<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Gluten has been shown to increase the risk of developing type 1 
diabetes in non-obese diabetic mice.  Yet the increased risk has NOT 
been shown to be associated with anti-gliadin antibodies.  This poses 
the question of whether there is some other wheat protein or 
component that acts as a type 1 diabetes antigen in a manner similar 
to the way in which gliadin initiates celiac disease.  In fact, there HAS 
been a previous study which indentifies the wheat storage globulin, 
Glb1, as a possible type 1 diabetes antigen.  The Glb1 protein closely 
matches a protein "strongly associated with pancreatic islet 
inflammation and damage."  Antibodies to Glb1 protein were found in 
the serum of both diabetic rats and humans.  Further, a case study of 
a patient with both type 1 diabetes and celiac disease found an 
unusually high sensitivity to the Glb1 protein.

"Traditionally, wheat proteins have been classified according to 
solubility; the major storage proteins (~80%) are the gliadins (soluble 
in aqueous alcohol) and glutenins (soluble in dilute acid or alkali), 
whereas albumins (water soluble) and globulins (salt-soluble) are 
minor constituents (~20%).  Identifying Glb1, a salt-soluble globulin 
considered to be absent from wheat gluten, as a major diabetes-
related protein was unexpected. However, wheat gluten proteins are 
difficult to separate into distinct fractions, and globulin proteins can 
remain trapped in the wheat gluten matrix. In the present study, Glb1 
was identified in extracts of wheat gluten using two-dimensional 
Western blots and mass spectrometric analyses." 

There have been many postings on the Celiac List by those who seem 
to be extremely sensitive to gluten.  Perhaps that sensitivity is really 
due to the Glb1 wheat protein rather than gliadin.  That could explain 
the wide variation in the degree of response to trace or small amounts 
of wheat contamination reported by Celiac List posters.  Clearly, 
additional study of the Glb1 protein and its relationship to type 1 
diabetes and celiac disease is called for.

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J Biol Chem. 2003 Jan 3;278(1):54-63.
A type 1 diabetes-related protein from wheat (Triticum aestivum). 
cDNA clone of a wheat storage globulin, Glb1, linked to islet damage.
MacFarlane AJ, Burghardt KM, Kelly J, Simell T, Simell O, Altosaar I, Scott 
FW.
Free full text:
< http://www.jbc.org/cgi/content/full/278/1/54 >

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Diabetes Care. 2006 May;29(5):1108-10.
Immune reactivity to a glb1 homologue in a highly wheat-sensitive 
patient with type 1 diabetes and celiac disease.
Mojibian M, Chakir H, MacFarlane AJ, Lefebvre DE, Webb JR, Touchie C, 
Karsh J, Crookshank JA, Scott FW.
Free full text:
< http://care.diabetesjournals.org/cgi/content/full/29/5/1108 >

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