Gastrointestinal dysfunction in Parkinson's Disease: absence of anti-gliadin antibodies

Background and Objectives: Parkinson disease (PD), which is a neurodegenerative disorder, includes several gastrointestinal symptoms that are similar to those of Celiac disease (CD). However, the presence of celiac antibodies in PD patients has not yet been studied. Our aim in this study is to compare anti-transglutaminase (ATA) and antigliadin antibodies (AGA) as well as gastrointestinal symptoms and nutrition habits between patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and healthy controls. Methods and Study Design: Serum AGA IgG and IgA and the ATA antibodies IgA and IgG were studied in 102 PD patients and 91 healthy controls. Gastrointestinal symptoms, specifically constipation, were investigated using the gastrointestinal system rating scale (GSRS) and the consti- pation rating scale (CRS). Dietary habits were also investigated and compared between the groups. Results: No significant differences were found between the two groups in terms of celiac antibodies. As expected, the hypoki- netic GSRS and CRS scores were significantly higher in the PD group (p