IgA Nephropathy
Date: Wed, 05 Jun 1996
From: Ron Hoggan
Well, I couldn't get a copy of the article she mentioned, but did find a number of articles that suggest that the gluten-free diet is a hotly debated therapy for IgA nephropathy. It seems that IgA anti-gliadin antibodies are elevated in patients with IgA nephropathy, but their antiendomysial & antireticulin antibodies counter the suggestion that this disease is associated with celiac disease. On the other hand, there are reports that indicate that the gluten-free diet "was able to reduce the levels of circulating IGA immune complexes." (2)
Apparently there is about a compromised life expectancy in this disease (3) so dietary intervention that reduces circulating antibodies, which are the agents of destruction, is seen as a viable therapy.
The other side of the argument is that because IgA nephropathy has been clearly demonstrated to have no visible relationship with celiac disease, and one study they cite was a trial of gluten-free diet on IgA nephropathy, which had little effect on the course of the nephropathy.
As we both know, the diet is quite a challenge, and I will peruse the article in question, to attempt to determine if compliance was monitored, and just how strict the diet was, and I'll report back to you.
For now, it is clear that she was referring to the gluten-free diet, and this is a whole spectrum of possible gluten-intolerance that needs some investigation.