Early introduction of gluten may prevent celiac disease in children,
study finds

Date:
September 28, 2020
Source:
King's College London
Summary:
Introducing high doses of gluten from four months of age into
infants' diets could prevent them from developing celiac disease,
a study has found, though researchers say further studies are
needed before being applied in practice.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Introducing high doses of gluten from four months of age into infants'
diets could prevent them from developing coeliac disease, a study
has found.


========================================================================== These results from the Enquiring About Tolerance (EAT) Study, published
today in JAMA Pediatrics, by researchers from King's College London,
Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, St George's, University of
London, and Benaroya Research Institute, Seattle, suggest the early introduction of high-dose gluten may be an effective prevention strategy
for the disease, though researchers say further studies are needed before
being applied in practice.

Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disease whereby eating gluten causes the body's immune system to attack its own tissues. There are currently no strategies to prevent coeliac disease and treatment involves long-term exclusion of gluten from the diet. Even very small amounts of gluten in
the diet of those with coeliac disease can cause damage to the lining
of the gut, prevent proper absorption of food and result in symptoms
including bloating, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation, and tiredness.

Previous studies exploring early introduction of gluten in infants
have varied in the amount of gluten consumed and the timing of the introduction. The EAT study investigated the effects of gluten alongside breastfeeding, from the age of four months. The results were compared
to children who avoided allergenic foods and consumed only breast milk
until age six months as per UK government guidelines.

Infants in the intervention arm of the EAT study were given 4g of
wheat protein a week from four months of age. This was in the form
of two wheat-based cereal biscuits such as Weetabix, representing an age-appropriate portion of wheat.

1004 children were tested for antitransglutanimase antibodies, an
indicator of coeliac disease, at three years of age. Those with raised
antibody levels were referred for further testing by a specialist.

The results showed that among children who delayed gluten introduction
until after six months of age, the prevalence of coeliac disease at
three years of age was higher than expected -- 1.4% of this group of 516 children. In contrast, among the 488 children who introduced gluten from
four months of age, there were no cases of coeliac disease.

Lead author Professor Gideon Lack, Professor of Paediatric Allergy at
King's College London and head of the children's allergy service at
Evelina London Children's Hospital said: "This is the first study that
provides evidence that early introduction of significant amounts of wheat
into a baby's diet before six months of age may prevent the development
of coeliac disease. This strategy may also have implications for other autoimmune diseases such as Type 1 diabetes." Author Dr Kirsty Logan, Researcher in Paediatric Allergy at King's College London said: "Early introduction of gluten and its role in the prevention of coeliac disease
should be explored further, using the results of the EAT Study as the
basis for larger clinical trials to definitively answer this question."

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by King's_College_London. Note: Content
may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Kirsty Logan, Michael R. Perkin, Tom Marrs, Suzana Radulovic, Joanna
Craven, Carsten Flohr, Henry T. Bahnson, Gideon Lack. Early Gluten
Introduction and Celiac Disease in the EAT Study. JAMA Pediatrics,
2020; DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2020.2893 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/09/200928125028.htm

--- up 5 weeks, 6 hours, 50 minutes
* Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1337:3/111)