engleski

Intestinal Dipeptidyl Peptidase IV (DPP IV/CD26) Activity in the Celiac Disease

Introduction: Celiac disease (CD) is a gluten-sensitive enteropathy in genetically predisposed individuals that generally leads to a wide spectrum of clinical symptoms. The mechanism responsable for the small intestinal damage characteristic of CD is still unknown (1). It has been found that the expression of CD26 is decreased on the surface of epithelial cells of the small intestine in patiens with CD (2). CD26/DPP IV is a serine protease with type II membrane topology and an extracellularly oriented catalytic domain (3). Methods: The connection between symptoms, intestinal mucosal histology and DPP IV activity is not well defined. Small intestinal histology, DPP IV and alkaline phosphatase (ALP)activity were followed in patients with malabsorption syndrome (n=80). On the basis of clinical picture, histological findings and endomisium antibodies we divided our patients in two groups. In the first group malabsorption was caused by the CD, whereas in the second group it was caused by other factors (MS). Determination of intestinal DPP IV activity was performed using Gly-Pro-p-nitroanilide as a substrate (3). The enzyme activities were determined as U/g protein. Results: The intestinal DPP IV and ALP activities were desreased in both groups (CD and MS) and showed an inverse correlation with small intestinal damage. According to the grade of mucosal villous atrophy, DPP IV activity was significantly decreased in the group of patients with the CD than in the other group of patients with malabsorption (p<0, 05). Conclusion: We showed that DPP IV activity was altered in an inverse relation to the degree of intestinal mucosal injury and it can be a good unspecific predictor of the grade of mucosal villous atrophy. Our data also suggest that DPP IV activity correlate better with mucosal histology alterations than the ALP activity. References: 1. Mowat M.A. (2003) Lancet ; 361:1290. 2. Smith et al. (1990) Exp. Physiol ; 75:631. 3. Gorell M.D. et al. (2001) Scan. J. Immunol. ; 54:249.

Dipeptidyl peptidase IV; CD26; celiac disease

nije evidentirano