The University of Chicago just released research showing that a seemingly harmless gastrointestinal virus may be responsible for causing Celiac disease.
Celiac disease is caused by an abnormal immune response to the protein gluten, which is found in wheat, rye and barley. The condition damages the lining of the small intestine, and the only effective treatment is a gluten-free diet. This new study found that when mice were infected with particular strains of a common human intestinal reovirus, their immune system couldn’t tolerate gluten.
Patients with celiac disease also had much higher levels of antibodies against reoviruses than those without celiac disease. The researchers said these findings show further evidence that viruses may play a role in the development of autoimmune disorders such as celiac disease and type 1 diabetes, and they suggest that vaccines might help prevent such diseases.
Wouldn’t that be great? If you’d like more information on celiac disease, pay a visit to the University of Chicago’s Celiac Disease Center web site and click on education. This is Joan Trimble wishing you wellness.
The findings were published April 7 in the journal Science.
SOURCE: University of Chicago, news release, April 6, 2017