Diet for IBS, IBD, Migraine, Fibromyalgia - Michal Hogan, Nutritionist

The frequency of migraine has been studied in adult patients with suspected adverse reaction to foods.

Migraine was present in 41 out of 300 patients (13.6%). 38 of these 41 subjects have been treated with elimination diet; 25 (65.7%) obtained a significant improvement of migraine and subsequently, performed challenge test. 24 patients were affected by food intolerance and only one by food allergy. The remaining 13 non-responder subjects suffering from migraine have been subsequently submitted to pharmacological treatment.

Recenti Prog Med 1989 Feb;80(2):53-5

2/3 migraine patients responded to an elimination diet, 96% had "food intolerance" not food allergy ---- non-IgE in other words

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A remarkable thing is that this "food intolerance"activates the immune system. In this study, migraine patients receiving a food challenge were found to have an increase in T cells showing lymphocyte activation.

T cells Expressing IL-2 Receptor in Migraine (Food Induced).

Martelletti P.

Centro Cefalee, Universita La Sapienza, Roma, Italia.

We studied a group of migraine patients for circulating immune complexes, lymphocyte subpopulations, IgG4 and anti-IgG antibodies, before, after 4 hours and after 72 hours a specific challenge test.
We found an increased incidence of circulating immune complexes. Total T cells showed a marked increase after challenge test. The most important finding was the presence of T-activated cells. Also K and NK cells showed an early increase after the challenge.
In commenting on the outcomes of this investigation, it must be stressed that the evidence of an early lymphocyte activation after the challenge test indicates an involvement of interleukin-2 related receptor in food-induced migraine.
The results have reinforced the idea of immune mechanism involvement in food-induced migraine, but it seems to be a different mechanism from that previously hypothesized, with the involvement of the “complex cytokines” network.
Acta Neurol (Napoli) 1991 Oct;13(5):448-56

So, it's not merely a vague intolerance but an immune activation involving proliferation of T-Cells)

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In this study, there is the search to find whether the cause of the "food intolerance" is IgG activation ................

Evidence For an Immune-Mediated Mechanism in
Food-Induced Migraine from a Study on
Activated T-cells, IgG4 subclass, anti-IgG Antibodies and Circulating Immune Complexes.

Martelletti P, Sutherland J, Anastasi E, Di Mario U, Giacovazzo M.

Various immunological studies have revealed controversial outcomes on pathogenetic mechanisms of food-induced migraine. In order to better define the immune status of this disease we studied 21 patients (cow milk provoked migraines) for circulating immune complexes (CIC). Six out of them were also studied for lymphocyte subpopulations, IgG4 and anti-IgG antibodies, before oral challenge (TO), 4 hours after oral challenge (T4), and 72 hours after oral challenge (T72) with 250 ml of cow milk. The ClqSp assay was used to determine CIC. Lymphocyte subpopulations were defined by the following monoclonal antibodies (Mab): OKT3, OKT4, OKT8, 4F2, H366, TAC, 5E9, L.243 and DA6.231. IgG4 subclass was assessed by using a mouse specific Mab. Anti-IgG antibodies were determined by using HPLC.
No significant variation was observed in the study of the expression of DR antigens (L.243 and DA6.231) at the three times. IgG4 and anti-IgG antibodies values showed no variation in their time-course.
However, the results showed an increased incidence (3x) of CIC (28.6%) when compared to the control group (10%). Total T-cells (OKT3+) showed a marked increase at T4 (p less than 0.01) and a subsequent decrease at T72 (p less than 0.02). Interestingly, T-activated cells (4F2+ and TAC+) showed a parallel trend at T4 (respectively p less than 0.02 and less than 0.01) and a subsequent decrease at T72 only for the Tac+ cells (p less than 0.05). Also K and NK cells (H366+) showed an early increase at T4 (p less than 0.05).
All of which suggest an aberrant cell-mediated immune response to the food antigen challenge.

but most likely a cell mediated, delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction or Type 4 reaction is concluded to be the cause.
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