The Doctor Gluten Project

Dermatitis herpetiformis is a very itchy skin condition.  It can start suddenly.  It tends to affect the elbows, knees, buttocks, scalp, and back.  It begins as little bumps that change in little blisters.

The condition is thought to be caused by tiny clumps or deposits under the skin.  These deposits are a combination of IgA-antigliadin and gluten (also called immune-complexes). These occur as a result of eating gluten.

These deposits take a very long time to clear up once you start on a gluten-free diet.  It may take up to ten years for a full recovery.

Interestingly, most people with dermatitis herpetiformis do not have troublesome gut symptoms. However, most have some damage in their intestine.  About 5% of Coeliac patients develop dermatitis herpetiformis. Sometimes it can even develop after starting the gluten-free diet.  This is probably due to the long lasting nature of the IgA immune-complex deposits.