There is a new clinical trial that is studying the gluten challenge. They are trying to determine the effects of short term gluten challenge for those with Celiac disease.
The way this trial runs is they have 5 patients that are given 4 slices of bread for three days. Then over the next 9 days they will take blood from the participants on specified days during the trial. If the objectives are met with the first 5 subjects, then they will not do any additional work. To qualify for the study you have to have been gluten free for at least 6 months.
If the objectives are not met, they will adjust the study criteria increasing the amount of bread up to 6 slices of bread and take blood tests at different points during the 9 days. To test additional cohorts, they might reduce the amount of time being on a gluten free diet to less than 3 months.
They will be measuring CD8+ alpha and beta cells and gliadin reactive T-cells via flow Cytometry and ELISPOT. The chemists in the group and tell us what the difference is.
This is interesting because they are trying to determine how the gluten challenge works and if a shorter trial with more specific tests can detect the gluten in our systems.
This trial is actively recruiting in Dallas and Seattle.
There is another tests that is also had preliminary trials with results published in Novemeber 2017 journal Gastroenterology. It involved a small number of patients – 143. It studied whether a HLA-DQ2 tetramer test could accurately tell if someone had Celiac disease whether they were on a gluten free diet or not. The results indicate, “An HLA-DQ–gluten tetramer-based assays that detects gluten-reactive T cells identifies patients with and without celiac disease with a high level of accuracy, regardless of whether the individuals are on a GFD. “
This study needs more participants and further information before these results can be validated.
For all of those afraid of a gluten challenge, there may be some hope in the near future for not having to suffer the torture.