Gluten und immunerkrankungen

Gluten is the main external trigger of diseases like celiac disease, dermatitis herpetiformis and wheat allergy. There is increasing evidence that gluten might also play a relevant role in other autoimmune diseases and it is discussed as potentially common pathogenetic association between these different diseases. In genetically predisposed individuals the early introduction of gluten into infant feeding is associated with an increased risk of type 1 diabetes, on the other hand duration of gluten exposition of patients with celiac disease is correlated with an increased risk of type 1 diabetes and other autoimmune diseases. The prevalence of celiac disease in patients with type 1 diabetes is increased about 10-fold. The association between celiac disase and type 1 diabetes is determined by the shared genetic features, also other common pathogenetic mechanisms involving gluten are hypothesised, in particular a dysfunctional immune regulation in the mucosa.