Celiac disease

Celiac disease is an autoimmune inflammatory enteropathy triggered by the consumption of gluten-containing foods (particularly wheat, barley, rye and spelt) in genetically predisposed individuals (HLA-DQ2 / DQ8 positive).

The result is chronic inflammation of the mucosa of the small intestine, atrophy of the villi and malabsorption. The triggers are the gliadin peptides in gluten, which cross the mucosa of the small intestine and are deamidated by tissue transglutaminase.