No observed local immunological response at cell level after five years of oats in adult coeliac disease.
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.
Kemppainen
Tarja
T
Department of Clinical Nutrition, University of Kuopio and Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland.
Janatuinen
Esko
E
Holm
Kati
K
Kosma
Veli-Matti
VM
Heikkinen
Markku
M
Mäki
Markku
M
Laurila
Kaija
K
Uusitupa
Matti
M
Julkunen
Risto
R
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*
D017252:CD3 Complex; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta; D005983:Glutens