4 research outputs found
Neurological Dysfunction in Coeliac Disease and Non-Coeliac Gluten Sensitivity
OBJECTIVES: Non-coeliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) refers to patients with primarily gastrointestinal symptoms
without enteropathy that symptomatically benefi t from gluten-free diet (GFD). Little is known about
its pathophysiology, propensity to neurological manifestations, and if these differ from patients with
coeliac disease (CD). We investigated the clinical and immunological characteristics of patients
presenting with neurological manifestations with CD and those with NCGS.
METHODS: We compared clinical, neurophysiological, and imaging data of patients with CD and NCGS
presenting with neurological dysfunction assessed and followed up regularly over a period of
20 years.
RESULTS: Out of 700 patients, 562 were included. Exclusion criteria included no bowel biopsy to confi rm
CD, no HLA type available, and failure to adhere to GFD. All patients presented with neurological
dysfunction and had circulating anti-gliadin antibodies. Out of 562 patients, 228 (41%) had
evidence of enteropathy (Group 1, CD) and 334 (59%) did not (Group 2, NCGS). The most common
neurological manifestations were cerebellar ataxia, peripheral neuropathy, and encephalopathy. There
was a greater proportion of patients with encephalopathy in Group 1 and with a greater proportion
of neuropathy in Group 2. The severity of ataxia did not differ between the two groups. Patients in
Group 1 had more severe neuropathy. All patients from both groups responded to gluten-free diet.
Anti-tissue transglutaminase (TG2) antibodies were found in 91% of patients in Group 1 and in
29% of patients in Group 2. Comparison between those patients in Group 2 with HLA-DQ2/DQ8 and
those without as well as those with positive TG2 compared with those with negative TG2 antibodies
identifi ed no differences within these subgroups. Serological positivity for TG6 antibodies was similar
in the two groups (67 and 60%).
CONCLUSIONS: The neurological manifestations of CD and NCGS are similar and equally responsive to a GFD
suggestive of common pathophysiological mechanisms
Spin Motion in Electron Transmission through Ultrathin Ferromagnetic Films Accessed by Photoelectron Spectroscopy
Ab initio and model calculations demonstrate that the spin motion of
electrons transmitted through ferromagnetic films can be analyzed in detail by
means of angle- and spin-resolved core-level photoelectron spectroscopy. The
spin motion appears as precession of the photoelectron spin polarization around
and as relaxation towards the magnetization direction. In a systematic study
for ultrathin Fe films on Pd(001) we elucidate its dependence on the Fe film
thickness and on the Fe electronic structure. In addition to elastic and
inelastic scattering, the effect of band gaps on the spin motion is addressed
in particular.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure