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Here's a new study finding celiac disease is prevalent in Crohn's disease.
Also, below, is a recent study adding to the findings that probiotics can
reduce food allergies.

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Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2005 Jul;11(7):662-666.

High Prevalence of Celiac Disease Among Patients Affected by Crohn's
Disease.

Tursi A, Giorgetti GM, Brandimarte G, Elisei W.

From the Digestive Endoscopy Unit, "Lorenzo Bonomo" Hospital, Andria,
Italy; Department of Internal Medicine, Clinical Nutrition Unit, "S.
Eugenio" Hospital, Rome, Italy; and Department of Internal Medicine,
Division of Gastroenterology, "Cristo Re" Hospital, Rome, Italy. Reprints:
Antonio Tursi, Galleria Pisani, 4 70031 Andria, Italy (e-mail:
[log in to unmask]).

BACKGROUND:: Recent literature has shown a correlation between Crohn's
disease (CD) and celiac disease, but a prospective study has not been
performed. Our aim was to evaluate the prevalence of celiac disease in a
consecutive series of patients affected by CD, in whom the disease was
diagnosed for the first time. METHODS:: From January to December 2004, we
diagnosed 27 patients affected by CD (13 men and 14 women; mean age, 32.3
yrs; range, 16-69 yrs). In all patients, we performed antigliadin,
antiendomysium, and antitransglutaminase antibody tests, and the sorbitol
H2 breath test evaluation. In case of antibodies and/or sorbitol
positivity, esophagogastroduodenoscopy was performed for a small bowel
biopsy. RESULTS:: Antigliadin, antiendomysium, and antitransglutaminase
antibody tests were positive in 8/27 (29.63%), 4/27 (14.81%), and 5/27
(18.52%) patients, respectively, whereas the sorbitol H2 breath test was
positive in 11/27 (40.74%) patients: all of them underwent
esophagogastroduodenoscopy. Nine of 11 patients showed signs of duodenal
endoscopic damage, and 5/9 (55.55%) showed histologic features of celiac
disease (18.52% of overall CD population studied): 2 showed Marsh IIIc
lesions (1 patient affected by ileal CD and 1 affected by ileo-colonic CD),
2 showed Marsh IIIb lesions (all of them affected by ileo-colonic CD), 1
showed a Marsh IIIa lesion (1 patient affected by colonic CD).
CONCLUSIONS:: Prevalence of celiac disease seems to be high among patients
affected by CD, and this finding should be kept in mind at the time of the
first diagnosis of CD; a gluten-free diet should be promptly started.

PMID: 15973121 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol. 2005 Jun 14; [Epub ahead of print]

Oral probiotic bacterial administration suppressed allergic responses in an
ovalbumin-induced allergy mouse model.

Kim H, Kwack K, Kim DY, Ji GE.

Department of Food and Nutrition, Seoul National University, San 56-1,
Shillim-Dong, Kwanak-Ku, Seoul 151-742, Republic of Korea.

This study investigated whether orally administered probiotic bacteria
(Bifidobacterium bifidum and Lactobacillus casei) and a gram-negative
bacterium (Escherichia coli) function as allergic immune modulators to
prevent food allergy, according to the hygiene hypothesis. C3H/HeJ mice
were sensitized with ovalbumin (OVA) and cholera toxin for 5 weeks. After
sensitization, the OVA-induced mice that were not treated with bacteria had
significantly increased levels of OVA-specific IgE, total IgE, and IgG1 in
sera, as well as scab-covered tails. In comparison, groups treated with B.
bifidum BGN4 (BGN4), L. casei 911 (L. casei), or Escherichia coli MC4100
(E. coli) had decreased levels of OVA-specific IgE, total IgE, and IgG1,
and decreased levels of mast cell degranulation and tail scabs. OVA-
specific IgA levels were decreased in BGN4- and L. casei-treated groups. In
conclusion, administration of E. coli, BGN4, or L. casei decreased the OVA-
induced allergy response. However, a normal increase in body weight was
inhibited in the E. coli-treated mice and in the montreated mice groups
during allergy sensitization. Thus, BGN4 and L. casei appear to be useful
probiotic bacteria for the prevention of allergy.

PMID: 15963706 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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