Increased Prevalence of Anti‐gliadin Antibodies and Anti‐tissue Transglutaminase Antibodies in Children With Cerebral Palsy

• Published in: Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition Vol. 49; no. 4; pp. 424 - 429
• Main Authors: Stenberg, Reidun, Dahle, Charlotte, Lindberg, Eva, Schollin, Jens
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hagerstown, MD Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc 01-10-2009; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
• Subjects: Adolescent; Antibodies to tissue transglutaminase; Antigliadin IgG and IgA antibodies; Autoantibodies - blood; Biological and medical sciences; Biopsy; Body Mass Index; Body Size; Celiac disease; Celiac Disease - complications; Celiac Disease - immunology; Cerebral palsy; Cerebral Palsy - blood; Cerebral Palsy - complications; Cerebral Palsy - immunology; Child; Child, Preschool; Dermatologi och venerologi, klinisk genetik, invärtesmedicin; Dermatology and venerology,clinical genetics, internal medicine; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gastroenterologi; Gastroenterology; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; Gliadin - immunology; Headache. Facial pains. Syncopes. Epilepsia. Intracranial hypertension. Brain oedema. Cerebral palsy; Humans; Immunoglobulin A - blood; Immunoglobulin G - blood; Infant; Internal medicine; Intestinal Mucosa - immunology; Intestine, Small - immunology; Invärtesmedicin; Lymphocytosis - complications; Male; Medical sciences; MEDICIN; MEDICINE; Nervous system (semeiology, syndromes); Neurology; Other diseases. Semiology; Small-bowel biopsy; Stomach. Duodenum. Small intestine. Colon. Rectum. Anus; Transglutaminases - immunology; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Antigliadin IgG and IgA antibodies; Cerebral palsy; IgA; Prevalence; IgG; Coeliac disease; Epidemiology; Intestinal malabsorption; bowel biopsy; Gastroenterology; Gliadin; Intestinal disease; Protein-glutamine γ-glutamyltransferase; Child; Human; Acyltransferases; Immunopathology; Nervous system diseases; Small; Enzyme; Antibody; Antibodies to tissue transglutaminase; Transferases; Metabolic diseases; Aminoacyltransferases; Cerebral disorder; Celiac disease; Biopsy; Central nervous system disease; Digestive diseases
• ISSN: 0277-2116; 1536-4801; 1536-4801
• DOI: 10.1097/MPG.0b013e31819a4e52

ABSTRACT
Aim and Objective:
The aim of the study was to investigate whether there is any association between cerebral palsy (CP) and celiac disease (CD) in children.
Patients and Methods:
Ninety children between 18 months and 18 years of age (median 9 years) with CP were included. Antibodies (IgA and IgG) against gliadin (AGA), endomysium (EMA), and tissue transglutaminase (tTG) were measured. Children with elevated levels of these antibodies were offered a small‐bowel biopsy.
Results:
Thirty‐nine children showed an elevated level of 1 or more of the tested antibodies (43%). None had raised EMA antibodies. Presence of tetraplegia or dyskinesia was associated with increased antibody levels (P = 0.045), as was a more severe functional type of CP (P = 0.008). Children with elevated antibodies had a lower body weight (P = 0.049), height (P = 0.041), and body mass index (BMI) (P = 0.014). Small‐bowel biopsies were performed in 27 out of 39 children; 1 had CD and 2 had intraepithelial lymphocytosis.
Conclusions:
A large number of children with CP had elevated AGA and/or anti‐tTG. Because these elevations were associated with lower weight, height, and BMI, it seemed of interest to speculate on how these findings correlated to CP and CD. However, we found no correlation between CP and CD.