Scientists at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and the University of Ottawa found that nearly half of patients with type 1 diabetes showed an abnormal immune response to wheat proteins.

Could a reduced level of antibodies against infectious agents indicate a protective role for such infections in T1DM development in susceptible individuals? Recent research points in that direction.

People with certain genetic markers may be more likely to develop adverse gut-reactions, which may help trigger the development of other immune problems, such as Type 1 diabetes, according to Dr. Fraser Scott, a member of the research team and a senior scientist at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute.

Due to seemingly low rates of beta-cell autoimmunity among children with celiac disease, there is no need to screen these children for diabetes-related antibodies, according to a report by Italian doctors in the February issue of Diabetes Care.

About 10% of children and 2% of adults with Type 1 diabetes also have celiac disease, as compared to just 1% of the general population. Moreover, celiac disease and diabetes are known to have a common genetic susceptibility locus in the HLA system, specifically, HLA class II alleles on chromosome six.

This study investigated the effect of screening detected celiac disease in type I diabetic children in a multi-center case-control fashion. The research team consisted of B Rami, Z Sumni, E Schober et al from Austria, Czech Republic, and Slovenia, among other European countries. The team compared 98 diabetics with silent celiac disease to 196 control diabetics without celiac matched for age, sex, diabetes duration. Mean age at diabetes diagnosis was 6.5 yrs, celiac diagnosis was 10.0 yrs. HbA1c, hypoglycemia, ketoacidosis, insulin dosage, body-mass index, and height did not differ between cases and controls. After diagnosis of celiac disease, weight gain was diminished in boys with celiac disease compared to their controls.

Celiac.com 08/14/2007 - A study on the effects of a gluten-free diet versus a gluten-enriched diet

Celiac.com 07/10/2007 - Studies have shown children with Type 1 diabetes to have a greater risk

Celiac.com 06/08/2007 - This study shows that celiac disease is as common among British Columbians

Celiac.com 12/28/2006 - The American Diabetes Associations (ADA) Clinical Practice Recommendation