminations
  • Practice Management
    • Billing/Coding
    • Quality Assurance/Improvement
    • Workforce
    • Facility
    • Patient Perspective
    • Electronic Health Records
    • Apps
    • Information Technology
    • From the College
    • Multimedia
      • Audio
      • Video
  • Resources
    • Issue Archives
    • ACR Convergence
      • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
      • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
      • Gout Resource Center
      • Abstracts
      • Meeting Reports
      • ACR Convergence Home
    • American College of Rheumatology
    • ACR ExamRheum
    • Research Reviews
    • ACR Journals
      • Arthritis & Rheumatology
      • Arthritis Care & Research
      • ACR Open Rheumatology
    • Rheumatology Image Library
    • Treatment Guidelines
    • Rheumatology Research Foundation
    • Events
  • About Us
    • Mission/Vision
    • Meet the Authors
    • Meet the Editors
    • Contribute to The Rheumatologist
    • Subscription
    • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Search
You are here: Home / Articles / The Role of T Cells in Celiac Disease

The Role of T Cells in Celiac Disease

April 17, 2017 • By Lara C. Pullen, PhD

  • Tweet
  • Email
Print-Friendly Version / Save PDF

At its most basic level, celiac disease begins as an immune response to wheat proteins that then expands into an autoimmune disease with both gastrointestinal and neurological implications. Celiac disease is further complicated by the fact that it is multifactorial and polygenic. Fifty years ago, scientists identified the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) as a risk factor for celiac disease, with the primary risk factor being MHC Class II alleles encoding HLA-DQ2.5, HLA-DQ8 and HLA-DQ2.2. More recently, genome-wide association studies have identified 42 additional loci that contribute to celiac disease susceptibility.

You Might Also Like
  • Study Reveals Role of IL-17–Secreting CD4+ T Cells in Lupus
  • Diagnostic Tests, Tips for Gluten-Induced Celiac Disease
  • Non-Celiac Wheat Sensitivity Is an Immune Disorder, Too
Also By This Author
  • Should You Treat SSc with Cyclophosphamide or Mycophenolate?

Bana Jabri, MD, PhD, professor of medicine at the University of Chicago, and Ludvig M. Sollid, MD, PhD, professor at the Center for Immune Regulation at the University of Oslo in Norway, detailed the immunological research that has been conducted to date to elucidate celiac disease and published their review online April 15 in the Journal of Immunology. They describe celiac disease as an autoimmune disease with CD4 T cells, autoantibodies and effector intraepithelial cytotoxic T lymphocytes (IE-CTL).1

ad goes here:advert-1
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Because certain MHC Class II alleles dramatically increase the risk for celiac disease, scientists initially assumed that gluten-specific T cells play a critical role in pathology. Further investigations found that, although gluten-specific T cells are rare in the periphery, gluten-specific T cells can be isolated from gut biopsies of patients with celiac disease. In fact, approximately 1% of CD4-positive cells isolated from the biopsies of untreated patients are specific for gluten.

Moreover, CD4 T cells recognize only a limited set of peptides within the extremely complex gluten proteome. Specifically, analysis of T cells from the gut indicates that the gluten protein must first be deamidated for the antigenic epitope to be generated. The protein TG2 specifically deamidates gluten peptides and converts them to “excellent T cell epitopes.” Interestingly, TG2 does not appear to be constitutively active in the intestine, but may be induced by viral signals or interferon ɣ (IFNɣ).

ad goes here:advert-2
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Although TG2 does not appear to directly provoke a T cell specific response, TG2 does form complexes with gluten, and these complexes serve as targets for autoantibodies. One model, in particular, suggests that covalent complexes of TG2 and gluten peptides behave as hapten-carrier-like complexes to facilitate the stimulation of autoantibodies. By this model, TG2-specific B cells use their surface anti-TG2 immunoglobulin molecules to take up gluten-TG2 complex and present gluten peptides via HLA-DQ molecules to gluten-reactive T cells. In this way, TG2-specific B cells can receive T cell help. This explanation may also explain why antibodies to TG2 are formed only in individuals who are HLA-DQ2/DQ8 positive and eating gluten.

Pages: 1 2 | Single Page

Filed Under: Conditions Tagged With: CD4, celiac disease, gluten, T cell

You Might Also Like:
  • Study Reveals Role of IL-17–Secreting CD4+ T Cells in Lupus
  • Diagnostic Tests, Tips for Gluten-Induced Celiac Disease
  • Non-Celiac Wheat Sensitivity Is an Immune Disorder, Too
  • Celiac Disease in Pediatric Patients

American College of Rheumatology

Visit the official website for the American College of Rheumatology.

Visit the ACR »

Rheumatology Research Foundation

The Foundation is the largest private funding source for rheumatology research and training in the U.S.

Learn more »

ACR Convergence

Don’t miss rheumatology’s premier scientific meeting for anyone involved in research or the delivery of rheumatologic care or services.

Visit the ACR Convergence site »

The Rheumatologist newsmagazine reports on issues and trends in the management and treatment of rheumatic diseases. The Rheumatologist reaches 11,500 rheumatologists, internists, orthopedic surgeons, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, and other healthcare professionals who practice, research, or teach in the field of rheumatology.

About Us / Contact Us / Advertise / Privacy Policy / Terms of Use

  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed

Copyright © 2006–2021 American College of Rheumatology. All rights reserved.

ISSN 1931-3268 (print)
ISSN 1931-3209 (online)

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
This site uses cookies: Find out more.