<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> Kalle Reichelt has just returned from an extended trip and in reviewing the earlier posts to this conference on proteins, peptides, gut permeability, autism and schizophrenia, has the following comments to offer: Message 5 12/27/94 9:39 AM From: Kalle Reichelt,[log in to unmask],Internet A: Experiments double blind with gluten and schizophrenia:Most have been on far too small series and for very short time .We found in a double blind study that the peptide patterns took at least 28 weeks to normalize (Reichelt et al (1990) J Orthomolec. med 5:223-239.) Also two positive studies have been reported 1) Singh MM and Kay SR (1976) Science 191:401-402.2) Dohan FC and Grasberger JC (1973)Amer J Psychiat 130:685-686. Several negative statistically evaluated reports (on small series) generally however, describe individuals that respond favourably. They were for short periods of time though and on chronic or semichronic patients .In these patients we know that there are morphological changes in the CNS. The references are : Potkin SG et al (1981) Am J Psychiat 138:1208-1211. Storms LH et al (1982) Arch gen Psychiat 39:323-327.Vlissides DN et al (1986)Brit J psychiat 148:441-452.Rice JR et al (1978) Am J Psychiat 135: 1147-1148. All of thes have been citicized for lack of statistical power ( King DS (1985) Biol Psychiat 20:785-787.) Double blind on autistic children is very hard to do. Howver,we have run the urines blind and applied the strategy of two independent persons to carry out functional tests and evaluation . The results cannot possibly be placebo because they last for 4 years and those that quit diet show REGRESSION. In spite of ordaining longer time to complete the tests the children off diet could not complete tests easily finished when on diet. References: Knivsberg A-M et al (1990) Brain Dysfunction 3:315-327. Reichelt KL et al (1990)J Appl Nutrition 42: 1-11. Reichelt KL et al (1994) Dev Brain Dysfunct.7:71-85. Epidemiology : I would like to draw your attention to two papers that are extremely well done: Lorenz K and Lee VA (1977) The nutritional and physiological impact of cereal products in human nutrition . CRC Critical Reviews in Food Sci and Nutrition 9: 383 -457. Lorenz K (1990) Cereals and Schizophrenia .Adv in Cereal Sci and Technol X: 435-469. Gut permeability : Because peptides ( Gardner MLG(83) Biochem Soc Trans 11:810-812.and this year a review, and also intact proteins are taken up in normal persons (eg Husby S et al (1985) Scand J Immunol 22:83-92); there is no need for increased uptake. All we need is decreased breakdown ,something which regularly causes peptiduria and peptidaemia (Wright EC et al (1979)J Inherit metab Disease 2: 1-3; BlauN et al (1980) J Inherit metab Dis 11 (suppl 2) 240-242.; Lunde H et al (1982) J neurochem 38:238-246; Abassi Z et al (1992) metabolism 41:683-685; Watanabe Y et al (1993) Res Comm. Chem Pathol Pharmacol 81:323-350.) Because peptides generally are good peptidase inhibitors ( La Bella FL et al (1985) Peptides 6:645-660) it is easy to see that vicious circles can get going. This process may even start before birth because intact antigens have been found in mothers milk too (Axelsson I et al (1986)Acta Paed Scand 75:702-707; Troncone R et al (1987) Acta paed Scand 76:453-456; Kilshaw and Cant 81984) Int Arch Allergy Appl Immunol 75:8-15 and Stuart CA et al (1984) Clin Allergy 14:533-535). Finally I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the coeliac inducing peptide isolated from gliadin ( Wieser H et al (1984)Z Lebensmittel Unters Forsch 179:371-376 contains the gliadinomorphin sequence Y-P-Q-P-Q-P-F. Also the gluten molecule contains up to 15 opioid sequnces brilliantly elucidated by Prof DR Yoshikawa (Fukudome SI and Yoshikawa M (1991) FEBS Letters 296:107-111)and such opioids are formed in the gut. Some references on gut leakage and schizophrenia will be forwarded later . However, Dr Sci MLG Gardner, School of Biomediacl Sci .Univ of Bradford,Bradford BD 7 1DP ,United Kingdom is extremely knowledgeable on this matter. Seasonal greeting to all . Cheers Tiny. K. Reichelt Pediatric Research Institute N-0027 Oslo, Norway Tel: +47 22 86 90 45 Fax: +47 22 86 91 17 E-mail: [log in to unmask]