title: T-cell responses and cellular immunity in coeliac disease.
abstract: Increasing evidence points to a direct role for T cells in the mediation of the coeliac intestinal lesion. There is good evidence for increased local T-cell reactivity, manifest as increased in T-cell activation in the lamina propria and T-cell proliferation in the epithelial compartment. A likely scenario is that gluten elicits antigen-specific responses by lamina propria T helper cells, probably of the Th1 (inflammatory-mediator) subtype, leading to secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Such cytokines may have direct effects on intestinal enterocytes, as well as mediating indirect effects by upregulation of MHC antigens and by enhancing the activity of cytolytic T cells. Although gluten-specific IEL responses have not been demonstrated by intraepithelial T lymphocytes (IELs), increasing evidence suggests that IELs can act as cytolytic effector cells and hence are likely to exert enteropathic effects under the influence of pro-inflammatory cytokines.
authors.affiliation: Division of Medicine, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds, UK.
authors.forename: L K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Trejdosiewicz
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Howdle
mesh_terms: D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000276:immunology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000502:physiology; D004848:Epithelium / Q000276:immunology; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000276:immunology; D005983:Glutens / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000276:immunology*; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D005983:Glutens