| Antibodies for tissue transglutaminase found in the | | | | there is a very broad spectrum of gluten related |
| intestines of blood test negative celiac disease patients | | | | disease and there are non-celiac gluten related |
| are also found in the intestine and brain in people with | | | | symptoms that include the brain, skin, musculoskeletal |
| brain disease due to gluten. Gluten ataxia is a brain | | | | system as well as the gut. |
| disorder characterized by balance disturbances not | | | | Many patients I have seen with gluten sensitivity |
| explained by any other cause but due to the ingestion | | | | describe symptoms of balance difficulty, concentration |
| of gluten. The disorder responds to a gluten free diet if | | | | problems or "brain fog", headaches, and neuropathy |
| irreversible brain damage has not already occurred. | | | | and a few report symptoms such as "bug crawling" |
| Calcifications can be seen in the brain on magnetic | | | | sensations and strange muscle twitches. These |
| resonance imaging (MRI). | | | | symptoms commonly improve with a gluten-free diet |
| Deposits of gluten related antibodies have been found | | | | and return with intentional or accidental gluten |
| in brain tissue obtained on biopsy and autopsy | | | | exposure. For some, intestinal symptoms or skin |
| specimens. Mario Hadjivassiliou, M.D. from Sheffield | | | | rashes occur but not all. The concept of gluten as a |
| England recommends gluten ataxia be added to a list | | | | cause of brain symptoms is still not one widely known |
| of gluten related diseases that includes peripheral | | | | or accepted by many doctors, especially in the United |
| neuropathy and the skin disorder dermatitis | | | | States. However in Europe, especially England, |
| herpetiformis. He has called for a new paradigm to be | | | | Germany and Scandinavian countries, as well as |
| accepted where celiac disease is not considered | | | | Australia and New Zealand the gluten brain-gut |
| primarily as an intestinal disease. | | | | connection is more accepted. |
| Dr. Hadjivassiliou and colleagues recently published a | | | | Casein causing brain symptoms is also not commonly |
| report of nine patients with gluten ataxia compared | | | | accepted by doctors in the U.S. though many lay public |
| with seven patients with ataxia due to other causes. | | | | organizations and support groups have found a |
| They found tissue transglutaminase IgA deposition on | | | | casein-free diet to be associated with improvement of |
| jejunum intestinal tissue on all nine patients with gluten | | | | brain function as well as helping autism. |
| ataxia but none of the control patients. Brain tissue | | | | What is needed is more openness of U.S. doctors to |
| from an autopsy of one patient with gluten ataxia was | | | | the role of diet and foods in such symptoms and |
| also found to have IgA tTG deposits in the cerebellum, | | | | diseases and much more scientific research. I ask you |
| pons and medulla of the brain but not in a control brain. | | | | to join me on the journey of the food, bacteria, |
| Previous studies have found negative celiac blood | | | | gut-brain-joint-skin connection to disease and health. |
| tests in patients with gluten ataxia suggesting that they | | | | References: |
| may not have celiac though they had a gluten related | | | | Autoantibody targeting of brain and intestinal |
| disease. In light of a new report that blood test | | | | transglutaminase in gluten ataxia. Hadjivassiliou M. et. al. |
| negative celiac disease can have intestinal tTG and | | | | Neurology 2006; 66:373-377. |
| advanced intestinal damage it is curious to wonder if | | | | Endomysial antibody-negative coeliac disease: clinical |
| the gluten ataxia patients with blood tests negative are | | | | characteristics and intestinal autoantibody deposits. Gut |
| seronegative celiacs. It is increasingly appearing that | | | | 2006; 55:1746-1753. |