celiac-disease

Mood disorders and non-celiac gluten sensitivity

May 11, 2017
Casella, G., Pozzi, R., Cigognetti, M., Bachetti, F., Torti, G., Cadei, M., Villanacci, V., Baldini, V., Bassotti, G.
Minerva Gastroenterologica E Dietologica 2017; 63: 32-37

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The association between gluten related disorders and psychiatric diseases has been firmly demonstrated. Non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) is a syndrome diagnosed in patients responsive to gluten-free dict after ruling out celiac disease and wheat allergy. The pathogenesis of neuro-psychiatric disorders in NCGS is unclear. An association between gluten and schizophrenia was described tier the first time in 1950 by Bender et al. In the 1950's, Dicke noted that gluten-free diet improved mood in celiac patients. In 1970, Goldberg et at, in a study of 80 celiac patients, tbund that 34% of them showed minor affective disorders. Bipolar disorder patients show an increase of blood anti gliadin deamidated antibodies (lgG). 'the effect of diet and nutrition on autistic spectrum disorders has been investigated in the last two decades, particularly focusing on the symptoms of hyperactivity and attention. Toxoplasma gondit and other neurotropic pathogens as Influenzavints and Coronavints may be associated with mood disorders, probably secondary to an increased intestinal permeability. Abnormalities of host-microbiota interactions or of gut-microbiota composition have been associated with central nervous system disorders, such as autism, anxiety, depression and the integrity/ of intestinal microbiota may be considered a potential therapeutic goal to treat these conditions. TC 1

Tagged: celiac-disease, gluten-free diet, glutens, mood disorders

Mental health

Pathogen-mediated NMDA receptor autoimmunity and cellular barrier dysfunction in schizophrenia

May 9, 2017
Kannan, G., Gressitt, K.L., Yang, S., Stallings, C.R., Katsafanas, E., Schweinfurth, L.A., Savage, C.L.G., Adamos, M.B., Sweeney, K.M., Origoni, A.E., Khushalani, S., Bahn, S., Leweke, F.M., Dickerson, F.B., Yolken, R.H., Pletnikov, M.V., Severance, E.G.
Translational Psychiatry 2017; 7: 10.1038/tp.2017.162

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Autoantibodies that bind the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) may underlie glutamate receptor hypofunction and related cognitive impairment found in schizophrenia. Exposure to neurotropic pathogens can foster an autoimmune-prone environment and drive systemic inflammation leading to endothelial barrier defects. In mouse model cohorts, we demonstrate that infection with the protozoan parasite, Toxoplasma gondii, caused sustained elevations of IgG class antibodies to the NMDAR in conjunction with compromised blood-gut and blood-brain barriers. In human cohorts, NMDAR IgG and markers of barrier permeability were significantly associated with T. gondii exposure in schizophrenia compared with controls and independently of antipsychotic medication. Combined T. gondii and NMDAR antibody seropositivity in schizophrenia resulted in higher degrees of cognitive impairment as measured by tests of delayed memory. These data underscore the necessity of disentangling the heterogeneous pathophysiology of schizophrenia so that relevant subsets eligible for NMDAR-related treatment can be identified. Our data aid to reconcile conflicting reports regarding a role of pathological NMDAR autoantibodies in this disorder.

Tagged: bipolar disorder, celiac-disease, glutamate-receptor, human-behavior, immune activation, increased prevalence, latent toxoplasmosis, lupus autoantibodies, S100B protein, Toxoplasma gondii

Behavior Mental health

The association between immune markers and recent suicide attempts in patients with serious mental illness: A pilot study

March 23, 2017
Dickerson, F., Adamos, M., Katsafanas, E., Khushalani, S., Origoni, A., Savage, C., Schweinfurth, L., Stallings, C., Sweeney, K., Alaedini, A., Uhde, M., Severance, E., Wilcox, H. C., Yolken, R.
Psychiatry Research 2017;255:8-12

