Researchers Hunt Connections Between Gluten Intolerance and Skin Disorders

Celiac.com 09/21/2023 - Gluten sensitivity is a chronic intolerance to gluten in people who have a genetic predisposition. It is thought to involve the immune system and can lead to various skin conditions. Celiac disease is one common form of gluten intolerance and can affect not only the digestive system but also the skin, endocrine system, nervous system, and blood. We know that a number of skin disorders are associated with celiac disease. 

Psoriasis, a chronic inflammatory skin condition, has shown improvement when individuals adopt a gluten-free diet. Specifically, palmoplantar pustulosis, a variant of psoriasis, and aphthous stomatitis, which causes recurring mouth ulcers, have responded positively to gluten elimination.

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Dermatitis herpetiformis, another skin disorder related to celiac disease  genetically, has also seen significant improvement with a gluten-free diet.

However, atopic dermatitis, another prevalent long-term skin condition, has produced inconsistent results with gluten removal. Further research is needed to draw more definitive conclusions.

Hereditary angioedema has shown an association with gluten intolerance in some cases, with symptomatic benefits observed after adopting a gluten-free diet. Vitiligo and linear IgA bullous dermatosis have also shown clinical evidence of improvement with a gluten-free diet.

On the contrary, rosacea, a skin condition causing facial redness, has been linked to an increased risk of developing celiac disease.

The Research Team

A team of researchers recently set out to examine the association between gluten intolerance and skin disorders. The research team included Vaibhav Vats, Pallavi Makineni, Sarah Hemaida, Anum Haider, Sachin Subramani, Navjot Kaur, Amna Naveed Butt, Renee Scott-Emuakpor, Mohammad Zahir, Midhun Mathew, and Javed Iqbal. 

They include one Physician, Istanbul Okan University, Istanbul, TUR; and are otherwise variously affiliated with the department of Internal Medicine, Smt. Kashibai Navale Medical College & General Hospital, Mumbai, IND; the department of Neurosurgery, Mayo Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan; the department of Medicine/internal medicine, Allama Iqbal Medical College, Lahore, PAK; the Department of Internal Medicine, Pennsylvania Hospital, Philadelphia, USA; the department of Medicine, Ayub Medical College, Abottabad, Pakistan, Abottabad , PAK; the department Dermatology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, USA; the department of Medicine, Government Medical College, Amritsar, Amritsar, IND; the department of Internal medicine, ESIC medical college and hospital, Gulbarga, IND; the department of Internal medicine, Img helping hand, Karachi, PAK; and the department of Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneswar, Bhubaneswar, IND.

Their review highlights the potential impact of gluten intolerance on various skin conditions and the potential therapeutic benefits of a gluten-free diet for managing symptoms. 

However, more clinical trials and observational studies are needed to fully understand the underlying mechanisms and provide definitive dietary recommendations for these conditions.

Read more in Cureus.com