<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

I previously discussed how liver abnormalities are highly prevalent in 
celiac disease.  Why damage to the liver occurs is unknown, and gluten 
toxicity and increased intestinal permeability have been proposed as 
factors.  The following free full text article appearing in the current 
issue of Gastroenterolgy may shed light on why liver damage occurs in 
celiacs.

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) reside on the surface of many cells which 
participate in the immune system.  TLRs sense molecules present in 
pathogens but not the host, and when the immune system senses these 
molecules, chemicals are released which set off inflammatory and 
antipathogen responses.  One class of molecules recognized by TLRs and 
common to most pathogenic bacteria is lipopolysaccharides (LPS).

Gluten increases intestinal permeability in celiacs.  The disuption of the 
intestinal barrier permits endotoxins, such as LPS, from gut bacteria to 
reach the portal vein of the liver triggering a TLR response from immune 
cells in the liver.  Proinflammatory mediators are released cascading into 
the release of more chemicals leading to inflammation and liver damage.  
This may be the cause of liver damage in celiacs.  Gluten itself could 
also trigger a liver immune response.  Kupffer cells in the liver are 
capable of antigen presentation to liver dendritic cells, and thus could 
initiate a T cell response to gluten within the liver.

The following article is somewhat technical, but discusses the role of 
various liver cells involved in the immune process and how intestinal 
permeability and TLRs contribute to liver injury.  The article is a good 
read and provides valuable information about the liver I have not seen 
elsewhere.

Gastroenterology Volume 130, Issue 6, Pages 1886-1900 (May 2006)
Toll-Like Receptor Signaling in the Liver
Robert F. Schwabe, Ekihiro Seki, David A. Brenner

Free Full Text:
http://www.gastrojournal.org/article/PIIS0016508506000655/fulltext

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