Autistic children show elevated gluten antibodies

Children with autism have been found to have elevated antibodies to wheat gluten proteins compared to those without autism. The research, conducted by Columbia University Medical Center, also indicated an association between the elevated antibodies and the presence of gastrointestinal symptoms in the affected children.

Interestingly, however, the researchers did not find any connection between the elevated antibodies and coeliac disease, which is known to be triggered by gluten.

Gluten, a group of more than 70 proteins in wheat and related grains, consists of gliadins and glutenins. Gluten-free diets have become increasingly popular in the autism community; however, the effectiveness of these diets has not yet been confirmed in controlled and blind studies.

Dr Armin Alaedini, Assistant Professor of Medical Sciences, led a research team that examined blood samples and medical records of 140 children. Of the 140, 37 were diagnosed with autism; the rest were unaffected siblings or healthy control subjects. The blood samples were tested for antibodies to tissue transglutaminase, a specific marker of coeliac disease, as well as antibodies to gliadin. The patients were also tested for genes encoding certain human leukocyte antigens that are strongly associated with coeliac disease.

“This is the first study to systematically look at serologic and genetic markers of celiac disease and gluten sensitivity in such well-characterised cohorts of autism patients and controls,” said Peter HR Green, MD, director of the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University Medical Center and one of the study authors. “But the findings need to be confirmed in larger cohorts.”

The authors suggest that further research is needed to understand the relevance of the described antibodies in autism.

“The IgG antibody response to gluten does not necessarily indicate sensitivity to gluten or any disease-causing role for the antibodies in the context of autism,” said Alaedini. “But the higher levels of antibody to gluten and their association with gastrointestinal symptoms point to immunologic and/or intestinal permeability abnormalities in the affected children.”

Alaedini noted that a better understanding of the immune response to gluten may yield novel clues about autism or offer biomarkers to identify a subset of patients that would respond to certain treatment strategies.

The results of the research were published online in the journal PLOS ONE.