Immunity & Autism (2004)
This study focused on immunity & autism. The authors considered how immune reactions to food proteins may relate to immune reactions against the body’s own brain cells in autistic patients. The immune reactions of 50 autistic patients to a range of food proteins were compared to the immune reactions to brain proteins. 50 non-autistic patients were used as controls. The study found immune antibodies in autistic patients which reacted to both gliadin (a gluten protein from cereals) and to brain proteins, suggesting a possible autoimmune basis for autism.
A Vojdani et al., ‘Immune response to dietary proteins, gliadin and cerebellar peptides in children with autism.’, Nutr Neurosci, vol 7(3):151-61, 2004