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Subject:
From:
Chris Myer <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Wed, 21 Nov 2001 14:42:17 EST
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<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

"Leaky Gut" Intestinal Protein Linked to Autoimmune Disorders

The small intestine contains billions of cells, which are packed tightly
together to keep bacteria, viruses, and other toxins out of the body's
tissues. New research findings may have identified the protein that regulates
this protective barrier, holding promise for a better understanding of
several diseases.

Researchers report that a protein called zonulin appears to be responsible
for maintaining the protective barrier in the small intestine, and that high
levels of this protein are associated with disruptions in the barrier that
allow foreign substances into the body's tissues. When the researchers
purified zonulin from human tissue and tested it on intestinal tissue from
monkeys, the protein increased the tissue's permeability, allowing molecules
of insulin to pass through the cell barrier. Insulin is not normally absorbed
when taken by mouth.

Then the investigators turned their attention to celiac disease, a genetic
disorder in which people are unable to eat foods that contain gluten, a
protein found in wheat and other grains. If they do, the gluten causes a
variety of gastrointestinal problems. Celiac disease is an autoimmune
disorder, meaning that the immune system overreacts to a foreign substance,
and begins to attack normal cells. In celiac disease, the trigger is the
protein gluten. If patients avoid gluten-containing foods, they have no
symptoms.

The researchers looked at intestinal tissue from seven patients with celiac
disease and six healthy people. Patients with the disease had higher levels
of zonulin and zonulin antibodies. When the celiac disease patients followed
a gluten-free diet, their antibody levels returned to normal. The researchers
believe that zonulin makes the space between cells larger, allowing gluten
and other substances to pass through. Once these allergens get into the
immune system, they are attacked by the antibodies which can lead to all
sorts of problems.

The Lancet 2000 355:1518-1519

COMMENT: Maintenance of a strong intestinal barrier is one of the keys to
good health. I have heard many traditional clinicians dispute the fact that a
leaky gut exists. It is nice to have confirmation of the actual protein that
seems to be responsible for causing it. I suspect that in the future there
will be a commercial assay that can screen for this important condition.
Generally this is a dynamic condition and when one removes the offending food
the body tends to self-repair status.

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