Francisco Javier Eizaguirre, pediatrician Hospital Universitario Donostia
Francisco Javier Eizaguirre, from the Donostia University Hospital, has presented his doctoral thesis at the UPV/EHU focused on the search for the genes involved in celiac disease.
Celiac disease is a permanent gluten intolerance. This disease occurs in 1% of the European population, being more frequent in women. The disease is not only induced by the ingestion of gluten, but also by that of a set of proteins contained in the flour of various cereals. “This is a disease that can be cured with a gluten-free diet, but for now it requires lifelong treatment,” says Francisco Javier Eizaguirre, Medical Doctor and Specialist in Pediatrics.
In the investigation, the different variations or polymorphisms of the vitamin D receptor gene have been evaluated. And it is that vitamin D, in addition to fulfilling its usual functions, is also related to autoimmune pathologies. With this work, “what we wanted to observe was whether the polymorphisms of the vitamin D receptor gene, in some way, were also related to an autoimmune disease, such as celiac disease,” adds Eizaguirre. The results are clear, the presence of these polymorphisms protects against the disease.