Dermatitis herpetiformis: effect of gluten-restricted and gluten-free diet on dapsone requirement and on IgA and C3 deposits in uninvolved skin

Of 58 patients wi1h classical dermatitis her­petiformis (DH), I 7 were rreatcd with a gluten-frec diet (GFD) for periods varying from 6 to 47 months and 11 with a gluten-reduced diet (GRD) for 7 to 29 months. The patients were able to reduce their requirement of dapsone significantly compared with 30 patients on a normal diet, of whom only an 86-year-old man was able to discontinue his JO mg dapsonc dose. In 7 of the 17 patients on GFD. dapsone could be completely withdrawn after diet periods of 4 10 38 month