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Previous studies have identified elevations in markers of gastrointestinal inflammation in schizophrenia and mood disorders but studies have not measured the association between these markers and recent suicide attempts. We assessed 210 patients receiving treatment for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression. We employed the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale to identify recent and lifetime suicide attempts (actual, aborted, and interrupted). Psychiatric participants and a control group of 72 individuals without a psychiatric disorder had a blood sample drawn from which were measured specific markers of gastrointestinal inflammation and also C-Reactive protein (CRP). A total of 20 (10%) of psychiatric participants had a suicide attempt in the previous one month and 95 (45%) an attempt during their lifetime but not in the previous one month. The recent attempters had significantly elevated levels of antibodies to yeast mannan from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (ASCA), the food antigen gliadin, and bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) compared with the non-psychiatric group when adjusting for demographic and clinical variables. These markers were not elevated in individuals with a past, but not recent, suicide attempt history. Our study indicates that there is evidence of gastrointestinal inflammation in some individuals who have had a recent suicide attempt.

Tagged: activation, attempted, biomarkers, bipolar disorder, celiac-disease, gastrointestinal, inflammation, inflammatory-bowel-disease, metaanalysis, psychiatric-disorders, rating-scale, Schizophrenia, sensitivity, suicide, Toxoplasma gondii

Mental health

Gastroenterology issues in schizophrenia: Why the gut matters

May 28, 2015
Severance, E. G., Prandovszky, E., Castiglione, J., Yolken, R. H.
Current Psychiatry Reports 2015; 17: 10.1007/s11920-015-0574-0

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Genetic and environmental studies implicate immune pathologies in schizophrenia. The body's largest immune organ is the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Historical associations of GI conditions with mental illnesses predate the introduction of antipsychotics. Cuirent studies of antipsychotic-naive patients support that gut dysfunction may be inherent to the schizophrenia disease process. Risk factors for schizophrenia (inflammation, food intolerances, Toxoplasma gondii exposure, cellular barrier defects) are part of biological pathways that intersect those operant in the gut. Central to GI function is a homeostatic microbial community, and early reports show that it is disrupted in schizophrenia. Bioactive and toxic products derived from digestion and microbial dysbiosis activate adaptive and innate immunity. Complement Clq, a brain-active systemic immune component, interacts with gut-related schizophrenia risk factors in clinical and experimental animal models. With accumulating evidence supporting newly discovered gut brain physiological pathways, treatments to ameliorate brain symptoms of schizophrenia should be supplemented with therapies to correct GI dysfunction.

Tagged: autism, autoimmunity, barrier function, blood brain barrier, celiac-disease, central-nervous-system, free diet, gastrointestinal inflammation, gluten, hospital admissions, immune-response, intestinal microbiota, microbiome, regulatory t-cells, relapsed schizophrenics, synapses

Mental health

Gastrointestinal inflammation and associated immune activation in schizophrenia

October 11, 2012
Severance, E. G., Alaedini, A., Yang, S. J., Halling, M., Gressitt, K. L., Stallings, C. R., Origoni, A. E., Vaughan, C., Khushalani, S., Leweke, F. M., Dickerson, F. B., Yolken, R. H.
Schizophrenia Research 2012; 138: 48-53

