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Schizophrenia and coeliac disease – the nature of the relationship

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

F. M. Stevens ,
R. S. Lloyd ,
S. M. J. Geraghty ,
M. T. G. Reynolds ,
M. J. Sarsfield ,
B. McNicholl ,
P. F. Fottrell ,
R. Wright  and
C. F. McCarthy
F. M. Stevens*
Affiliation:
Regional Hospital, Galway; University College, Galway; St Mary's Hospital, Castlebar, Co. Mayo; St Patrick's Hospital, Castlerea, Roscommon, Ireland; and the University of Southampton
R. S. Lloyd
Affiliation:
Regional Hospital, Galway; University College, Galway; St Mary's Hospital, Castlebar, Co. Mayo; St Patrick's Hospital, Castlerea, Roscommon, Ireland; and the University of Southampton
S. M. J. Geraghty
Affiliation:
Regional Hospital, Galway; University College, Galway; St Mary's Hospital, Castlebar, Co. Mayo; St Patrick's Hospital, Castlerea, Roscommon, Ireland; and the University of Southampton
M. T. G. Reynolds
Affiliation:
Regional Hospital, Galway; University College, Galway; St Mary's Hospital, Castlebar, Co. Mayo; St Patrick's Hospital, Castlerea, Roscommon, Ireland; and the University of Southampton
M. J. Sarsfield
Affiliation:
Regional Hospital, Galway; University College, Galway; St Mary's Hospital, Castlebar, Co. Mayo; St Patrick's Hospital, Castlerea, Roscommon, Ireland; and the University of Southampton
B. McNicholl
Affiliation:
Regional Hospital, Galway; University College, Galway; St Mary's Hospital, Castlebar, Co. Mayo; St Patrick's Hospital, Castlerea, Roscommon, Ireland; and the University of Southampton
P. F. Fottrell
Affiliation:
Regional Hospital, Galway; University College, Galway; St Mary's Hospital, Castlebar, Co. Mayo; St Patrick's Hospital, Castlerea, Roscommon, Ireland; and the University of Southampton
R. Wright
Affiliation:
Regional Hospital, Galway; University College, Galway; St Mary's Hospital, Castlebar, Co. Mayo; St Patrick's Hospital, Castlerea, Roscommon, Ireland; and the University of Southampton
C. F. McCarthy
Affiliation:
Regional Hospital, Galway; University College, Galway; St Mary's Hospital, Castlebar, Co. Mayo; St Patrick's Hospital, Castlerea, Roscommon, Ireland; and the University of Southampton
*
1Address for correspondence: Dr F. M. Stevens, Research Registrar, Department of Gastroenterology, Regional Hospital, Galway, Ireland.
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Synopsis

To test the hypothesis of an association between schizophrenia and coeliac disease, the sera of 380 chronic schizophrenic in-patients in two mental hospitals in the West of Ireland have been screened for the presence of reticulin antibodies. Antibodies were found in 26 patients. Twenty-one of these patients were further studied by proximal duodenal mucosal biopsy. None of the biopsies showed the morphological and histological features found in untreated coeliac disease. The incidence of reticulin antibodies in schizophrenic patients and controls is similar. The findings of this study lead to the rejection of the hypothesis of a positive genetic relationship between schizophrenia and coeliac disease.

Type
Research Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 7 , Issue 2 , May 1977 , pp. 259 - 263
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1977

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