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Wheat Flour Treatment With Microbial Transglutaminase and Lysine Ethyl Ester: New Frontiers in Celiac Disease Treatment.

Phase 2
Conditions
Celiac Disease
Interventions
Dietary Supplement: rusks made of wheat flour not enzimatically modified
Dietary Supplement: rusks made of wheat flour enzymatically treated
Dietary Supplement: Gluten-free diet
Registration Number
NCT02472119
Lead Sponsor
University of Roma La Sapienza
Brief Summary

Celiac disease is one of the most common forms of food intolerance (prevalence 1/200). The disease occurs in genetically predisposed individuals after ingestion of foods containing gluten. Celiac patients can suffer from severe malabsorption syndrome, mainly characterized by diarrhea and weight loss. The only therapeutic approach currently recognized is a life-long gluten-free diet.

Specific regions of gluten molecule become recognizable by lymphocytes and activate them, due to changes made by tissue transglutaminase. These changes consist in the conversion of specific residues of glutamine into glutamic acid. The consequence is an increased binding affinity between gluten and histocompatibility molecule (HLA-DQ2), localized on the surface of the "antigen presenting cells" (APC); the exposure of the fragments of modified gluten on the surface of APC is a phenomenon that eventually activates T lymphocytes.

Recent studies on modified gluten confirmed the hypothesis that it is possible to block the presentation of gluten to lymphocytes by means of lysine ethyl ester binding exclusively to those gluten regions responsible for lymphocyte activation.

The enzymatic treatment is performed directly on flour instead of extracted gluten, maintaining the same anti-inflammatory effectiveness.

The procedure uses a food-grade enzyme, the microbial transglutaminase (mTGasi) isolated from Streptoverticillium mobarensis, able to catalyze the formation of intermolecular "cross-links" that modify the functional properties of the products.

Objective of the study is to validate the ability of the enzyme treatment of wheat flour with mTGasi and lysine ethyl ester to block the toxic effect of gluten in celiac patients.

Detailed Description

Celiac disease is one of the most common forms of food intolerance (prevalence 1/200). The disease occurs in genetically predisposed individuals after ingestion of foods containing wheat gluten and similar proteins found in other common cereals such as barley and rye. Celiac patients can suffer from severe malabsorption syndrome, mainly characterized by diarrhea, weight loss and growth retardation. The only therapeutic approach currently recognized is a life-long gluten-free diet.

Specific regions of gluten molecule become recognizable by lymphocytes and activate them, due to changes made by tissue transglutaminase. These changes consist in the conversion of specific residues of glutamine (Q) into glutamic acid (E). The consequence is an increased binding affinity between gluten and histocompatibility molecule (HLA-DQ2), localized on the surface of the "antigen presenting cells" (APC); the exposure of the fragments of modified gluten on the surface of APC is a phenomenon that eventually activates T lymphocytes.

Recent studies on modified gluten confirmed the hypothesis that it is possible to block the presentation of gluten to lymphocytes by means of lysine ethyl ester binding exclusively to those gluten regions responsible for lymphocyte activation.

Specifically, it is possible to perform the enzymatic treatment directly on flour instead of extracted gluten, maintaining the same anti-inflammatory effectiveness. The final procedure consists in dissolving the flour in water in the presence of appropriate concentrations of enzyme and lysine ethyl ester, maintaining the suspension in constant motion for two hours at room temperature.

The procedure uses a food-grade enzyme, the microbial transglutaminase (mTGasi) isolated from Streptoverticillium mobarensis, already used for the preparation of food. The mTgasi is able to catalyze the formation of intermolecular "cross-links" modifying the functional properties of the products through the aggregation and polymerization of proteins. The peculiar method identified by our laboratory reduces the possibility of cross-links between proteins: consequently, minimal changes involve the gluten structure and, consequently, the visco-elastic properties of the dough.

Objective of the study is to validate the ability of the enzyme treatment of wheat flour with mTGasi and lysine ethyl ester to block the toxic effect of gluten in celiac patients.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
UNKNOWN
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
20
Inclusion Criteria

INCLUSION CRITERIA

  • diagnosis of celiac disease according to ESPGHAN criteria: class III according to Marsh-Oberhuber classification, clear response to gluten-free diet, serological antiendomysium and antitransglutaminase antibodies positive results before GFD;
  • HLA DQ2-DQ8 positive results;
  • gluten-free diet from at least one year;
  • negative serology from at least 1 year;

EXCLUSION CRITERIA

  • inflammatory bowel diseases;
  • tumors;
  • infectious liver disease;
  • renal impairment.
Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
rusks made with treated flourGluten-free dietGluten-free diet adding rusks (100g / day) produced with commercial wheat flour enzymatically treated with mTGasi and lysine ethyl ester.
rusks made with not-treated flourrusks made of wheat flour not enzimatically modifiedGluten-free diet adding rusks (100g / day) produced with untreated wheat flour.
rusks made with treated flourrusks made of wheat flour enzymatically treatedGluten-free diet adding rusks (100g / day) produced with commercial wheat flour enzymatically treated with mTGasi and lysine ethyl ester.
rusks made with not-treated flourGluten-free dietGluten-free diet adding rusks (100g / day) produced with untreated wheat flour.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Pathologic variations in histologic analysis from baselineAfter 3 months, or in case of serum anti-tTG IgA/EMA IgA positive results

Proof of duodenal mucosa histological alterations induced by celiac disease, consisting in altered (\<3:1) villous height/crypt depth ratio and increased (\>25) intraepithelial lymphocytes per 100 intestinal epithelial cells, according to Marsh-Oberhuber classification.

