BACKGROUND: Celiac disease (CeD) is a common gluten-sensitive autoimmune enteropathy. A gluten-free diet is an effective treatment, but compliance is demanding; hence, new treatment strategies for CeD are required. OBJECTIVE: Parasitic helminths hold promise for treating inflammatory disorders, so we examined the influence of experimental hookworm infection on the predicted outcomes of escalating gluten challenges in CeD subjects. METHODS: A 52-week study was conducted involving 12 adults with diet-managed CeD. Subjects were inoculated with 20 Necator americanus larvae, and escalating gluten challenges consumed as pasta were subsequently administered: (1) 10 to 50 mg for 12 weeks (microchallenge); (2) 25 mg daily + 1 g twice weekly for 12 weeks (GC-1g); and (3) 3 g daily (60-75 straws of spaghetti) for 2 weeks (GC-3g). Symptomatic, serologic, and histological outcomes evaluated gluten toxicity. Regulatory and inflammatory T cell populations in blood and mucosa were examined. RESULTS: Two gluten-intolerant subjects were withdrawn after microchallenge. Ten completed GC-1g, 8 of whom enrolled in and completed GC-3g. PRIMARY OUTCOMES: median villous height-to-crypt depth ratios (2.60-2.63; P = .98) did not decrease as predicted after GC-1g, and the mean IgA-tissue transglutaminase titers declined, contrary to the predicted rise after GC-3g. SECONDARY OUTCOMES: quality of life scores improved (46.3-40.6; P = .05); celiac symptom indices (24.3-24.3; P = .53), intra-epithelial lymphocyte percentages (32.5-35.0; P = .47), and Marsh scores were unchanged by gluten challenge. Intestinal T cells expressing IFNgamma were reduced following hookworm infection (23.9%-11.5%; P = .04), with corresponding increases in CD4(+) Foxp3(+) regulatory T cells (0.19%-1.12%; P = .001). CONCLUSIONS: Necator americanus and gluten microchallenge promoted tolerance and stabilized or improved all tested indices of gluten toxicity in CeD subjects.
Authors | Croese, John; Giacomin, Paul; Navarro, Severine; Clouston, AD; McCann, Leisa; Dougall, Annette; Ferreira, Ivana; Susianto, Atik; O'Rourke, Peter; Howlett, Mariko; McCarthy, James S.; Engwerda, CR; Jones, Dianne M.; Loukas, Alex |
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Journal | The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology |
Pages | 508-16 |
Volume | 135 |
Date | 20/09/2014 |
Grant ID | |
Funding Body | |
URL | http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=10.1016/j.jaci.2014.07.022 |
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