Gluten sensitivity in multiple sclerosis
 

Gluten sensitivity in multiple sclerosis: experimental myth or clinical truth?

Shor DB, Barzilai O, Ram M, Izhaky D, Porat-Katz BS, Chapman J, Blank M, Anaya JM, Shoenfeld Y.
Center for Autoimmune Diseases, Department of Medicine B, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat-Gan, Israel.

Patients with neurological disease of unknown etiology sometimes present with antigliadin and antitissue transglutaminase antibodies. The association between these antibodies and multiple sclerosis has been previously suggested. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of these antibodies in multiple sclerosis patients. We determined the level of serum immunoglobulin A and immunoglobulin G antigliadin and antitissue transglutaminase antibodies in 98 patients with multiple sclerosis. We found a highly significant increase in titers of immunoglobulin G antibodies against gliadin and tissue transglutaminase in the multiple sclerosis patients. Seven patients had a positive IgG AGA, whereas only 2 controls presented positive titers (P = 0.03). Four patients had positive IgG anti-tTG while all the controls tested negative (P = 0.02). However, immunoglobulin A antibodies against gliadin and tissue transglutaminase were not statistically higher in the multiple sclerosis group in comparison to the control group. Our findings support the associations between antibodies against gliadin and tissue transglutaminase to multiple sclerosis. The specific role of these antibodies in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis remains uncertain and requires additional research. A gluten free diet should be considered in specific cases of patients who present with gluten antibodies.
PMID: 19758171 Sept 2009

I knew someone with MS and they said going gluten free made a tremendous difference in how they felt. That and alcohol made the biggest difference. Anyone who has MS should at least try a month of gluten free just to see what happens. No testing or biopsy needed. Just see how you feel.

I have seen several MS patients posting about gluten free helping. (for example on a yahoo ldn group)
I have seen some other threads about MS and gluten before, and many years ago they did suspect a connection.
But then medicines for MS appeared and steroids, and doctors focused on that.

And, consider, that the villi of celiacs will turn normal if they keep eating gluten and take steroids.
(All traces of gluten intolerance have been eradicated because MS patients often take steroids so researchers do not see the connection....)

That is yet another pitfall... one not really on my radar screen. Thanks for mentioning that. I knew that steroids could cause false negative biopsy results, but never put it together with how frequently those with MS are on steroids.