Evaluation of a gliadin-containing gluten-free product in coeliac patients.

Gluten-free products based on wheat starch contain gliadin which exacerbates coeliac disease. A cross-over study was carried out in which ten treated coeliac patients ingested six slices daily of home-baked gliadin-containing gluten-free bread for 6 weeks. While jejunal biopsy morphometry and 51Cr-EDTA excretion were similar after the test and control periods, four of the subjects reported diarrhoea associated with the gliadin-contaminated gluten-free product. Wheat starch-based gluten-free products can cause persistent symptoms in treated coeliac patients.