Gluten groups

The Group A emphases are those that inform the development of chemical literacy (DeBoer, 2000) and should be made available to all students (cf scientific literacy - (Roberts, 2007). These emphases all call for an imderstanding of a macro type of representation, so that learners appreciate what it is when they encounter a chemical phenomenon e.g. a solution, a colloid, a precipitate. This understanding would enable students to answer the question what is it and possibly what to do with it how to act when they encounter such a chemical phenomenon. These emphases also call for an understanding of the submicro type of representation, so that learners can qualitatively explain the nature of the macro phenomena that they encounter and hence be able to answer the question why is it as it is In order to explore these emphases, a chemistry curriculum would need to address a variety of contexts related to the three Group A emphases that have mearung in the everyday world. Pilot, Meijer and Bulte (2008) discuss three such contexts ceramic crockery, gluten-free bread and the bullet-proof vest. 

There are also those who believe that they have an intolerance to gluten, i.e. a problem with digesting gluten, but without the full immune response to gluten found in coeliac disease. Coeliac disease is found in all age groups but its occurrence is greatest in the elderly. 

To differentiate the constituent members of the sprue group, it is necessary to consider 2 effects. First, the effect of a wheat gluten-free diet and second, the effects of reintroduction of gluten after a period of remission on a gluten-free regimen. 

The effect of reintroduction of gluten is readily demonstrated in patients who show complete recovery it is difficult to study, however, in those that do not return to normal. In the first group the reintroduction of wheat gluten or appropriate fractions has been shown to cause many effects including steatorrhea. The other effects of reintroduction of gluten will be discussed in detail later. 

The main points of differentiation are summarized in Table 2. It will be seen that the group can be divided up into gluten-induced enteropathy, acute sprue, chronic sprue and idiopathic steatorrhea. As the cause of the sudden development of severe folic add deficiency... 

In addition to the pivotal studies, several publications (Table 6.2) used other methods to test the response of individuals with celiac disease who were introduced to oats. These studies did not fulfill the selection criteria of pivotal studies namely an in vivo oats challenge with an intestinal/skin biopsy to assess the biological response to the introduction of oats into an otherwise gluten-free diet. Instead, they used various in vitro techniques to assess the immune response to avenin, or serology without an intestinal mucosal biopsy. Most of the methods used duodenal mucosal cultures prepared from biopsies or intestinal T cell lines obtained from individuals with celiac disease. Other studies measured the immunogenic reaction in peripheral lymphocytes or measured the presence of various antibodies in individuals with verified celiac disease who included oats in their diet, in comparison with a reference group (Table 6.2). Some of these studies used patients that were previously included in pivotal studies. These studies are identified with an asterisk ( ) in Table 6.2. 

Food And Drug Administration (2006). USA. Threshold Working Group On "Approaches To Establish Thresholds For Major Food Allergens And For Gluten. March 2006. Http // Www.Cfsan.Fda.Gov/ Dms/Alrgn.Html. 

Electrostatic charges due to ionized acidic or basic amino acids influence protein solubility. At extremes of pH, many poorly soluble proteins are dissolved and their molecular structures unfolded due to surplus of similar repelling charges. Gluten proteins have few charged groups and so are poorly soluble in neutral solution (15). Dispersions of other proteins must be adjusted to their isoelectric point or have salt added to optimize cohesion and adhesion. 

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