Molecular-level differences change immune response
Researchers at the University of Maryland say they have proven that gluten sensitivity is different from celiac disease.
According to a research published online in BMC Medicine, scientific evidence shows a difference at the molecular level and in the response elicited from the immune system; however, it also shows that both are part of a spectrum of gluten-related disorders.
Dr. Alessio Fasano, professor of pediatrics, medicine and physiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and director of the Center for Celiac Research, said that the differences were seen in intestinal complications and genes that regulate immune response in the digestive tract.
“Identifying and isolating specific ‘biomarkers’ in the immune response of people with gluten sensitivity could lead to diagnostic tools for the condition,” says Dr. Fasano, who also directs the University of Maryland School of Medicine Mucosal Biology Research Center.
