A type of food intolerance involving a sensitivity to gluten, the insoluble protein that is part of wheat, rye, barley, and some other grains; also called gluten-induced enteropathy (literally an ailment of the intestine caused by gluten). Celiac sprue runs in families and so may be a form of genetic disorder, but its exact pattern of inheritance is not fully known. Sensitized and damaged by contact with gluten, the intestines become unable to properly absorb other kinds of nutrients, the result being malabsorption and often severe malnutrition. Other symptoms of celiac sprue include pale, fatty, foul-smelling feces, diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration, and buildup of acids in the body, which can be severe, growth- stunting, and even life-threatening in infants. Celiac sprue is sometimes associated with lactose intolerance.
Gluten enteropathy; a food allergy to the gluten in wheat that causes tissues of the small intestine to become damaged by the allergic response.