title: Involvement of heat shock proteins in gluten-sensitive enteropathy.
abstract: Gluten-sensitive enteropathy, also known as coeliac disease (CD), is an autoimmune disorder occurring in genetically susceptible individuals that damages the small intestine and interferes with the absorption of other nutrients. As it is triggered by dietary gluten and related prolamins present in wheat, rye and barley, the accepted treatment for CD is a strict gluten-free diet. However, a complete exclusion of gluten-containing cereals from the diet is often difficult, and new therapeutic strategies are urgently needed. A class of proteins that have already emerged as drug targets for other autoimmune diseases are the heat shock proteins (HSPs), which are highly conserved stress-induced chaperones that protect cells against harmful extracellular factors. HSPs are expressed in several tissues, including the gastrointestinal tract, and their levels are significantly increased under stress circumstances. HSPs exert immunomodulatory effects, and also play a crucial role in the maintenance of epithelial cell structure and function, as they are responsible for adequate protein folding, influence the degradation of proteins and cell repair processes after damage, and modulate cell signalling, cell proliferation and apoptosis. The present review discusses the involvement of HSPs in the pathophysiology of CD. Furthermore, HSPs may represent a useful therapeutic target for the treatment of CD due to the cytoprotective, immunomodulatory, and anti-apoptotic effects in the intestinal mucosal barrier.
authors.affiliation: Erna Sziksz, Tivadar Tulassay, Ádám Vannay, MTA-SE, Pediatrics and Nephrology Research Group, H-1083 Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Erna
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sziksz
authors.affiliation: Erna Sziksz, Tivadar Tulassay, Ádám Vannay, MTA-SE, Pediatrics and Nephrology Research Group, H-1083 Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Domonkos
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pap
authors.affiliation: Erna Sziksz, Tivadar Tulassay, Ádám Vannay, MTA-SE, Pediatrics and Nephrology Research Group, H-1083 Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Gábor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Veres
authors.affiliation: Erna Sziksz, Tivadar Tulassay, Ádám Vannay, MTA-SE, Pediatrics and Nephrology Research Group, H-1083 Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fekete
authors.affiliation: Erna Sziksz, Tivadar Tulassay, Ádám Vannay, MTA-SE, Pediatrics and Nephrology Research Group, H-1083 Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Tivadar
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tulassay
authors.affiliation: Erna Sziksz, Tivadar Tulassay, Ádám Vannay, MTA-SE, Pediatrics and Nephrology Research Group, H-1083 Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Ádám
authors.initials: Á
authors.lastname: Vannay
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry; D017209:Apoptosis; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D055050:Diet, Gluten-Free; D004848:Epithelium / Q000473:pathology; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000276:immunology; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D014908:Triticum / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins
keywords: Coeliac disease; Gluten-free diet; Gluten-sensitive enteropathy; Heat shock proteins; Intestinal barrier