The Ethiopian Cereal Tef in Celiac Disease

To the Editor: Celiac disease is caused by aberrant T-cell responses to wheat gluten and the gluten-like proteins in barley and rye. 1 The only cure for the disease is a lifelong gluten-free diet. Although consumption of oats is generally considered safe for patients with celiac disease, 2 recent studies indicate that the grain does contain T-cell–stimulatory epitopes 1 , 3 and that symptoms of celiac disease develop in some patients after the consumption of oats. 4 A cereal lacking T-cell–stimulatory peptides would thus be of great value to patients with celiac disease. Tef ( Eragrostis tef ) is a cereal traditionally grown in Ethiopia . . .