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Hi All,

I photocopied the following article, as it raises  some very interesting
points about gluten sensitivities and intolerance within a family. It also
makes very clear that there is need for more work in this area to clarify
some points. Nonetheless, there is some interesting evidence suggesting that
about half of celiac siblings might want to consider a gluten free diet.

Troncone R, Greco L, Mayer M, Mazzarella G, et. al. "In Siblings of Celiac
Children, Rectal Gluten Challenge Reveals Gluten Sensitization Not
Restricted to Celiac HLA" _Gastroenterology_ 1996; 111: 318-324

The final paragraph says:
"In conclusion, our data show that approximately half of the siblings of
patients with celiac disease show signs of sensitization to gluten as they
mount an inflammatory local response to rectal gluten challenge. The genetic
background and the clinical meaning of such gluten sensitivity need to be
established. Further studies, particularly at the jejunal level, are
necessary before deciding if any action is to be taken in this subset of
first-degree relatives."
I hope that is helpful.

Best Wishes,
Ron Hoggan   Calgary, Alberta, Canada