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Celiac Disease pp 81–94Cite as

Role of Gut Microbes in Celiac Disease Risk and Pathogenesis

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Part of the book series: Clinical Gastroenterology ((CG))

Abstract

Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune disorder for which the main genetic determinant (HLA-DQ2/8) and environmental trigger (gluten) are identified, although these do not fully explain the onset of the disease. In recent years, research has been made into the role intestinal microbiota play in CD via interactions with the diet and the host immune system. The intestinal colonization of the newborn’s intestine seems to be a particularly important process since it constitutes a major stimulus for adequate development of the immune system and oral tolerance. Evidence from prospective studies in infants at risk of developing CD suggests that both breast-feeding and the HLA-DQ genotype influence the microbiota composition early in life, which could partly explain the protective role attributed to breast milk in CD development. In most studies, the microbiota of CD patients (both untreated CD and CD treated with a gluten-free diet) has also been associated with alterations in microbiota composition. The isolation of clones belonging to different bacterial groups, including bacteroides, enterobacteria, and staphylococci, has also demonstrated that the isolates from CD patients harbored higher virulence-related genes, increasing their potential pathogenicity. In addition, in vitro studies as well as animal models suggest that specific bacteria could activate pathogenic mechanisms that aggravate the deleterious effects of gluten, while others can exert a protective role. Altogether, findings indicate that gut microbiota composition and function could be one of the missing links that could help explain CD pathogenesis and risk, and thus deserve further investigation.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grants AGL2011-25169 and Consolider Fun-C-Food CSD2007-00063 from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. The scholarship to M. Olivares and the postdoctoral contract to J.M. Laparra from CSIC are fully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Microbial Ecology, Nutrition and Health, Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology, National Research Council (IATA-CSIC), Paterna, Valencia, Spain

    José Moisés Laparra Ph.D. & Marta Olivares

  2. Microbial Ecology, Nutrition and Health, Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology, National Research Council (IATA-CSIC), Av. Agustín Escardino 7, Paterna, Valencia, 46980, Spain

    Yolanda Sanz Ph.D.

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  1. José Moisés Laparra Ph.D.
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  2. Marta Olivares
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  3. Yolanda Sanz Ph.D.
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Correspondence to Yolanda Sanz Ph.D. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA

    S. Devi Rampertab

  2. Department of Gastroenterology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

    Gerard E. Mullin

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Laparra, J.M., Olivares, M., Sanz, Y. (2014). Role of Gut Microbes in Celiac Disease Risk and Pathogenesis. In: Rampertab, S., Mullin, G. (eds) Celiac Disease. Clinical Gastroenterology. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-8560-5_7

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