title: No observed local immunological response at cell level after five years of oats in adult coeliac disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our earlier 5-year follow-up study produced the first evidence to show the long-term safety of oats as part of a coeliac diet. The objective of the present study was to clarify its applicability by analysing local cellular immunological responses after 5 years' consumption of oats by adult coeliac patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-two coeliac patients took part in an earlier oats intervention study for 6-12 months. Twenty-two of these patients originally consumed oats as part of their gluten-free diet. During the 5-year follow-up 10 patients had felt uncertain about the safety of long-term consumption of oats and gave up this part of their diet. Finally, 12 of the 22 patients consumed oats for the whole 5-year period. The control group consisted of the remaining 20 coeliac patients using a strict, conventional, gluten-free diet without oats. Intraepithelial CD3, alphabetaTCR (alphabetaIEL) and gammadeltaTCR (gammadeltaIEL) T cells were counted after specific staining of small intestinal biopsy specimens.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no differences in the densities of CD3, alphabetaIEL and gammadeltaIEL T cells between the oat and the control groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Long-term use of oats included in the gluten-free diets of patients with coeliac disease does not stimulate an immunological response locally in the mucosa of the small intestine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Nutrition, University of Kuopio and Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Tarja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kemppainen
authors.forename: Esko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Janatuinen
authors.forename: Kati
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Holm
authors.forename: Veli-Matti
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Kosma
authors.forename: Markku
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heikkinen
authors.forename: Markku
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mäki
authors.forename: Kaija
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Laurila
authors.forename: Matti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uusitupa
authors.forename: Risto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Julkunen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018554:Avena; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000032:analysis; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D018753:Diet, Protein-Restricted; D004386:Duodenum / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005983:Glutens; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000276:immunology*; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000032:analysis*; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D017252:CD3 Complex; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta; D005983:Glutens