The Role of Gut Permeability and Zonulin the Development of Chronic Inflammatory Diseases

What is it about?

What factors create the “perfect storm” for chronic inflammatory disease (CID) development? Genetics and exposure to environmental triggers have long been considered factors, but growing evidence points also to the influence of a triad of elements—gut permeability, the immune system, and the gut microbiome— on CID development and epidemics. This article discusses the complex interplay of these factors in the pathogenesis of a variety of CIDS, with a particular focus on gut permeability and the zonulin family of proteins (responsible for gut barrier modulation).

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Photo by Louis Reed on Unsplash

Photo by Louis Reed on Unsplash

Why is it important?

The Western Hemisphere has experienced a major surge in chronic inflammatory diseases (CIDS) during the last four decades, creating a pressing need for understanding of the development (pathogenesis) of these diseases. Genetics and environmental triggers have been long-known factors, but there is growing evidence of additional factors at play: gut barrier function, the immune system, and the composition of the gut microbiome. In the past, the intestinal barrier was thought to be strictly "sealed" and static, but this theory has been overturned with the discovery of the zonulin family of proteins that regulate the gut barrier. This article outlines the role of leaky gut in a variety of inflammatory diseases including autoimmune, neuro-inflammatory, and metabolic conditions.