Autism Studies and Related Medical Conditions, January 2009 - TACA

Abstract:
Impaired social interaction, communication and imaginative skills characterize autistic
syndromes. In these syndromes urinary peptide abnormalities, derived from gluten,
gliadin, and casein, are reported. They reflect processes with opioid effect. The aim of
this single blind study was to evaluate effect of gluten and casein-free diet for children
with autistic syndromes and urinary peptide abnormalities. A randomly selected diet and
control group with 10 children in each group participated. Observations and tests were
done before and after a period of 1 year. The development for the group of children on
diet was significantly better than for the controls.
Kidd PM.: Autism, an extreme challenge to integrative medicine. Part: 1: The
knowledge base. Altern Med Rev. 2002 Aug;7(4):292-316.
Kidd PM.: Autism, an extreme challenge to integrative medicine. Part 2: medical
management. Altern Med Rev. 2002 Dec;7(6):472-99.
Hadjivassiliou M, Grunewald RA, Davies-Jones GA: Gluten sensitivity as a
neurological illness. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2002 May;72(5):560-3. [No abstract
available]
Hadjivassiliou M, Boscolo S, Davies-Jones GA, Grunewald RA, Not T, Sanders
DS, Simpson JE, Tongiorgi E, Williamson CA, Woodroofe NM: The humoral
response in the pathogenesis of gluten ataxia. Neurology 2002 Apr 23;58(8):1221-6.
Abstract: Department of Clinical Neurology, The Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield,
UK. m.hadjivassiliou@sheffield.ac.uk
OBJECTIVE: To characterize humoral response to cerebellum in patients with gluten
ataxia. BACKGROUND: Gluten ataxia is a common neurologic manifestation of gluten
sensitivity. METHODS: The authors assessed the reactivity of sera from patients with
gluten ataxia (13), newly diagnosed patients with celiac disease without neurologic
dysfunction (24), patients with other causes of cerebellar degeneration (11), and
healthy control subjects (17) using indirect immunocytochemistry on human cerebellar
and rat CNS tissue. Cross-reactivity of a commercial IgG antigliadin antibody with
human cerebellar tissue also was studied. RESULTS: Sera from 12 of 13 patients with
gluten ataxia stained Purkinje cells strongly. Less intense staining was seen in some but
not all sera from patients with newly diagnosed celiac disease without neurologic
dysfunction. At high dilutions (1:800) staining was seen only with sera from patients
with gluten ataxia but not in control subjects. Sera from patients with gluten ataxia also
stained some brainstem and cortical neurons in rat CNS tissue. Commercial anti-gliadin
antibody stained human Purkinje cells in a similar manner. Adsorption of the antigliadin
antibodies using crude gliadin abolished the staining in patients with celiac disease
without neurologic dysfunction, but not in those with gluten ataxia. CONCLUSIONS:
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