Editorial
Copyright ©2009 The WJG Press and Baishideng. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Oct 7, 2009; 15(37): 4609-4614
Published online Oct 7, 2009. doi: 10.3748/wjg.15.4609
Involvement of interleukin-15 and interleukin-21, two γ-chain-related cytokines, in celiac disease
Daniela De Nitto, Ivan Monteleone, Eleonora Franzè, Francesco Pallone, Giovanni Monteleone
Daniela De Nitto, Ivan Monteleone, Eleonora Franzè, Francesco Pallone, Giovanni Monteleone, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy
Author contributions: All the authors contributed to drafting the paper.
Correspondence to: Giovanni Monteleone, MD, PhD, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy. gi.monteleone@med.uniroma2.it
Telephone: +39-6-72596158 Fax: +39-6-72596391
Received: July 21, 2009
Revised: August 25, 2009
Accepted: September 1, 2009
Published online: October 7, 2009
Abstract

Celiac disease (CD), an enteropathy caused by dietary gluten in genetically susceptible individuals, is histologically characterized by villous atrophy, crypt cell hyperplasia, and increased number of intra-epithelial lymphocytes. The nature of CD pathogenesis remains unclear, but recent evidence indicates that both innate and adaptive immune responses are necessary for the phenotypic expression and pathologic changes characteristic of CD. Extensive studies of molecules produced by immune cells in the gut of CD patients have led to identification of two cytokines, namely interleukin (IL)-15 and IL-21, which are thought to play a major role in orchestrating the mucosal inflammatory response in CD. Here we review the current knowledge of the expression and function of IL-15 and IL-21 in CD.

Keywords: Interleukin-21; Interleukin-15; Celiac disease