Gut bacteria that raises risk of coeliac disease

SCIENTISTS at McMaster University, Canada, believe gut bacteria might explain why some people develop coeliac disease — where the immune system reacts to gluten, causing damage to the gut lining.

According to their work, though 40 per cent of the population has a genetic predisposition to the condition, just 1 per cent develop it.

The study found that those with pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria in their gut had an ‘inflamed’ reaction to gluten — a warning sign they could develop coeliac disease — but those with lactobacillus did not.

‘Bacteria in the gut could tip the balance in some people between developing the disease or staying healthy,’ says Dr Elena Verdu, author of the study.

Now they’ll look at whether altering gut bacteria in coeliacs could cure them.