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In a message dated 1/10/01 12:55:50 PM Pacific Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

> In her post, Diana said: "Small amounts of gluten can build up over
> amounts of time and cause damage and this is why a person should not
> eat any amount no matter how small because it can cause refractory
> celiac, lymphoma, auto- immune diseases like MS and lupus and many
> others. "  Although I was aware of some possible links between MS,
> lupus, and other automimmune diseases and celiac, this is the first
> time I have seen a suggestion that less-than-total compliance with
> the GF diet "causes" these other diseases.  Can

My celiac specialist, who is has a celiac only practice says that continuing
to ingest gluten does trigger other autoimmune disesases - no one knows what
level of gluten ingestion is enough to trigger or small enough to not
trigger...but that it's safe to assume that over time, even small small
amounts of gluten ingestion could and will trigger other auto-immune
disorders....her feeling is that it's basically a matter of time.

I developed psoriasis at 30.... (wasn't diagnosed till 30)

My celiac doc (and info from Dr. Fine's site) says that the only gluten
sensitive persons who aren't going to have other autoimmune probs are those
who have gluten removed by the age of two.

This is one reason why I disagree with the current theory about waiting till
age 6 or 7 to test an asymptomatic child.  I just tested my asymptomatic 21
mo old (at 20  mos)....she is gluten sensitive, HLA-DQ2 pos, and thankfully,
not showing malabsorption (which would indicate intestinal damage) *yet*.  So
that it never gets to that point, she is now gluten free...

katherine in atl