RECENT STUDIES

One of the benefits of belonging to the Westchester Celiac Sprue Support Group (WCSSG) is the group's newsletter, which usually reports on recent medical studies. The new newsletter is no exception. Here are highlights:

OATS A Spanish study of 134 oat products from North American and Europe found many (but not all) to be contaminated by rye, wheat, and—most often—barley.

PREGNANCY AND MISCARRIAGE An Italian study concluded that, although "celiac disease is a frequent cause of recurrent miscarriage," adapting a gluten-free diet "seems to favor a positive outcome of pregnancy in most CD patients with recurrent miscarriage."

SOCIAL PHOBIA An Italian study looked into reports of anxiety and depression being highly prevalent among people with celiac disease. Comparing 40 patients with celiac disease with 50 "healthy" subjects, the study found that "Despite the limited number of cases evaluated, the present study showed a significantly higher prevalence of social phobia in CD patients compared with...healthy subjects. Future studies are needed to clarify the possible social phobia-induced risks such as school and/or work failure in CD patients."

SALIVA TEST An Italian study finds that a salivary test can be used to diagnose celiac disease and monitor dietary compliance. [NOTE: Such as test has not been adopted in the United States, where diagnosis and monitoring currently revolves around a set of blood tests, or serologic panel.]

The newsletter also includes information about a study-in-progress: Drs. Elizabeth Shane and Peter Green of Columbia-Presbyterian University Medical Center are conducting a study of the effect of a gluten-free diet on bone growth and regeneration. If you are planning to start or you have recently started a gluten-free diet and you are able to travel to Columbia Presbyterian, you can contact Halley Eisenberg at 212-342-5725 for more information.

And, if you are interested in studying Dr. Green, be aware that he will be the guest speaker at the fall meeting of the WCSSG on September 21, 2008. That's one week after the 2008 Colin Leslie Walk for Celiac Disease in, um, Rye.

STUDIES SUMMARIZED



Source (00:20)


Capsule Endoscopy Findings

Capsule endoscopy offers a detailed view of the entire digestive tract (see sample above). A Mayo Clinic study using capsule endoscopy showed that damage in the small intestine due to untreated celiac disease can vary significantly from patient to patient and not heal completely even after a year or more on a gluten-free diet. The degree of damage "did not explain differences in clinical presentation." (Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, CNNMoney.com)


Oral Manifestations

A meta-study found:

Dental enamel defects are the oral lesions most closely related to CD. There are conflicting data on the association between CD and recurrent aphthous stomatitis. A correlation of CD with atrophic glossitis has been reported, although robust evidence in support of it is lacking. Patients with CD have caries indexes seemingly lower than healthy individuals, but they may experience delay in tooth eruption. Occurrence of other oral mucosal lesions in CD subjects is likely occasional.

and concluded that

Patients with systematic dental enamel defects should be screened for CD even in the absence of gastrointestinal symptoms. CD screening tests for patients with oral aphthae or idiopathic atrophic glossitis should be selectively considered during a medical evaluation that focuses on all aspects of the patient's status. (Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology)

Seniors

Israeli researchers identified a group of seven people with celiac disease who had been diagnosed after age 60 and saw signs of improvement in cognitive decline (previously attributed to Alzheimer's Disease) as well as other symptoms:

The most common presenting findings were weight loss, iron deficiency anemia, and diarrhea. Two patients suffered from severe early osteoperosis and 2 additional patients had elevated liver function tests. Neurologic manifestation was suspected in 3 cases. Two female patients presented with cognitive decline that was attributed to Alzheimer dementia but ameliorated after the initiation of gluten-free diet. The third patient had peripheral neuropathy that completely resolved after the initiation of gluten-free diet. Median lag in diagnosis was 8 years. Diet treatment led to complete resolution of symptoms in most cases and a significant weight gain.... (Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology, NewsRx)

Thanks to Michael Thorn