Vojdani Aristo
Altern Ther Health Med. 2015;21 Suppl 1:46-51.
Lectins are carbohydrate-binding proteins present throughout nature that act as agglutinins. Approximately 30% of our food contains lectins, some of which may be resistant enough to digestion to enter the circulation. Because of their binding properties, lectins can cause nutrient deficiencies, disrupt digestion, and cause severe intestinal damage when consumed in excess by an individual with dysfunctional enzymes. These effects are followed by disruption of intestinal barrier integrity, which is the gateway to various autoimmunities. Shared amino acid motifs between dietary lectins, exogenous peptides, and various body tissues may lead to cross-reactivity, resulting in the production of antibodies against lectin and bacterial antigens, followed by autoimmunity. The detection of immunoglobulin G (IgG) or immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibodies against specific lectins may serve as a guide for the elimination of these lectins from the diet. It is proposed that this process can reduce the peripheral antigenic stimulus and, thereby, result in a diminution of disease symptoms in some-but not all-patients with autoimmune disorders.
凝集素是自然界中存在的一类能起凝集作用的碳水化合物结合蛋白。我们摄入的食物中约30%含有凝集素，其中一些凝集素可能具有足够的抗消化能力从而进入血液循环。由于其结合特性，当酶功能异常的个体过量食用凝集素时，它们会导致营养缺乏、扰乱消化并造成严重的肠道损伤。这些影响随后会破坏肠道屏障的完整性，而肠道屏障完整性是引发各种自身免疫性疾病的门户。膳食凝集素、外源性肽和各种身体组织之间共享的氨基酸基序可能导致交叉反应，从而产生针对凝集素和细菌抗原的抗体，进而引发自身免疫。检测针对特定凝集素的免疫球蛋白G（IgG）或免疫球蛋白A（IgA）抗体可作为从饮食中去除这些凝集素的指导。有人提出，这一过程可以减少外周抗原刺激，从而使一些（但不是所有）自身免疫性疾病患者的症状减轻。
