Dietary treatment of gluten neuropathy

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Abstract
We studied the effect of a gluten‐free diet in patients with idiopathic sensorimotor axonal neuropathy and circulating antigliadin antibodies. Consecutive patients underwent baseline neurophysiological assessment and were offered a gluten‐free diet. Those who went on the diet formed the intention‐to‐treat group and those who did not were the control group. Repeat neurophysiological assessment and subjective evaluation of neuropathy symptoms were performed at 1 year. A total of 35 patients participated in the study, with 25 patients going on the diet and 10 not doing so. There was a significant difference in the change of sural sensory action potentials (pre‐defined primary endpoint), with evidence of improvement in the intention‐to‐treat group and deterioration in the control group. Subjective change in neuropathy symptoms also showed significant differences, with patients in the intention‐to‐treat group reporting improvement and those in the control group reporting deterioration. Gluten‐free diet may thus be a useful therapeutic intervention for patients with gluten neuropathy. Muscle Nerve, 2006