In Celiac Disease Patients the In Vivo Challenge with the Diploid Triticum monococcum Elicits a Reduced Immune Response Compared to Hexaploid Wheat

Abstract

Scope Gluten from the diploid wheat Triticum monococcum (TM) has low content of immunostimulatory sequences and a high gastro‐intestinal digestibility. We analysed gluten‐reactive T cells elicited by diploid and hexaploid (Triticum aestivum‐TA) wheat in celiac disease (CD) patients upon a brief oral challenge. Methods and results Seventeen patients with CD (median age 13 years) consumed for 3‐days sandwiches made with TM (cultivar Norberto‐ID331, N = 11), or TA (cultivar Sagittario, N = 11) flours, corresponding to 12 gr of gluten/die. Immunostimulatory properties were assessed in blood by measuring the IFN‐γ‐secreting T cells by EliSpot and the expression of inflammatory cytokines/receptors (IL‐12A, IL‐15, IL‐18RAP, IFN‐γ) by qPCR. TA mobilized a remarkable number of gliadin specific, IFN‐γ‐secreting T cells (p < 0.05), whilst no significant cell mobilization was induced by TM (p = ns). Similar results were obtained in response to five immunogenic peptides from α‐, ω‐, and γ‐gliadins, although with a large individual variability. An increased mRNA expression for IL‐12A and IFN‐γ was detected in group eating TA compared to those consuming TM (p < 0.05). Conclusions Although Triticum monococcum is a cereal not suitable for the diet of celiacs, we demonstrated that this diploid wheat elicits a reduced in vivo T‐cell response compared to Triticum aestivum in celiac patients. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved