Managing celiac disease can be challenging in the best of circumstances, so imagine the frustration of experiencing on-going gastro-intestinal symptoms even while following a gluten free diet. Such frustration is increasingly common among people with celiac disease.

A team of researchers based in the Netherlands recently discovered that certain antibodies, those called monoclonal antibodies, react to the presence of gluten proteins in much the same way as human T cells, and that these antibodies offer promise for reliably detecting the presence of wheat, barley, rye, and even oat gluten in food products.

A team of Finnish researchers announced that they have found high rates of undetected celiac disease in elderly populations. They have also noted that a significant number of those older people diagnosed with celiac disease showed only minor symptoms.

Cytokines are regulatory proteins that act as mediators in the generation of an immune response. Interleukin 21 (IL-21) is on such cytokine. A team of Italian and British researchers recently evaluated the production of IL-21 in the intestinal mucosa of patients with untreated celiac disease.

The results of a Hungarian study published recently in the June issue of Pediatrics suggest that people with untreated celiac disease show abnormal resistance to the hepatitis B (HBV) vaccine, while celiac patients on a gluten-free diet show a near normal response to the vaccine.

In the crypts of the small bowel, there is a group of small, granular epithelial cells, called Paneth cells, which play an important part in innate immune system. There has been some controversy about what role Paneth cells might play in complicating celiac disease, so team of Italian researchers set out to examine the distribution, proliferation, and function of paneth cells in adults with uncomplicated and complicated celiac disease.

Today in most modern countries, children are being raised in bacteria-free environments, yet studies are seeing a rising incidence of autoimmune disease and allergies. Previous studies have found that Finnish children are six times more likely to have type 1 diabetes and a five times higher rate of celiac disease than Russian children despite equal genetic susceptibility. Over-cleanliness and life-style may be promoting the higher prevalence of these disorders. A new European study will examine the influence of gut bacteria on autoimmune disease and allergies in developing children, including celiac disease.

Many people with celiac disease have stories to tell about the about how difficult it can be to get a getting a proper diagnosis. Celiac disease can mimic so many other conditions. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is one of those conditions. The symptoms for Irritable Bowel Syndrome and for celiac disease are often similar as a result the diagnosis of celiac disease can be delayed or missed and misdiagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome.

The drug AT-1001 is a good example of how the realities are playing out on the front-lines of science. AT-1001 is an enzyme therapy that has promised some degree of protection from gluten exposure in people with celiac disease.

Preliminary data suggest that probiotic dietary supplements containing Bifidobacterium lactis may be useful in preventing or healing cellular damage caused by gluten-contaminated foods.