Research Grant Award

Enrico Tongiorgi, PhD

University of Trieste
Investigating Gluten-Dependent Autoimmunity as a possible cause of Sporadic Ataxia

In a considerable proportion of patients who suffer from sporadic ataxia, a symptom of malfunction of the balance centre (cerebellum), the cause of the disease is not known. Up to 40% of patients with ataxia of unknown cause have sensitivity to gluten. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley and rye and is ingested with a normal diet. In some patients such sensitivity manifests with inflammation of the intestine and is called celiac disease. Prevalence studies have demonstrated a link between sporadic forms of ataxia and gluten sensitivity. It has been shown that removal of gluten-containing products from the diet of patients with gluten sensitivity and ataxia results in improvement or stabilization of their ataxia. We would like to investigate this disease in more detail and try to understand the mechanism by which sensitivity to gluten can cause ataxia. We will use the latest laboratory techniques to identify the anti-brain antibodies generated by the immune system activated by the ingestion of gluten. The study will be based on the hypothesis that these antibodies would participate in damaging of the cerebellum and other parts of the nervous system. Any answers from this research would contribute to our understanding of the spectrum of gluten sensitive sporadic ataxias and ultimately result in their early identification and treatment. Treatment with a gluten-free diet is a simple therapeutic option which may become available for these patients if only they could be correctly diagnosed. Therefore, a laboratory test for the reliable identification of this condition would be highly desirable. The implicit future outcome of our researches on the role of gluten-dependent autoimmunity in sporadic ataxia is to develop such a new diagnostic tool.