The silent enemy: Celiac disease goes viral

Celiac disease is a multifactorial autoimmune chronic inflammatory disorder affecting approximately one percent of the worldwide population. In such patients, ingestion of gluten proteins from cereals like wheat, barley, and rye causes damage of the small intestine mucosa, with potentially severe consequences. Onset of the disease in predisposed individuals is believed to require a still not clearly identified external trigger, such as viral infections. A very recent study has begun to shed light on a possible mechanistic basis for this hypothesis, and surprisingly linked intestinal infections caused by common reoviruses to the onset of celiac disease. Celiac disease is a multifactorial autoimmune chronic inflammatory disorder affecting approximately one percent of the worldwide population. In such patients, ingestion of gluten proteins from cereals like wheat, barley and rye causes damage of the small intestine mucosa, with potentially severe consequences. Onset of the disease in predisposed individuals is believed to require a still not clearly identified external trigger, such as viral infections. A very recent study has begun to shed light on a possible mechanistic basis for this hypothesis, and surprisingly linked intestinal infections caused by common reoviruses to the onset of celiac disease.