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I came across an abstract recently (from Gut, a reputable journal) that
reported an interesting finding on a subject that I think came up on the
list recently--smoking and celiac disease. I thought it might be of interest
to cite it here.
 
The article by Snook et al. (Adult coeliac disease and cigarette smoking,
Gut 39:60-62, 1996) concluded from a study of 86 recently diagnosed adult
coeliac disease patients as compared with 172 controls matched for age and
sex that "...cigarette smoking, or a factor closely linked to it, seems to
exert a major protective effect against the development of symptomatic adult
onset coeliac disease.  The implication is that gliadin exposure is not the
only important environmental factor involved in the pathogenesis of this
condition."
 
I vaguely recall reading of and hearing of an apparent protective effect of
smoking in inflammatory bowel disease, but this is the first report I have
seen that relates such a protective effect in celiac disease.
 
Please don't conclude that I am recommending that celiac patients take up
smoking--especially those under 5 years of age! Just reporting a curious
finding.
 
Don Kasarda, Albany, CA