Very interesting perspective on the wheat/gluten issue
In Health
Jeff
Wheat amylase trypsin inhibitors drive intestinal inflammation via activation of toll-like receptor 4. The Journal of Experimental Medicine, 209(13), 2395–2408.
http://doi.org/10.1084/jem.20102660https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3526354/Abstract
Ingestion of wheat, barley, or rye triggers small intestinal inflammation in patients with celiac disease. Specifically, the storage proteins of these cereals (gluten) elicit an adaptive Th1-mediated immune response in individuals carrying HLA-DQ2 or HLA-DQ8 as major genetic predisposition. This well-defined role of adaptive immunity contrasts with an ill-defined component of innate immunity in celiac disease. We identify the α-amylase/trypsin inhibitors (ATIs) CM3 and 0.19, pest resistance molecules in wheat, as strong activators of innate immune responses in monocytes, macrophages, and dendritic cells. ATIs engage the TLR4–MD2–CD14 complex and lead to up-regulation of maturation markers and elicit release of proinflammatory cytokines in cells from celiac and nonceliac patients and in celiac patients’ biopsies. Mice deficient in TLR4 or TLR4 signaling are protected from intestinal and systemic immune responses upon oral challenge with ATIs. These findings define cereal ATIs as novel contributors to celiac disease. Moreover, ATIs may fuel inflammation and immune reactions in other intestinal and nonintestinal immune disorders.
and from in the discussion:
"Importantly, ATIs are the primary resistance molecules of cereals to fend off pests and parasites such as the meal bug (Ryan, 1990; Cordain, 1999), and more recent breeding of high yielding and highly pest-resistant wheat (Ryan, 1990; Cordain, 1999; Sands et al., 2009) has led to a drastic increase of ATI content (Ryan, 1990). Our finding of ATI as a potent stimulator of TLR4 in the intestine might not only be relevant to celiac disease, but is likely to have implications for patients with so-called gluten sensitivity and possibly for patients with irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, and even nonintestinal inflammation. Patients with gluten sensitivity do not have celiac disease, but their symptoms improve on a gluten-free (i.e., cereal and therefore ATI free) diet, and several case reports documented that other intestinal inflammatory conditions improved on a gluten-free diet (Verdu et al., 2009; Biesiekierski et al., 2011). Moreover, members of the ATI family have been previously characterized as allergens in baker’s asthma and gastrointestinal hypersensitivity to wheat (Tatham and Shewry, 2008). It is therefore tempting to speculate that their ability to stimulate TLR4 contributes to their allergenicity, as has been shown recently for the main house dust mite allergen Der p2 (Trompette et al., 2009). In conclusion, we identify ATIs, nutritional proteins from wheat and related cereals, as activators of TLR4 and inducers of innate immune responses in vitro and in vivo, with broad implications not only for the onset and course of celiac disease, but also for other intestinal and possibly nonintestinal inflammatory diseases."
Gluten may not be the culprit when it comes to wheat sensitivities
This article originally appeared on Medical Daily.
http://www.newsweek.com/sensitive-wheat ... ame-515503Gluten may not be the culprit when it comes to wheat sensitivities, according to a new body of research presented at the United European Gastroenterology Week 2016. Instead, a team of scientists from Johannes Gutenberg University in Germany discovered a different protein in wheat known as amylase-trypsin inhibitors (ATIs), which may be what triggers stomach-sickening inflammation and other symptoms.
For the study, the team stopped focusing on gluten—a protein found in wheat, barley and rye —and shifted their attention to ATIs because it appears to cause inflammation and worsen other chronic health conditions. Although ATIs only make up 4 percent of proteins found in wheat, they are responsible for a lot of damage throughout the body. Not only is the stomach at risk for dangerous i
ATIs may also contribute to the development of non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Those who do not have celiac disease, which is a serious autoimmune disease that causes damage to the intestines, can still be negatively affected by gluten-containg foods, such as pastas, breads and baked goods. According to the Celiac Disease Foundation, one out of every 100 people suffer from celiac disease, but it is unclear how many suffer from general wheat sensitivity.
“We believe that ATIs can promote inflammation of other immune-related chronic conditions outside of the bowel,” said the findings’ presenter Dr. Detlef Schuppan, who is a professor at both Johannes Gutenberg University and Harvard Medical School, in a press release. “The type of gut inflammation seen in non-celiac gluten sensitivity differs from that caused by celiac disease, and we do not believe that this is triggered by gluten proteins. Instead, we demonstrated that ATIs activate specific types of immune cells in the gut, thereby worsening the symptoms of pre-existing inflammatory illnesses.”
Schuppan and his team’s research has shown that following an ATI-free diet, by reducing ATI-containing wheat products by 90 percent, should be enough to lessen symptoms. More research is needed before a regimen with medically backed recommendations can be given out to patients, but until then, all research is pointing to one conclusion—chronic diseases are worsened by ingestion of wheat ATIs.
Schuppan said, “We are hoping that this research can lead us toward being able to recommend an ATI-free diet to help treat a variety of potentially serious immunological disorders.”