ABSTRACT
Coeliac disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory condition of the small intestinal mucosa (predominantly the proximal small intestine) that impairs nutrient absorption, and improves after gluten is withdrawn from the diet. Synonyms include ‘coeliac sprue’, ‘non-tropical sprue’ and ‘gluten sensitive enteropathy’. Gluten is a group of proteins found in wheat; α-gliadin is one of the toxic subfractions. Similar proteins in barley and rye cause intestinal damage, while oat grains may be tolerated, in patients with coeliac disease. The mechanism by which the host’s immune response to gluten damages the mucosa is unknown.
