Tolerance to oats in dermatitis herpetiformis

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Immunology
• Dermatology

Background:

• Recent research indicates oats are safe for coeliac disease patients on a gluten-free diet.
• Dermatitis herpetiformis patients exhibit rashes sensitive to gluten, making them suitable for oat tolerance studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess oat tolerance in dermatitis herpetiformis patients.
• To determine if oats trigger rashes or affect the small bowel in these patients.

Main Methods:

• Eleven dermatitis herpetiformis patients consumed 50g oats daily for six months.
• Clinical symptoms, serum, and biopsies were monitored; a control group followed a standard gluten-free diet.

Main Results:

• Most patients tolerated oats well; a few experienced mild, transient rashes.
• Small bowel biopsies showed no adverse changes in villous architecture or immune cell markers.
• IgA endomysial antibodies remained negative, indicating no gluten reactivity.

Conclusions:

• Oats are safe for the gluten-sensitive small bowel mucosa in dermatitis herpetiformis patients.
• Oat consumption does not appear to activate the rash associated with dermatitis herpetiformis.