Gluten sensitivity, celiac disease (CD) and gluten-sensitive enteropathy are terms that have been used synonymously to refer to a disease process affecting the small bowel and characterized by gastrointestinal symptoms and malabsorption. However, since 1966 scientific evidence has been accumulated demonstrating that gluten sensitivity can exist even in the absence of enteropathy. For example, p...

OBJECTIVES To study the impact of infant feeding habits and actual gluten intake on gluten induced enteropathy. METHODS A case-referent design, controlling for the HLA alleles conferring increased genetic risk, was used. All 164 siblings of 97 probands were investigated. Eighty five of the siblings, carrying the genes DQA1*0501-DQB1*02 conferring susceptibility for the disease, were investiga...

Exposure to gluten, a protein present in wheat rye and barley, is the major inducer for human Celiac Disease (CD), chronic autoimmune enteropathy. CD occurs about 1% worldwide population, genetically predisposed individuals bearing leukocyte antigen (HLA) DQ2/DQ8. Gut epithelial cell stress innate immune activation are responsible breaking oral tolerance gliadin, gluten component. To date, only...

Intestinal malabsorption results from a wide variety of causes, which can most easily be organized into three groups. Maldigestion arises from problems with mixing or with digestive mediators, and includes post-gastrectomy patients and those with deficiencies of pancreatic or intestinal enzymes, or of bile salts. Mucosal and mural causes of malabsorption are abundant, and include gluten-sensiti...

A 49-year-old woman presented to the dermatology department with a 10-year history of anogenital itching. The pruritus was often so severe that she would scratch until she drew blood. Her symptoms had been partially controlled with Dermovate NN cream during the year prior to her presentation but were still impacting heavily on her quality of life. She denied the use of wet wipes, soap or pant l...

The celiac disease is an immune chronic condition with genetic transmission, caused by the intolerance to gluten. Gluten is a protein from cereals containing the following soluble proteins: gliadine, which is the most toxic, and the prolamins. The average prevalence is about 1% in USA and Europe, but high in Africa: 5.6% in West Sahara. In the pathogenesis several factors are involved: gluten a...