Change from baseline in IgA anti-tissue transglutaminase (anti-tTG) antibodies at 30 daysAfter 1 month

Proof of any positivization of specific serological antibodies for celiac disease. Results quantified by an ELISA reader at 450 nm (A450nm) is expressed in U/mL and the antibody level 10 U/mL was used as a cutoff value to identify anti-tTG positive results.

Change from baseline in IgA anti-endomysium antibodies (EMA) at 30 daysAfter 1 month

Test used to confirm serological activation of celiac disease. IgA EMA were searched in sera diluted 1:5 by indirect immunofluorescence analysis on cryostat sections of monkey esophagus. The results are expressed as ''positive/negative''.

Change from baseline in IgA anti-endomysium antibodies (EMA) at 60 daysAfter 2 months

Test used to confirm serological activation of celiac disease. IgA EMA were searched in sera diluted 1:5 by indirect immunofluorescence analysis on cryostat sections of monkey esophagus. The results are expressed as ''positive/negative''.

Change from baseline in IgA anti-tissue transglutaminase (anti-tTG) antibodies at 60 daysAfter 2 months

Proof of any positivization of specific serological antibodies for celiac disease. Results quantified by an ELISA reader at 450 nm (A450nm) is expressed in U/mL and the antibody level 10 U/mL was used as a cutoff value to identify anti-tTG positive results.

Change from baseline in IgA anti-tissue transglutaminase (anti-tTG) antibodies at 90 daysAfter 3 months

Proof of any positivization of specific serological antibodies for celiac disease. Results quantified by an ELISA reader at 450 nm (A450nm) is expressed in U/mL and the antibody level 10 U/mL was used as a cutoff value to identify anti-tTG positive results.

Change from baseline in IgA anti-endomysium antibodies (EMA) at 90 daysAfter 3 months

Test used to confirm serological activation of celiac disease. IgA EMA were searched in sera diluted 1:5 by indirect immunofluorescence analysis on cryostat sections of monkey esophagus. The results are expressed as ''positive/negative''.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Variation of asthenia from baseline at 30 daysAfter 1 month

Evaluation of asthenia intensity is reported according to the Visual Analog or Analogue Scale (VAS), with a range of 0-10.

Presence of diarrhea at baselineAt baseline

Evaluation of diarrhea intensity is reported according to the Visual Analog or Analogue Scale (VAS), with a range of 0-10.

Presence of asthenia at baselineAt baseline

Evaluation of asthenia intensity is reported according to the Visual Analog or Analogue Scale (VAS), with a range of 0-10.

Variation of diarrhea from baseline at 30 daysAfter 1 month

Evaluation of diarrhea intensity is reported according to the Visual Analog or Analogue Scale (VAS), with a range of 0-10.

Variation of bloating from baseline at 60 daysAfter 2 months

Evaluation of bloating intensity is reported according to the Visual Analog or Analogue Scale (VAS), with a range of 0-10.

Variation of abdominal pain from baseline at 90 daysAfter 3 months

Evaluation of abdominal pain intensity is reported according to the Visual Analog or Analogue Scale (VAS), with a range of 0-10.

Presence of abdominal pain at baselineAt baseline

Evaluation of abdominal pain intensity is reported according to the Visual Analog or Analogue Scale (VAS), with a range of 0-10.

Variation of asthenia from baseline at 90 daysAfter 3 months

Evaluation of asthenia intensity is reported according to the Visual Analog or Analogue Scale (VAS), with a range of 0-10.

Presence of bloating at baselineAt baseline

Evaluation of bloating intensity is reported according to the Visual Analog or Analogue Scale (VAS), with a range of 0-10.

Variation of bloating from baseline at 30 daysAfter 1 month

Evaluation of bloating intensity is reported according to the Visual Analog or Analogue Scale (VAS), with a range of 0-10.

Variation of abdominal pain from baseline at 30 daysAfter 1 month

Evaluation of abdominal pain intensity is reported according to the Visual Analog or Analogue Scale (VAS), with a range of 0-10.

Variation of abdominal pain from baseline at 60 daysAfter 2 months

Evaluation of abdominal pain intensity is reported according to the Visual Analog or Analogue Scale (VAS), with a range of 0-10.

Variation of diarrhea from baseline at 60 daysAfter 2 months

Evaluation of diarrhea intensity is reported according to the Visual Analog or Analogue Scale (VAS), with a range of 0-10.

Variation of asthenia from baseline at 60 daysAfter 2 months

Evaluation of asthenia intensity is reported according to the Visual Analog or Analogue Scale (VAS), with a range of 0-10.

Variation of bloating from baseline at 90 daysAfter 3 months

Evaluation of bloating intensity is reported according to the Visual Analog or Analogue Scale (VAS), with a range of 0-10.

Variation of diarrhea from baseline at 90 daysAfter 3 months

Evaluation of diarrhea intensity is reported according to the Visual Analog or Analogue Scale (VAS), with a range of 0-10.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Sapienza University - Policlinico Umberto I

🇮🇹

Rome, Italy

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