Development of a method for diagnosing celiac disease without the need for gluten exposure
Scientists at Oslo University Hospital and the University of Oslo, led by Professor Ludvig Sollid, have studied gluten-specific immune cells (T cells) from celiac patients. These T cells play a central role in the development of the disease, and they persist in the patients for many decades. They have identified a set of receptors (TCR) on the surface of the gluten-specific T cells that the cells employ to recognize gluten. The current standard procedure for diagnosis of celiac disease in adults includes endoscopy in subjects who are consuming gluten.
In this project it has been investigated whether detection of DNA sequences that code for TCR in gluten-specific T cells can be used as a method to diagnose celiac disease. The analysis is performed on blood samples, and the ambition has been that the test should also work in people on a gluten-free diet. The investigations have been done in a test situation that resembles real life. The conclusion from the study is that the method does not work well enough to be able to replace existing tests. This is partly because the TCR sequences in question have also been detected in healthy subjects.
I dette prosjektet er det undersøkt om påvisning av DNA sekvenser som koder for TCR hos glutenspesifikke T-celler kan brukes som en metode for å diagnostisere cøliaki. Utgangspunktet for analysen er blodprøver, og ambisjonen har vært at testen skulle fungere også hos personer som står på glutenfri kost. Undersøkelsene er gjort i en testsituasjon som likner på det virkelige liv. Konklusjonen fra studien er at metoden ikke virker godt nok til å kunne erstatte eksisterende tester. Dette er delvis fordi de aktuelle TCR sekvensene også er påvist hos friske personer.