Probiotic Modulation of Immune Response in Gluten Sensitivity

So how do we interpret this? What is the end result of DC maturation? What does induced TNF- alpha expression result in? So are you saying we should maybe avoid yogurt that has live lactobacillus cultures?

So I don't get it; should I be taking a probiotic? Does it help those of us with celiac? Not enough information explained in a lay person's terms.

No one understands this mumbo jumbo. If you are going to circulate it than put it in understandable terms.

I agree with Hallie. This article is confusing and leaves me wondering if probiotics are not useful for celiacs. What I would really find helpful is some translation of the medicalese (what does "inductive" mean in this context?) and interpretation of the results as to what they mean for people with celiac disease.

I have found since I began taking probiotics and drinking probiotic rich kefir my digestion and gas and bloating problems have improved significantly.

I've read this article 3 times. I have no idea what the results are telling me !! Tell us what this means !!

I would like to give this article a high rating, because this is an important and intriguing topic. However, as with most of Jefferson Adams' essays, it is too dense with medical research terminology, and completely lacking in vernacular translation. He might was well simply say, "Hey, there's some great new research. Here's the link to the scientific journal...." Like Hallie, I am left wondering whether the high-culture yoghurt I eat nightly is good or bad for my Celiac Disease.

I am glad to see this article and think it is great, yet I can understand the confusing feeling one might feel.

I am a nurse and have read so many articles that over time; I can interpret them better. The second to last sentence explains best; look for those specific probiotics in your supplements ;whether they be yogurt or pill form.

Probiotics have been attributed many beneficial effects in the health of the intestine, including some protection against intestinal wall permeability. The permeability of the intestinal lining is altered in celiacs, so probiotics have been suggested to be beneficial for us because of this effect. In the study presented here, scientists gave probiotics to mice that are sensitive to gluten in an attempt to modulate the immune response that gluten triggers in celiac patients, which is one of the mechanisms of the disease (in addition to the increased permeability and others). However, instead of observing a decrease in the response, some strains of probiotics actually stimulated the production of molecules that are pro-inflammatory, suggesting that this response might not be beneficial for celiacs. No one single research study is definite as they evaluate different aspects of one problem. Research in celiac disease is still ongoing, so the benefits of probiotics for celiac patients can not be clearly and indisputably established yet.

Thanks for writing, I understand your frustration with certain

articles being highly technical. Most articles are based on abstracts from studies. Some can be highly technical and aimed not at laypeople, but at clinicians and researchers. That, coupled with the fact that scientists sometimes write unclearly, so deciphering them can sometimes be doubly challenging.

I've rewritten the conclusion to the article in an effort to make it

more clear. See below.

These trials were done on live mice, and so have little direct

application to humans. Moreover, it's focusing on specific probiotic strains.

Here's the revised conclusion to the article:

The results indicate that probiotics promote strain-specific reactions

that support, rather than suppress, the innate and adaptive immune

systems of live mice with gluten antigen sensitivity. Using live mice

models to better understand the role of probiotic bacteria in

mediating immune response to gliadin and other food proteins provides important insight into how such immune responses may be mediated in humans. Such insights will help to speed better treatments for celiac disease and possibly other food-triggered immune reactions. This study supports the notion that Lactobacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium lactis strains may be helpful in promoting better gut health for sufferers of celiac disease. However, further research in humans is needed for

conclusive evidence.

I hope that helps!