In vivo sensitization to gliadin by oral administration

Abstract

Celiac disease is a highly prevalent immune-mediated enteropathy that develops in genetically susceptible individuals expressing HLA-DQ2 or HLA-DQ8 after ingestion of gluten and results in decreased quality of life and increased morbidity. This pathology is triggered by immunogenic peptides generated from gliadins present in gluten, which act on the intestinal mucosa in a context of high intestinal permeability, activating the innate and adaptive response of the immune system. Several in vivo rodent models attempt to reproduce some phases of the intestinal inflammatory process that occurs in celiac disease. Allergic sensitization to gluten simulates, or enhances in some animal models, the loss of tolerance to gliadin peptides and the initial events that lead to celiac disease in a specific genetic or environmental context. Here we describe a simple method for performing gliadin sensitization in an in vivo animal model.