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I'm very confused by some recent statements regarding 
vigilance on the gluten free diet. It seems that there is 
a school of thought that goes something like this: People 
who are not completely vigilant may retain sufficient 
antibodies to "protect" against symptomatic response. 
Furthermore, that the super-vigilant, more apt to be free 
of antibodies, are also more vulnerable to strong 
reactions.

In light of such comments, I think it would be helpful to 
review the basics about celiac disease.

Anti-gliadin antibodies are not something that one wishes 
to "retain" and they do not "protect" you, as a celiac, 
against feeling the effects of gluten.

On the contrary, with an autoimmune disease, more 
antibodies = a worse reaction.

While antibodies to foreign agents like the flu (virus) or 
bacteria will have a "protective" effect, antibodies to 
gluten do not. Anti-gliadin antibodies generate an 
autoimmune attack on the small intestines (which on a 
molecular level look like gluten) resulting in the 
deterioration of the villi which line your small 
intestines.

I believe that it is wrong to make the assumption that a 
person who has some gluten in his/her system must have 
some antibodies to gluten and must therefore be somewhat 
"protected". Likewise, it is wrong to assume that a person 
who is super-vigilant and therefore has no antibodies to 
gluten is "vulnerable".

Who is to say that the person with some gluten antibodies 
does not go into a sudden severe reaction to gluten OR 
suffer the consequences of constant gluten exposure 
through secondary effects as seen in many cases of 
osteoporosis, endometriosis, thyroidism, autism, 
arthritis, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia?

If you are a celiac - or you are gluten intolerant - and 
you want to live a long healthy life, it behooves you to 
keep your gluten intake as low as possible.

Take care,

Megan Tichy, Ph.D.
Texas A&M University

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