1. Experimental hookworm infection and gluten microchallenge promote tolerance in celiac disease
- Author
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Paul R. Giacomin, Annette M. Dougall, Christian R. Engwerda, Mariko Howlett, Leisa McCann, Andrew D. Clouston, Ivana Ferreira, Dianne Jones, Alex Loukas, Atik Susianto, John Croese, Peter O'Rourke, James S. McCarthy, and Severine Navarro
- Subjects
Adult ,Ancylostomatoidea ,Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Glutens ,Tissue transglutaminase ,Duodenum ,Necator americanus ,Immunology ,Population ,Gastroenterology ,T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory ,Immune tolerance ,Immunophenotyping ,Hookworm Infections ,T-Lymphocyte Subsets ,Internal medicine ,Surveys and Questionnaires ,medicine ,Immune Tolerance ,Immunology and Allergy ,Animals ,Humans ,education ,Aged ,chemistry.chemical_classification ,education.field_of_study ,biology ,FOXP3 ,Middle Aged ,biology.organism_classification ,Gluten ,Patient Outcome Assessment ,Celiac Disease ,chemistry ,Toxicity ,biology.protein ,Female - Abstract
Background Celiac disease (CeD) is a common gluten-sensitive autoimmune enteropathy. A gluten-free diet is an effective treatment, but compliance is demanding; hence, new treatment strategies for CeD are required. Objective Parasitic helminths hold promise for treating inflammatory disorders, so we examined the influence of experimental hookworm infection on the predicted outcomes of escalating gluten challenges in CeD subjects. Methods A 52-week study was conducted involving 12 adults with diet-managed CeD. Subjects were inoculated with 20 Necator americanus larvae, and escalating gluten challenges consumed as pasta were subsequently administered: (1) 10 to 50 mg for 12 weeks (microchallenge); (2) 25 mg daily + 1 g twice weekly for 12 weeks (GC-1g); and (3) 3 g daily (60-75 straws of spaghetti) for 2 weeks (GC-3g). Symptomatic, serologic, and histological outcomes evaluated gluten toxicity. Regulatory and inflammatory T cell populations in blood and mucosa were examined. Results Two gluten-intolerant subjects were withdrawn after microchallenge. Ten completed GC-1g, 8 of whom enrolled in and completed GC-3g. Primary outcomes: median villous height-to-crypt depth ratios (2.60-2.63; P = .98) did not decrease as predicted after GC-1g, and the mean IgA-tissue transglutaminase titers declined, contrary to the predicted rise after GC-3g. Secondary outcomes: quality of life scores improved (46.3-40.6; P = .05); celiac symptom indices (24.3-24.3; P = .53), intra-epithelial lymphocyte percentages (32.5-35.0; P = .47), and Marsh scores were unchanged by gluten challenge. Intestinal T cells expressing IFNγ were reduced following hookworm infection (23.9%-11.5%; P = .04), with corresponding increases in CD4 + Foxp3 + regulatory T cells (0.19%-1.12%; P = .001). Conclusions Necator americanus and gluten microchallenge promoted tolerance and stabilized or improved all tested indices of gluten toxicity in CeD subjects.
- Published
- 2014