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“Bread madness” revisited: screening for specific celiac antibodies among schizophrenia patients

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2020

Roni Peleg ,
Z. Itzhak Ben-Zion ,
Aya Peleg ,
Larisa Gheber ,
Moshe Kotler ,
Zvi Weizman ,
Asher Shiber ,
Alex Fich ,
Yael Horowitz  and
Pesach Shvartzman
Roni Peleg*
Affiliation:
Department of Family Medicine, Sial Research Center for Family Medicine and Primary Care, Division of Community Health, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel
Z. Itzhak Ben-Zion
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Soroka Medical Center and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva84105, Israel
Aya Peleg
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology and Department of Health Sciences Evaluation, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva84105, Israel
Larisa Gheber
Affiliation:
Department of Gastroenterology, Soroka Medical Center and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva Israel, Beer-Sheva84105, Israel Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Soroka Medical Center and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva Israel, Beer-Sheva84105, Israel
Moshe Kotler
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Mental Health Center, Beer-Sheva84105, Israel
Zvi Weizman
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Division of Pediatrics, Soroka Medical Center and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva84105, Israel
Asher Shiber
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Soroka Medical Center and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva84105, Israel
Alex Fich
Affiliation:
Department of Gastroenterology, Soroka Medical Center and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva Israel, Beer-Sheva84105, Israel
Yael Horowitz
Affiliation:
Department of Family Medicine, Sial Research Center for Family Medicine and Primary Care, Division of Community Health, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel
Pesach Shvartzman
Affiliation:
Department of Family Medicine, Sial Research Center for Family Medicine and Primary Care, Division of Community Health, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel
*
*Corresponding author. E-mail address: pelegr@bgumail.bgu.ac.il (R. Peleg).
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Abstract

Purpose

A possible association between gluten consumption and schizophrenia has been reported. The objective was to compare patients with chronic schizophrenia and matched controls for sociodemographic variables, prevalence of celiac-specific anti-endomysial antibodies and disease-related variables.

Subjects and methods

The study group was comprised of 50 consecutive patients diagnosed with schizophrenia, 18 years of age and older attending the out-patient clinic of the Mental Health Center in Beer-Sheva, Israel. The control group was comprised of mentally normal volunteers who came to primary care clinics for blood tests unrelated to gastrointestinal tract complaints and who were not diagnosed with celiac disease. Known celiac patients and those who refused to participate, did non-speak Hebrew or were incoherent were excluded from the study. All participants in both groups underwent a blood test for anti-endomysial IgA antibody and completed a questionnaire.

Results

Each group was comprised of 50 participants. There were no significant differences between the groups in gender, BMI or country of birth. The mean age of the study group was significantly higher than the controls. All tests for anti-endomysial antibody in both groups were negative.

Discussion and conclusions

In contrast to previous reports, we found no evidence for celiac disease in patients with chronic schizophrenia as manifested by the presence of serum IgA anti-endomysial antibodies. It is unlikely that there is an association between gluten sensitivity and schizophrenia.

Keywords

CeliacSchizophreniaAnti-endomysial antibodies

Information

Type
Short communication
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 19 , Issue 5 , August 2004 , pp. 311 - 314
Copyright
Copyright © 2004 European Psychiatric Association

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