I have a little more I could offer here:
The neurological problems associated with gluten can be either/or/both related to nutritional deficiency and direct immunological attack.
The neurological symptoms that can be attributed to vitamin deficiency are pretty well defined, especially deficiencies of folate, B1, B6, B12, E, CoQ10~ and others (carnitine, ?).
They are actively looking and discovering antibodies associated with gluten ataxia and gluten related peripheral neuropathy. Grace listed one good reference above:
Quote:
There was also marked but patchy Purkinje cell loss. We have also found antibodies against Purkinje cells in patients with gluten ataxia. Our research suggests that IgG antigliadin antibodies cross react with epitopes on Purkinje cells from human cerebellum.27 Characterisation of the anti-Purkinje cell antibodies by immunoblotting may provide a useful marker for the diagnosis of gluten ataxia in a manner analogous to the use of antiendomysium antibodies as a marker for coeliac disease or the anti-Yo antibody in paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration.
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Here are a few others I pulled from TGF:
Anti-ganglioside antibodies in coeliac disease with neurological disorders. PMID: 16458087 Mar 2006
Autoantibody targeting of brain and intestinal transglutaminase in gluten ataxia.
PMID: 16476935 Feb 2006
[Progressive myoclonic ataxia associated with antibodies against Purkinje cells in a celiac patient]
PMID: 16454613 Dec 2005
Clinical findings and anti-neuronal antibodies in coeliac disease with neurological disorders
Ganglioside reactive antibodies in the neuropathy associated with celiac disease June 2002
Gluten sensitivity is an important cause of apparently idiopathic ataxia and may be progressive. The ataxia is a result of immunological damage to the cerebellum, to the posterior columns of the spinal cord, and to peripheral nerves.
Clinical, radiological, neurophysiological, and neuropathological characteristics of gluten ataxia
Patients with gluten ataxia have antibodies against Purkinje cells. Antigliadin antibodies cross-react with epitopes on Purkinje cells.
The humoral response in the pathogenesis of gluten ataxia.