Immunogenicity of monococcum wheat in celiac patients.

BACKGROUND

Research is intense to find wheat of low or null toxicity for patients with celiac disease (CD). Among candidates, there are diploid wheat species.

OBJECTIVE

We compared the immunological properties of 2 lines of diploid monococcum wheat (Triticum monococcum ssp. monococcum), Monlis and ID331, with those of common wheat (Triticum aestivum).

DESIGN

Interferon-γ production and the proliferation of intestinal gliadin-specific T cell lines and clones were measured as evidence of T cell activation by peptic and tryptic (PT) digests of gliadins from 2 monococcum lines. Furthermore, organ cultures of jejunal biopsies from 28 CD patients were set up to assess the effects of PT gliadin on innate and adaptive immune response by using immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

Monlis and ID331 induced interferon-γ production and proliferation in celiac mucosal T cells. In organ cultures, Monlis PT digest induced a significant increase of IL-15 epithelial expression and crypt enterocyte proliferation, whereas ID331 had no effect. Both monococcum lines caused intraepithelial T cell infiltration and lamina propria T cell activation.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data show that the monococcum lines Monlis and ID331 activate the CD T cell response and suggest that these lines are toxic for celiac patients. However, ID331 is likely to be less effective in inducing CD because of its inability to activate the innate immune pathways.