In Celiac Disease Patients the In Vivo Challenge with the Diploid Triticum monococcum Elicits a Reduced Immune Response Compared to Hexaploid Wheat

SCOPE: Gluten from the diploid wheat Triticum monococcum (TM) has low content of immunostimulatory sequences and a high gastro-intestinal digestibility. We analysed gluten-reactive T cells elicited by diploid and hexaploid (Triticum aestivum-TA) wheat in celiac disease (CD) patients upon a brief oral challenge. METHODS AND RESULTS: Seventeen patients with CD (median age 13 years) consumed for 3-days sandwiches made with TM (cultivar Norberto-ID331, N = 11), or TA (cultivar Sagittario, N = 11) flours, corresponding to 12 gr of gluten/die. Immunostimulatory properties were assessed in blood by measuring the IFN-?-secreting T cells by EliSpot and the expression of inflammatory cytokines/receptors (IL-12A, IL-15, IL-18RAP, IFN-?) by qPCR. TA mobilized a remarkable number of gliadin specific, IFN-?-secreting T cells (p < 0.05), whilst no significant cell mobilization was induced by TM (p = ns). Similar results were obtained in response to five immunogenic peptides from ?-, ?-, and ?-gliadins, although with a large individual variability. An increased mRNA expression for IL-12A and IFN-? was detected in group eating TA compared to those consuming TM (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Although Triticum monococcum is a cereal not suitable for the diet of celiacs, we demonstrated that this diploid wheat elicits a reduced in vivo T-cell response compared to Triticum aestivum in celiac patients. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.