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Below is in excerpt from "THE SPRUE-NIK PRESS" which was sent out on Thu, 7
Dec 1995 as an Automatic distribution (AFD) of the file "CELIAC SPRUENIK".
If you did't get this sent to you, and you'd like it, then see the welcome
message for subscription info, or contact Mike Jones at <[log in to unmask]>.

Note that the endomysial test he used correlates well with a damaged mucosa.
Less severe forms of gluten intolerance would have an even higher incidence.
Don Wiss.


Dr. Fasano, from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, began
the meeting with some interesting data on celiac research:  Over the
past 30 years there have been 6,276 papers published on CD and only 10
of these were from the USA.  In an effort to quantify the number of
celiacs in the USA Dr. Fasano took his own money and purchased 2000
blood samples from the Red Cross.  He screened each of the blood
samples for CD using the endomysial antibody test.  Eight of these
samples tested positive.  This indicates a potential ratio of 1/250
people in the USA with CD or with the genetic potential to develop CD.
If this ratio were to hold true for the entire USA population, it
would mean there are over one million celiacs in this country.
Remember this is one small study, using samples from the Baltimore
area.  The point is, we need more studies such as this, using a larger
sample size derived from multiple areas around the country, to get a
reliable estimate of the incidence of CD in this country.