Small Intestinal T Cells of Celiac Disease Patients Recognize a Natural Pepsin Fragment of Gliadin
Abstract
Celiac disease is a common severe intestinal disease resulting from intolerance to dietary wheat gluten and related proteins. The large majority of patients expresses the HLA-DQ2 and/or DQ8 molecules, and gluten-specific HLA-DQ-restricted T cells have been found at the site of the lesion in the gut. The nature of peptides that are recognized by such T cells, however, has been unclear so far. We now report the identification of a gliadin-derived epitope that dominantly is recognized by intestinal gluten-specific HLA-DQ8-restricted T cells. The characterization of such epitopes is a key step toward the development of strategies to interfere in mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of celiac disease.
- Publication:
-
Proceedings of the National Academy of Science
- Pub Date:
- August 1998
- DOI:
- 10.1073/pnas.95.17.10050
- Bibcode:
- 1998PNAS...9510050V