Small intestinal T cells of celiac disease patients recognize a natural pepsin fragment of gliadin.
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.
Department of Immunohaematology and Bloodbank, Leiden University Medical Center, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands. wal@rullf2.leidenuniv.nl
Y
Y
van de Wal
Y M
YM
Kooy
P A
PA
van Veelen
S A
SA
Peña
L M
LM
Mearin
O
O
Molberg
K E
KE
Lundin
L M
LM
Sollid
T
T
Mutis
W E
WE
Benckhuijsen
J W
JW
Drijfhout
F
F
Koning
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D002999:Clone Cells; D005903:Gliadin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens; D006801:Humans; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010434:Pepsin A; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology
D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens; C053186:HLA-DQ2 antigen; C109756:HLA-DQ8 antigen; D016056:Immunodominant Epitopes; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D005903:Gliadin; D010434:Pepsin A