Proteins from Modern and Ancient Wheat Cultivars: Impact on Immune Cells of Healthy Individuals and Patients with NCGS

Abstract

In non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS), the elimination of wheat results in a clear symptom improvement, but gluten has still not been proven as (the sole) trigger. Due to the increase in the prevalence of gluten-related diseases, the breeding of high-performance wheat cultivars is discussed as a trigger. To analyze the immune stimulation and signal pathways, the immune cells of healthy subjects and patients with NCGS were stimulated with gliadins from wheat, and the expression and secretion of interleukin 1ß (IL1ß) and interleukin 6 (IL6) were studied. To determine the impact of wheat breeding, the monocyte cell line THP1 and human immune cells were stimulated with gliadin, glutenin, and albumin/globulin fractions of ancient and modern cereals, and expression of inflammatory molecules was checked. Immune cells of patients with NCGS showed an increased expression of IL1ß and IL6 after stimulation with gliadins compared to immune cells of healthy controls. Gliadins caused a strong activation of P-STAT3 in immune cells of healthy controls, and inhibitors of JAK and NFκB pathways considerably reduced this response. In addition to gliadins, we further showed that glutenins and albumin/globulins from all wheat cultivars from the last century, and especially from einkorn and spelt, also markedly induced the expression of inflammatory genes in THP1 and human immune cells. There was no correlation between enhanced immune stimulation and ancient or modern cultivars. This does not support the hypothesis that modern wheat breeding is responsible for the increase in gluten-related diseases. An altered immune situation is suggested in patients with NCGS.

The Role of Ancient Grains in Alleviating Hunger and Malnutrition

“…The comparison between ancient and modern grains, especially in terms of composition and nutritional value, is still controversial and needs further accurate research. This is mostly because of the lack of comprehensive studies, as the full impacts of plant genetics (g), environmental factors € and their interactions (g × e) on the physicochemical properties of the grains have not been fully considered and determined in many studies, which hinders the accuracy of the findings [10]. However, from some previous studies that factored in the variables affecting the physicochemical properties of the grains, it is obvious that ancient grains have lower yields than modern grains, which is one of their main limitations.…”