<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> As my initial letter raised a question that is beyond my scientific comprehension, I'll just send along the initial letter and the responses and you can take it from there: >Meanwhile, I want to run a thought by all of you that now seems NOT to be >true, but I'd like your feedback. When first diagnosed, I read and read >in the U. of MN Medical Library about celiac sprue, and concluded that >celiacs were missing some enzyme that would help us digest gluten. As a >result of that reading, I theorized that if that enzyme could be >identified and put in pill or liquid form, then we could all return to >eating gluten with no ill effects, not unlike the way diabetics take >insulin. (I realize that is an oversimplification.) I have seen nothing >about that theory for years, and if Hirdler's ideas are correct, then the >enzyme theory is of no value, but has anyone ever followed up on the >enzyme possibility? Responses: >I'm pretty new to this (diagnosed about a month ago) but I'm currently >receiving M.D. and Ph.D. degrees at the University of Iowa. Although I >haven't had the time to read up on Celiac's Disease as much as would like, >the cause of the disease seems to be an inappropriate immune response to a >particular peptide found in gliadin and other similar proteins in the >other no-no grains. One hypothesis as to why antibodies in the intestine >are exposed to this peptide is that gliadin is an extraordinarily stable >molecule that is refractory to sufficient digestion in the stomach. >Gliadin may undergo partial digestion but it is not enough to cleave the >reactive peptide into its constituent amino acids and thus render the >peptide unable to illicit an immune response. IF this hypothesis is >correct, then an enzyme capable of cleaving the antigenic portion of >gliadin would do the trick. > >I don't think we who have CD are lacking an enzyme, I just think that >something about our immune system or our intestinal lining makes us >reactive to the gliadin peptide (in other words I think that everyone is >probably exposed to the gliadin peptide because of incomplete digestion >but that some of us are reactive to it). > >Another possible way of dealing with CD is to generate genetically altered >wheat in which the antigenic portion of gliadin has been mutated to >something nonreactive OR mutating portions of gliadin in order to create >less stable gliadin that is more easily hydrolyzed in the stomach. >There may be a hint of truth in what Mr. Hirdler says about the genetic >changes that have taken place in humans over the years but I don't think >what he says invalidates your enzyme idea in any way. > >Cam Arrington >You could do worse than go paleo! Go visit <http://www.panix.com/~paleo> >and <www.sofdesign.com/neander> (the .com might not be in there, if it >doesn't work, leave it out!) > >There is also, of course, a paleofood list, and the "technical" paleodiet >list. :-))) > >Anne Washburn >Gayle, I addressed the replacement enzyme theory with my GI when I was >first diagnosed over 25 yrs. ago and he explained that it would be >possible to synthesize the enzymes but impossible to get them through >the upper GI system (stomach) to the mid-gut where they are needed >without them first being destroyed. I like the idea but I'm afraid it's >just that. I do otherwise agree with Hirdler's notions that we possess >immune systems that are simply out of sync with modern day life. I >don't know about others, but I seldom catch any of the common viruses >that circulate on a seasonal basis and aside from the gluten >restriction, feel myself to be pretty darn healthy (for an old man). >All the best, Thom Haney, Duke University Medical Center > Regarding the genetically altered wheat, the gliadin would >still be present and giving wheat its appealing characteristics, it would >just be changed in a way to make it more susceptible to digestion by the >acid and enzymes in the stomach. So in principle, a Celiac-safe wheat >could exist someday (the only caveat is that it would probably cost an arm >and a leg, but I guess some would give their right arm to eat well again.) > >Cam Arrington >I have many food allergies and intollerances besides gluten and have assumed >that there must be a digestive deficiency somewhere that could cure it if >corrected; but there is no successful research on finding it. I have gathered >from the failure that there must be some other explaination. >Gmaldridge >Yes, that was the thinking at one time, I'm not current on it. However, the >Europeans have worked steadily since WWII to attempt such a thing and have not >found replacement possible. Enzymes are tricky and they still are not sure >that the 'missing enzyme' is the actual problem. > >Diet is easy and I eat just about everything. Lack for nothing-even creme >puffs and chocolate eclairs if I want them (rice flour based of course). >Sadly, my excellent cook books (not that Hagman stuff) are apparently out of >print. >Sandy Rieser >I'm sure Don Wiss will send you this address and you may already have been >there, but just to make sure: > >http://www.sofdesign.com/neander >This book by Ray Audette is probably the best out on nutrition. He cured >his own Rheumatoid Arthritis and diabetes eating vegetables, meat, fruit, >nuts and seeds. The Neanderthin site will take you to Don Wiss' Paleolithic >Diet Pages and the address for the Paleolithic List. >Read Roger MacDougall's article about curing his MS paleolithically. >I have never had more energy and all symptoms of disease have disappeared! >Susan Carmack >Arthur Hirdler has raised an interesting hypothesis. However, it raises >many questions. In particular, how is celiac disease different from any >other auto-immune disease? It would seem that ALL auto-immune type >diseases are part and parcel of a superior immune system. This type of >labelling seems to be a question of semantics. > >-MS patients, for example, have been shown to have elevated titers of >antibodies directed to a number of viruses (19) including measles and >herpes simplex. To date, the adeno -12 virus appears to be the virus >researchers link to celiac disease. Yet, not all celiacs show elevated >titers of antibodies to this virus. Given the recent study which suggests >a link between measles and autism and inflammatory bowel disease, perhaps >studies are warranted to determine if in SOME cases, measles vaccine and >other immunizations such as oral polio virus are somehow involved in the >appearance or worsening of symptoms seen in celiac disease. > >Hirdler states that in celiac disease, this superior immune system defends >against some organisms for which most non-Celiacs lack defense. It would >appear that this does not include all organisms such as Candida and >certain bacteria such as those involved in urinary tract infections. >Otherwise, these infectious agents would not be seen as complications of >untreated celiac disease. Our superior immune systems seem to be >incapable of warding off these infectious agents, particularly when gluten >is being ingested. > >Like you, I would very much like to see studies done to determine if the >deficiency of an enzyme(s) required to completely break down the peptide >chains of gluten is somehow involved in celiac disease since untreated >celiac patients show increased levels of these peptides in their urine. >Marilyn McCool That wraps it up. Interesting subject - still up in the air I think. GK