Rapid Accumulation of CD14+CD11c+ Dendritic Cells in Gut Mucosa of Celiac Disease after in vivo Gluten Challenge

Background Of antigen-presenting cells (APCs) expressing HLA-DQ molecules in the celiac disease (CD) lesion, CD11c+ dendritic cells (DCs) co-expressing the monocyte marker CD14 are increased, whereas other DC subsets (CD1c+ or CD103+) and CD163+CD11c− macrophages are all decreased. It is unclear whether these changes result from chronic inflammation or whether they represent early events in the gluten response. We have addressed this in a model of in vivo gluten challenge.