Immune Response to Rotavirus and Gluten Sensitivity

Abstract EN

Rotavirus is a double-stranded RNA virus belonging to the family of Reoviridae.

The virus is transmitted by the faecal-oral route and infects intestinal cells causing gastroenteritis.

Rotaviruses are the main cause of severe acute diarrhoea in children less than 5 years of age worldwide.

In our previous work we have shown a link between rotavirus infection and celiac disease.

Nonceliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) is emerging as new clinical entity lacking specific diagnostic biomarkers which has been reported to occur in 6–10% of the population.

Clinical manifestations include gastrointestinal and/or extraintestinal symptoms which recede with gluten withdrawal.

The pathogenesis of the disease is still unknown.

Aim of this work is to clarify some aspects of its pathogenesis using a gene array approach.

Our results suggest that NCGS may have an autoimmune origin.

This is based both on gene expression data (i.e., TH17-interferon signatures) and on the presence of TH17 cells and of serological markers of autoimmunity in NCGS.

Our results also indicate a possible involvement of rotavirus infection in the pathogenesis of nonceliac gluten sensitivity similarly to what we have previously shown in celiac disease.