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Immune factors are implicated in normal brain development and in brain disorder pathogenesis. Pathogen infection and food antigen penetration across gastrointestinal barriers are means by which environmental factors might affect immune-related neurodevelopment. Here, we test if gastrointestinal inflammation is associated with schizophrenia and therefore, might contribute to bloodstream entry of potentially neurotropic milk and gluten exorphins and/or immune activation by food antigens. IgG antibodies to Saccharomyces cerevisiae (ASCA, a marker of intestinal inflammation), bovine milk casein, wheat-derived gluten, and 6 infectious agents were assayed. Cohort 1 included 193 with non-recent onset schizophrenia, 67 with recent onset schizophrenia and 207 non-psychiatric controls. Cohort 2 included 103 with first episode schizophrenia, 40 of whom were antipsychotic-nave. ASCA markers were significantly elevated and correlated with food antigen antibodies in recent onset and non-recent onset schizophrenia compared to controls (p <= 0.00001-0.004) and in unmedicated individuals with first episode schizophrenia compared to those receiving antipsychotics (p <= 0.05-0.01). Elevated ASCA levels were especially evident in non-recent onset females (p <= 0.009), recent onset males (p <= 0.01) and in antipsychotic-naive males (p <= 0.03). Anti-food antigen antibodies were correlated to antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii, an intestinally-infectious pathogen, particularly in males with recent onset schizophrenia (p <= 0.002). In conclusion, gastrointestinal inflammation is a relevant pathology in schizophrenia, appears to occur in the absence of but may be modified by antipsychotics, and may link food antigen sensitivity and microbial infection as sources of immune activation in mental illness. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Tagged: bipolar disorder, c57bl/6 mice, celiac-disease, common variants, crohns-disease, environment, food hypersensitivity, gluten-free diet, immunology, intestine, mental disorder, microbiology, oral infection, recent-onset, Toxoplasma gondii

Physical health

The importance of Toxoplasma gondii infection in diseases presenting with headaches. Headaches and aseptic meningitis may be manifestations of the Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction

October 26, 2009
Prandota J.
International Journal of Neuroscience 2009; 119: 2144-2182.

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Worldwide, approximately 2 billion people are chronically infected with T. gondii with largely unknown consequences. This review presents clinical symptoms, differential diagnosis, triggering factors, treatment, and pathomechanisms responsible for idiopathic intracranial hypertension, pseudotumor cerebri, and aseptic meningitis. Literature cited in this work illustrates that immune state and other biologic mediator imbalances due to various endogenous and exogenous triggering factors may markedly affect latent central nervous system T. gondii infection/inflammation intensity, and cause reactivation of cerebral toxoplasmosis (CT). Irregularities in pro- and anti-inflammatory processes may markedly disturb the host and/or T. gondii defense mechanisms important for immune control of the parasite thereby manifesting as a wide range of neurologic symptoms and signs observed in some patients with migraine, epilepsy, celiac disease, Henoch-Schonlein purpura, and other brain disorders. This is consistent with reactivation of CT in mice after treatment with dexamethasone associated with depression of type T(H)1 immune response, and development of CT after administration of etanercept or other bioproducts. It seems that various types of headaches, epilepsy, aseptic meningitis, systemic adverse reactions to drugs or other substances represent the Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction due to apoptosis of T. gondii tachyzoites. Also development of some brain tumors, such as ependymoma and glioma may be associated with a chronic course of CT. Thus, all these patients should be tested for T. gondii infection.

Tagged: acquired-immunodeficiency-syndrome, bone-marrow-transplantation, brain tumors, celiac-disease, central-nervous-system, Cerebral toxoplasmosis, epilepsy, henoch-schonlein purpura, idiopathic intracranial hypertension, migraine, nf-kappa-b, nitric-oxide synthase, occupational risk-factors, of-the-literature, pre-pubertal children, the jarisch-herxheimer reaction

Physical health

Toxoplasma gondii & Human Phenotype

Compendium of Known Effects and Ongoing Research

celiac-disease

Mood disorders and non-celiac gluten sensitivity

Pathogen-mediated NMDA receptor autoimmunity and cellular barrier dysfunction in schizophrenia

The association between immune markers and recent suicide attempts in patients with serious mental illness: A pilot study

Gastroenterology issues in schizophrenia: Why the gut matters

Gastrointestinal inflammation and associated immune activation in schizophrenia

The importance of Toxoplasma gondii infection in diseases presenting with headaches. Headaches and aseptic meningitis may be manifestations of the Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction