Category Archives: Research

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Update on Celiac Disease Screening in Infants and Toddlers

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There are multiple reasons why a young child may need to be evaluated for Celiac Disease. The most obvious reason is if he or she has symptoms, such as chronic diarrhea, poor growth, and/or anemia. Other reasons include having a first degree relative (parent or sibling) who has Celiac Disease or having another autoimmune disorder, such as Type 1 diabetes.

The main blood tests to screen for Celiac Disease are tissue transglutaminase IgA (TTG IgA) antibodies and endomysial IgA (EMA IgA) antibodies. These tests are highly sensitive, which means that if the tests are negative, Celiac Disease can be ruled out most of the time. The problem with using these tests in infants and toddlers is that the sensitivity of these tests is much lower for children under the age of 2 than it is for older children and adults. Some believe that this is because young children with Celiac Disease have not had enough time to develop TTG and EMA IgA antibodies which can be measured. Needless to day, there are probably many toddlers with Celiac Disease who are walking around undiagnosed because they did not have elevated TTG and/or EMA IgA antibodies when they were tested.

Deamidated gliadin peptides (DGPs) are a new test for antibodies against gliadin and are being used with increased frequency for screening for Celiac Disease in the U.S. and Europe. A group of Italian researchers recently studied the utility of using DGP IgG antibodies to screen for Celiac Disease in children under the age of 2. They found that 100% of children under the age of 2 with biopsy-proven Celiac Disease had abnormally high DGP IgG antibodies on blood testing. They also found that DGP antibodies were abnormally high in 4 toddlers who had malabsorption (diarrhea) but who did not have a biopsy consistent with Celiac Disease. One of the 4 children with an abnormal DGP did have mild villous blunting and eventually developed Celiac Disease. The other 3 children with diarrhea and elevated DGPs all had the genes that predispose to Celiac Disease. They plan to follow these 3 children closely for the development of Celiac Disease. The researchers also found that DGP levels correlate very well with the extent of damage on the duodenal biopsies of the children with Celiac Disease and postulate that in the future, children with markedly elevated DGP antibodies may not need to be biopsied for diagnosis with Celiac Disease.

Out of curiosity, I went to the internet sites of some of the major labs that perform Celiac Disease blood screening tests. Labs which DO include DGP IgG antibodies on their celiac panels include Prometheus, Labcorp, ARUP, and Mayo Medical Labs. Labs which DO NOT include DGP IgG antibodies on their celiac panels include Kimball Genetics and Quest Diagnostics (as of 4/17/2013).

If you suspect that your young child may have Celiac Disease, but he or she did not have positive antibodies, it may be helpful to find out which lab their blood was sent to so that you can learn whether or not DGP IgG antibodies were part of the testing.  I recommend that you discuss any concerns with your child’s physician.

References:

1. Antibodies to deamidated gliadin peptides: an accurate predictor of celiac disease in infancy. Amarri, S., et al. J Clin Immunol. Published online 4/5/2013.

2. ARUP Consult. A Physician’s Guide to Laboratory Test Selection and Test Interpretation. Celiac Disease. www.arupconsult.com/assets/print/CeliacDisease.pdf.

3. Screening for celiac disease in average-risk and high-risk populations. Aggarwal, S., Lebwohl, B, and Green, P. Therap Adv Gastroenterol. Jan 2012; 5 (1): 37-47.

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A New Food “Allergy” of Infancy: Food Protein Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome (FPIES)

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My oldest daughter, Grace, had horribly bad reactions to cow’s milk protein as an infant, which included vomiting, chronic diarrhea with mucus, irritability, reflux, and poor growth. Her first reaction occurred shortly after getting her initial supplemental bottle of formula. She was predominantly breastfed at first, but I did have to supplement her due to milk supply issues (which, looking back, I believe were a result of my undiagnosed Celiac Disease). She went through a series of formula changes (from regular to soy to Alimentum and Nutramigen), and it was not until she was started on Neocate, an amino acid based formula, at 2 months, that she began to grow and thrive. Looking back, I am pretty sure that she had food protein induced enterocolitis syndrome, which is also called FPIES.

FPIES is a severe food sensitivity/intolerance which causes digestive symptoms in infants. Although it is considered by many to be an “allergy,’” it does not involve the formation of IgE antibodies like other food allergies. The most common triggers for FPIES in babies are cow’s milk and soy proteins, although rice, oats, barley, fruits, and vegetables have also been documented as triggers for older infants who have been started on solid foods. Based on recent studies it is believed that 0.3% of infants have an FPIES reaction to cow’s milk. This is in addition to the 3-5% of infants who have milder non-IgE reactions (allergies) to cow’s milk protein during the first year of life.

Infants with FPIES have symptoms shortly after consuming cow’s milk and/or soy proteins, usually within 1-4 hours. The usual trigger is a cow’s milk based formula, but breast fed infants can react to milk proteins in their mother’s breast milk as well. Symptoms can include projectile vomiting, chronic diarrhea with blood and/or mucus, low blood pressure, lethargy, irritability, and/or an elevated white blood cell count. 50% of infants with FPIES who react to milk will also react to soy.

It has recently been recognized that older infants can develop FPIES after solid foods are introduced during the 2nd six months of life. Rice is the most common trigger, followed by oats, barley, chicken, turkey, egg whites, green peas, peanuts, and potatoes. I recently learned that 80% of infants with one solid food trigger will have reactions to at least one other food, and that it is common for infants to have FPIES reactions to multiple foods.

Diagnosing FPIES is difficult because there are currently no blood tests that can be used in detection. This is because the immune reaction of FPIES does not involve the formation of IgE antibodies against the offending foods. This is much different than the IgE-mediated immune reaction that occurs in older children with food allergies. IgE allergies can be detected by blood and/or skin testing.  If a baby has adverse reactions after multiple exposures to the same food, FPIES can be diagnosed clinically. If the diagnosis is unclear, an oral food challenge (OFC) should be performed. It is recommended that an OFC be performed under close medical supervision (i.e. doctor’s office), as there is a risk for low blood pressure and/or dehydration to develop during a food challenge. In the worst cases an infant can develop shock. In some cases infants may need IV fluids after a reaction. Steroids are sometimes needed in severe cases. Based on what I have read, it seems that reactions to trigger foods may get more severe with time, i.e. it may take less and less of the offending food to trigger a reaction.

Research has shown that FPIES to milk and/or soy protein resolves by 3 years of age. It is recommended that children with FPIES get oral food challenges every 12 to 24 months. My oldest daughter is now 7 years old and she has no problems with dairy products (she eats yogurt, cheese, and ice cream) but she has refused to drink plain cow’s milk and has a tendency to avoid soy as well.

Reading and learning about FPIES led me to have many questions and concerns:

1. Why are so many infants born with this problem and why is it increasing in severity? Is it somehow related to their moms having undiagnosed Celiac Disease, and/or some other process causing “leaky gut” while pregnant?

2.  Is this the same disease process which those of us who have multiple food intolerances are experiencing, only babies are getting sicker and having more severe reactions since their immune and digestive systems are less mature?

3. How under-diagnosed is this problem? I had never heard of it 7 years ago when my daughter had it (and I was in my pediatric residency at the time). What are the real numbers?

4. Do infants with FPIES go on to develop Celiac Disease or gluten sensitivity when they are older? Is FPIES, even though it resolves, some sort of marker for the future development of food issues in a patient?

5. Is this somehow linked to the dramatic increase in autism over the last few years? Do the FPIES episodes have some sort of effect on the developing brain of an infant?

6. Does the microflora of the gut play a role? Would probiotics prevent and/or ameliorate the problem?

7. I was going to speculate a bit about GMOs, but I am not sure that I am ready to write about that yet…

I suspect that we are going to hear a lot more about this problem in the future. I wrote this article to share the little which I know about FPIES with you, in hopes that we can learn about it together.

References:

1. American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology website: www.acaai.org/allergist/allergies/Types/food-allergies/Pages/food-protein-induced-enterocolitis-syndrome-fpies.aspx

2. Medscape Pediatrics. “FPIES: The ‘Other” Food Allergy.” Dr. Anna Nowak-Wegrzyn, MD. Published online April 3, 2013.

3. Curr Opin Pediatr. 2012 Dec;24(6):739-45. Clinical diagnosis and management of food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome. Leonard, S. and Nowak-Wegrzyn, A. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23042254

4. Clin Exp Allergy. 2012 Aug;42(8):1257-65. A multicentre retrospective study of 66 Italian children with food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome: different management for different phenotypes. Sopo, S., et al. Department of Pediatrics, University of Sacred Heart Agostino Gemelli Rome, Rome, Italy. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22805473

 

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“Potential” Celiac Disease

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I celebrated the 3-year anniversary of my Celiac diagnosis by attending a Celiac support group meeting in a nearby city. I was a bit hesitant to attend, as my initial experience at a Celiac support group meeting in 2010 was nothing short of a disaster (probably worthy of a blog post in itself, but in short, involved the woman sitting next to me eating a gluten-rich Subway sandwich and chocolate chip cookies throughout the meeting and getting her crumbs on me when she coughed.)

Despite my reluctance, I am grateful that I gave this other support group a chance. The guest speaker was a Gastroenterologist who is also board-certified in Integrative Medicine, so he seemed to have a true understanding of the effect of nutrition on our bodies’ healing.  He presented top notch information on Celiac Diease, and as he spoke I scribbled notes on a manila folder. Upon reviewing my chicken scratching, the phrase “Potential Celiac Disease” jumped out at me because it is a term that I have heard of but did not know much about.

Potential Celiac Disease (PCD) is diagnosed when a patient has abnormally elevated TTG IgA and Endomysial (EMA) antibodies on blood screening tests (the 2 main celiac antibodies) but normal bowel mucosa on biopsy. There is no evidence of the villous blunting seen in Celiac Diease (CD).  PCD often pops up when people who are at high risk for celiac disease are screened, such as first degree relatives of Celiacs, Type 1 diabetics, and/or patients with other autoimmune diseases. Many patients with PCD have no symptoms and do not feel ill from eating gluten. It is essential for the Celiac screening to be done while a patient is still on a gluten-containing diet. If a person is already gluten free when tested it is difficult to tell if the positive celiac antibodies and normal biopsies are from PCD v. full blown CD which is already being treated.

There is a lot of controversy over what to do if a patient is diagnosed with PCD. Some experts believe that if Celiac antibodies are elevated, that one should go gluten free, even in the absence of symptoms. Others believe that asymptomatic potential Celiacs should continue on a gluten containing diet, with close monitoring and follow-up of with small bowel biopsies at regular intervals. The rational behind this 2nd line of thought is that a lot of patients with PCD may never actually go on to develop full CD.

Unfortunately, Potential Celiac Disease has been so under-researched that we really don’t have good information on what percentage of “Potential” Celiacs become actual Celiacs.

A group of researchers in Italy recently studied 47 patients who were diagnosed with PCD. They found that those with PCD did not differ from those with CD in terms of age of diagnosis, digestive symptoms, anemia, or other associated problems. They broke the 47 PCD patients into 2 groups for analysis:

Group 1: 23 patients who immediately went gluten free after being diagnosed with PCD, most due to digestive and other autoimmune complaints. Follow-up biopsies to screen for CD could not be performed since all of these patients were GF.

Group 2: 24 patients who stayed on a gluten-containing diet after being diagnosed with PCD. 14 had repeat biopsies at 1 year. Of these 14, 5 had villous blunting (full celiac disease) and 9 did not. Of the 9 who had normal biopsies at 1 year follow-up, 4 went GF due to symptom development and 5 remained without symptoms and had normal biopsies 3 years later.  The 10 patients with potential celiac disease who remained on a gluten-containing diet and refused follow-up biopsies are described as being in “good clinical condition,” however 5/10 had anemia, 3/10 had thyroid disease, 3/10 had diarrhea, 1/10 had alopecia, and 1/10 had rheumatoid arthritis on follow-up. While these problems might be perceived as being better than having full blown Celiac Disease, I wonder if so many symptoms would be present in this group of potential Celiacs had they gone GF.

The concept of non celiac gluten sensitivity was largely ignored in this paper. There is also no comment on how many intestinal biopsies were taken. The speaker that I listened to last night reiterated that at least 4-6 biopsies need to be taken from the duodenum in order to confirm a diagnosis of CD. If less than 4-6 biopsies are taken, CD can be missed.

In summary, we are in a gray zone as to how to advise others with “potential” celiac disease in terms of the gluten free diet. If one has PCD and feels lousy after eating gluten, then the decision to go gluten free is an easy one. For those who have PCD but do not have any ill effects from eating gluten (at least outward symptoms), I can see how the decision may be quite a bit more difficult.

After living so long with undiagnosed Celiac Disease, I would be hard pressed to not recommend the gluten free diet for those with Potential Celiac Disease. We currently have no idea how high the real risk of Celiac Disease is for this group. I personally know that it is a risk that I would not want my own family members to take….whether or not they would take my advice is an entirely different question!

Reference:

Prevalence and natural history of potential celiac disease in adult patients. Federico Biagi, Lucia Trotta, Claudia Alfano, Davide Balduzzi, et al. Scandanavian Journal of Gastroenterology. Posted online on March 19, 2013. (doi:10.3109/00365521.2013.777470)

*Also, a quick reminder that this is a blog. I am summarizing medical literature, but also adding in my own thoughts and opinions on what I have read. I am not trying to tell anyone what they should do for their own health, nor am I giving medical advice through this page. Thank you!

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Delay in Diagnosis of Celiac Disease

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This is my first grade photo. This was taken right before I began to show signs and symptoms of Celiac Disease. Although it takes, on average, 10 to 13 years after the initial onset of symptoms for a patient with Celiac Disease to be diagnosed, in my case it took almost 30 years.

Undiagnosed, and hence, untreated, Celiac Disease is associated with anemia, osteoporosis, arthritis, infertility, central nervous system damage, and the development of other autoimmune diseases. Celiacs with longstanding exposure to gluten are also at an increased risk of cancer of the digestive system. Although some of these problems, such as anemia and infertility, are reversible once gluten free, others are not. My autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto’s thyroiditis), which I suspect is due to decades of gluten exposure, will never go away.  Through the internet I have interacted with tons of other people with Celiac Disease with long delays in diagnosis (some not until their 50s or 60s). Anecdotally, it seems like a lot of us have multiple autoimmune issues, such as lupus, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, and/or irritable bowel syndrome, as well as multiple food intolerances. It is unclear whether or not we would have developed these additional autoimmune problems had we removed gluten from our diets decades earlier, when we first started to show signs and symptoms of Celiac Disease. My gut tells me that we would have…

There was an interesting study published in Wales in 2007 in which the medical records of patients with Celiac Disease were reviewed. Celiac patients had a significant increase in number of subspecialist consultations in the years before diagnosis, seeing on average 5 different consultants. People with Celiac Disease also had symptoms of depression, anxiety, anemia, and diarrhea in much higher numbers than patients without Celiac Disease prior to diagnosis; 41% had a history of depression and/or anxiety. Swedish researchers examined the quality of life of 1500+ patients with Celiac Disease, both pre- and post-diagnosis, and found, not surprisingly, an improved quality of life for Celiac patients once diagnosed and treated (see link).

Last of all, a case report of a women diagnosed with Celiac Disease in her mid-forties (named Mrs. J) was published in a large medical journal called JAMA in 2011. Mrs. J’s main symptoms of Celiac Disease were recurrent miscarriages and chronic anemia. While I highly recommend that all of you read the article if you can, I am going to cut and paste a few of Mrs. J’s questions after diagnosis and the experts’ answers to her:

Could my miscarriages have been related to celiac disease? Currently the typical newly diagnosed patient with celiac disease is a woman around the age of 40 years who has had symptoms of celiac disease for over a decade. Given that active celiac disease has nutritional and direct inflammatory consequences on fertility, the reproductive life of many patients is irreversibly affected. In particular, the risk of miscarriage appears higher in women with untreated celiac disease compared to the general population. For these reasons, clinicians should maintain a very low threshold for celiac disease testing in this population.

Has my body sustained any irreversible damage from celiac disease over the years? The small intestinal mucosa has enormous regenerative capacity in both health and disease. Even individuals with longstanding, severe celiac enteropathy can expect to achieve complete or near complete intestinal healing with gluten avoidance and nutritional support, although the length of time to healing varies from less than one year to more than five years and healing is associated with younger age at diagnosis and improved GFD adherence. Outside of the intestine, however, healing is not always assured. A number of extraintestinal manifestations of celiac disease such as dermatitis herpetiformis, anemia, and joint pain, typically improve significantly or resolve within the first year of treatment, as was seen in Ms. J. One of the most common associations with celiac disease is reduced bone mineral density (BMD) which is seen in at more than 50% of patients at diagnosis. Although there is often a significant improvement in BMD over the first year of treatment with a GFD, up to 21% of patients will have persistent osteoporosis. There are multiple neurologic manifestations of celiac disease, some of including peripheral neuropathy and headaches which resolve, while case studies suggest that other manifestations including ataxia, may stabilize but rarely improve. Finally, there is a potential increased risk of secondary autoimmune disorders related to longstanding untreated celiac disease, and once triggered, these will not respond to gluten withdrawal.

My hope is that no child with current symptoms of Celiac Disease will have to wait 20+ years for diagnosis, like so many of us did. We need to prevent Celiac-associated problems, such as infertility, neurologic complications, and other autoimmune diseases, from developing in the first place, so that children with Celiac Disease can have an improved quality of life as adults!

References:

1. A case-control study of presentations in general practice before diagnosis of coeliac disease. Cannings-John R, Butler CC, Prout H, Owen D, Williams D, Hood K, Crimmins R, Swift G. Br J Gen Pract. 2007 Aug; 57(541):636-42.

2. Delay to celiac disease diagnosis and its implications for health-related quality of life. Norström F, Lindholm L, Sandström O, Nordyke K, Ivarsson A. BMC Gastroenterol. 2011 Nov 7;11:118.

3. Celiac disease diagnosis and management: a 46-year-old woman with anemia. Leffler D. Source Department of Gastroenterology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA. dleffler@caregroup.harvard.edu. JAMA. 2011 Oct 12;306(14):1582-92.

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The Gluten Contamination Elimination Diet

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As many of us already know, there are some celiacs who are “refractory” and continue to have ongoing symptoms after going gluten free. In addition, there are a bunch of us who are “super sensitive” in terms of reactions to gluten cross-contamination. I am one of the super sensitives. Not too long ago I had a reaction from eating one bite of a Trader Joe’s “no gluten ingredients” brownie which I had prepared in my own gluten free kitchen for a potluck.

Just last week, Dr. Fasano and colleagues published a research paper on the effects of 3-6 months of a diet of exclusively whole, unprocessed foods on the symptoms of celiac patients who had no improvement while eating strictly gluten free. In this study patients were considered to have non-responsive celiac disease (NRCD) if they failed to respond to the gluten free diet or had a recurrence/relapse of symptoms despite being gluten free. Steroids are currently the standard of care for treating NRCD, which as we know can have serious side effects.

The researchers coined their diet the “Gluten Contamination Elimination Diet.” Here is the breakdown of foods with are allowed and prohibited on this diet:

Allowed: brown and white rice; all fresh fruits and vegetables; fresh meats; fish; eggs; dried beans; unseasoned nuts in the shell; butter; plain yogurt; plain milk, and aged cheeses; oils; vinegar (except flavored or malt); honey; salt. Beverages allowed include 100% juices, water, and Gatorade.

Not allowed: millet, sorghum, buckwheat or any other grains, seeds, or flours; frozen, canned, or dried fruits and vegetables; lunch meats; ham; bacon; seasoned or flavored dairy products; processed cheeses; flavored and malt vinegars.

Basically, all processed foods are eliminated. Of note, dairy is not reintroduced until week 4 of the diet.

17 patients with NRCD, all female, were placed on this diet for an average of 3-6 months. 14 of the 17 (82%) significantly improved on the Gluten Contamination Elimination Diet. Of those who did have biopsies performed after the diet, all but one had resolution of their villous atrophy. This is important information as there have been a lot of recent studies showing that persistent villous atrophy is common in celiac disease. Most of the patients in this study were able to eventually resume a “traditional” gluten free diet.

It has taken me over 3 years, and a lot of trial and error, to figure out the foods which my body loves and hates. Interestingly enough, my body’s food preferences are almost identical to the foods on the “allowed” list in this diet. Had I known about this diet, and adhered to it when I was first diagnosed, it would have saved me a ton of pain and anguish. I am optimistic that this diet (or a similar version) will become the standard of care for those newly diagnosed with Celiac Disease, and I hope that this happens sooner than later. If we work together, we can get the word out!

Reference: “Trace gluten contamination may play a role in mucosal and clinical recovery in a subgroup of diet-adherent non-responsive celiac disease patients.” BMC Gastroenterology. 2013. 13:40 (e-pub).

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Celiac Disease and the Innate Immune System

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I know that this title sounds very boring (so much so that I doubt that many will read any further than this).  But, if you can bear with me, there is some fascinating research involving the role of the innate immune system in reactions to wheat. Trust me!

The role of the immune system is to fight infection.  There are two main types of immunity: innate and adaptive. The adaptive immune system is highly evolved and involves antibody formation. The ability of our bodies to “remember” previous infections and respond to vaccines depends on adaptive immunity.

The innate immune system, on the other hand, is our first line of defense against bacteria and viruses. It is primitive, exists in all plants and animals, and does not involve antibody formation. The innate immune system is made up of different types of white blood cells, including neutrophils, monocytes, basophils, and mast cells (see picture above).  When confronted with an “invader,” these cells release chemicals, called cytokines, which cause widespread inflammation.

The traditional teaching is that autoimmune diseases involve the adaptive immune system, as antibodies are created against one’s own tissues and organs, called “autoantibodies.”  For example, in Celiac Disease antigliadin antibodies and tissue transglutaminase antibodies (TTG) are created. However, recent research has shown that the innate immune system may also be involved in the “gluten reaction” experienced in Celiac Disease.

Alpha-amylase/trypsin inhibitors (ATIs) are “pest-resistant” molecules found in wheat and other cereals and grains, such as corn and soy. A team of researchers from Boston and Germany have recently discovered that wheat ATIs trigger an innate immune response, with a release of pro-inflammatory cytokines from monocytes, macrophages, and dendritic cells, when they come into contact with human intestinal cells.  They were surprised to find that inflammation occurred when wheat ATIs came into contact with cells from all of the subjects (both with and without Celiac Disease). I find this to be both fascinating and scary.

I am curious to see if those of us with Celiac Disease who seem to be “super sensitives” may actually have a stronger innate immune reaction to wheat than other Celiacs. I am also wondering if the innate immune system plays a role in why so many of us with Celiac Disease develop additional food sensitivities with time and/or feel like we get “glutened” from gluten free foods from time to time. The fact that other grains contain ATIs, and hence, can likely trigger an innate reaction, may explain why so many of us feel our best when we are on a Paleo, or at least “grain-light,” diet.  Finally, I hope that this information will stimulate research into the mechanism of non celiac gluten sensitivity, which so many suffer from.

For more information on this subject I suggest the following:

1. Gliadin Triggers Innate Immune Reaction in Celiac and Non-Celiac Individuals.  Celiac.com webpage. 12/31/2012.

2. J Exp Med. 2012 Dec 17;209(13):2395-408. doi: 10.1084/jem.20102660. Epub 2012 Dec. Wheat amylase trypsin inhibitors drive intestinal inflammation via activation of toll-like receptor. Junker Y, Zeissig S, Kim SJ, Barisani D, Wieser H, Leffler DA, Zevallos V, Libermann TA, Dillon S, Freitag TL, Kelly CP, Schuppan D. Division of Gastroenterology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA.

3. Researchers believe pest resistance molecules in wheat play role in triggering innate immune responses.  National Foundation for Celiac Awareness website. 12/31/2012.

4. Natural “Pesticides” in Wheat: Is There a Role in Gluten Sensitivity and Celiac Disease? By Peter Olins, PhD. December 19, 2012.

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So it appears that Celiacs are not slowly dying after all…

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Happy celiac

I recently came across the question, “Are Celiacs really slowly dying?” on one of the Celiac Disease forums. My first thought was, “Aren’t we all slowly dying?” Then, as I read, I realized that the person who posted it was concerned about research showing that many adult Celiacs do not have complete healing of their intestinal mucosa (tissue) despite being on the gluten free diet. This is called “persistent villous atrophy” in the medical world.

One of the major studies of persistent villous atrophy was published in 2009 (see link). Italian researchers studied a large group (n=465) of Celiacs who were on the gluten free diet. The average follow-up biopsy was performed 16 months after biopsy-confirmed diagnosis of Celiac Disease. At the time of follow-up biopsy, 75% of the patients reported that their symptoms had disappeared and 87% of the subjects experienced normalization of their celiac antibody tests on the gluten free diet. Of the 465 Celiacs on the GF diet, they found the following on repeat biopsy: 8% had completely normal duodenal (small intestinal) tissue, 65% were in remission (intestines looked better than at diagnosis, but there were still an increased number of white blood cells in the intestinal tissues), 26% had no change from diagnosis, and 1% were actually worse than prior to going gluten free.

At the end of the paper, the researchers hypothesize that the lack of intestinal healing and increased white blood cells may be due to the continual activation of the innate immune system by small amounts of gluten in “gluten free” foods. I plan to discuss this soon in another post. The Italian researchers’ findings and discussion at the end of their paper have, unfortunately, led many to believe that the gluten free diet is harmful and/or killing all of us with Celiac Disease.

In February 2013 Dr. Green and colleagues at both the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University and in Sweden will be publishing a paper entitled “Mucosal healing and mortality in celiac disease.” Their teams set out to see if a lack of mucosal healing (persistent villous atrophy) is associated with an increased risk of death for patients with Celiac Disease. Similar to the Italian researchers, > 40% of Celiacs were shown to have persistent villous atrophy on follow-up biopsies. However, the researchers found no association between persistent villous atrophy and an increased risk of death for Celiacs. This is definitely a good thing!

After reading both of these papers, I am left with many questions: Why does it take so long for adult Celiacs’ guts to heal after going gluten free? Should we expect the same for children with Celiac Disease? Is the persistence of white blood cells in the intestines contributing to and/or a “marker” of the “leaky gut” that so many of us seem to be experiencing, or is it a normal part of the slow healing process? How is the innate immune system involved? Are follow-up biopsies for Celiacs going to be necessary in the future now that so many patients are diagnosed on the basis of genetics, symptoms, and abnormal antibody testing alone? Isn’t the fact that symptoms resolve and antibodies normalize much more important than what actually shows up on repeat biopsies?

I’ll definitely be hitting the books and reviewing the innate immune system in upcoming weeks with plans to share what I find with you…

**Also, a quick reminder that this is a blog. I am summarizing medical literature, but also adding in my own thoughts and opinions on what I have read. I am not trying to tell anyone what they should do for their own health, nor am I giving medical advice through this page.

 

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The Prevent Celiac Disease Study

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I recently wrote about the best available recommendations for when to introduce gluten to babies who may be at risk of developing Celiac Disease. Although most babies are exposed to small amounts of gluten in breast milk, for my 4th baby (first born after my diagnosis), my breast milk was gluten free. Based on the best available evidence in the medical literature, small amounts of gluten should be given between 4 to 6 months of age, as it seems this is a critical window for the development of the immune system. If gluten is introduced later than this, the consensus is that it is important for breastfeeding to still be taking place during gluten introduction (see references in my previous post for more info).

I understand that this is a controversial area, as many parents feel that they should never introduce gluten to the at-risk child. I believe that, despite our best efforts to shield our children from gluten, they are eventually going to be exposed one way or another.

I did recently discover that the question of the timing of gluten introduction is being explored in Europe right now through the PreventCD study (www.preventCD.com).

This study has been sponsored by the European Union and involves 11 countries. More than 1000 infants were enrolled in the study from 2007 through 2011, and they are now being followed for the development of Celiac Disease from infancy until age 3. Based on the latest newsletter on the study website, the last participant will turn 3 in 2013, and the results will be “unblinded” at this point.

The 1000 infants in the study were all considered to be “at risk” for CD by having a first-degree relative (parent and/sibling) with Celiac Disease and being HLA-DQ2 and/or DQ8 positive. The study “intervention” started at 4 months of age and went for 8 weeks. Half of the babies were given a gluten-containing baby food on a daily basis and half were given a placebo. Breastfeeding was encouraged for both groups during the 8 week period.

The endpoint of the study is to see if there is any difference in frequency of Celiac Disease between the two groups at age 3. As a mom, Celiac, and pediatrician, I am eagerly awaiting these results. I am also intereseted to see if they will have the funding and resources to be able to follow the children into later childhood and adolescence. Either way, the results which they share will be valuable for all of us!

Although the study results will not be published for a while, the researchers have published an interesting review paper on infant feeding and Celiac Disease:

Systematic review: early infant feeding and the prevention of coeliac disease. Szajewska H, Chmielewska A, Pieścik-Lech M, Ivarsson A, Kolacek S, Koletzko S, Mearin ML, Shamir R, Auricchio R, Troncone R; PREVENTCD Study Group.Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2012 Oct;36(7):607-18.

The full details of their study are described in this paper:

The PreventCD Study design: towards new strategies for the prevention of coeliac disease. Hogen Esch CE, Rosén A, Auricchio R, Romanos J, Chmielewska A, Putter H, Ivarsson A, Szajewska H, Koning F, Wijmenga C, Troncone R, Mearin ML; PreventCD Study Group.Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2010 Dec;22(12):1424-30.

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Carrageenan and Celiac Disease

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Carrageenan is a food additive that is extracted from red seaweed.  It is used as a thickener and emulsifier and is found in dairy products, processed meat, soymilk, toothpaste, and ready to feed infant formulas. I first came across it on an ingredient list early in on my gluten free (and food label reading) life. Once I learned that it is gluten free and “natural,” I assumed it was safe for me to eat as a celiac. However, a few months ago I began developing GI upset every time I ingested it, and I cut it totally out of my diet. Based on what I have now learned, I am glad that carrageenan is out of my life and kitchen.

First of all, the definitive answer to the question, “Is carrageenan safe for celiacs?” is never going to be known in our lifetimes.  No one is going to pay for a randomized controlled trial in which one group of celiacs are fed carrageenan and one group are fed a placebo, and outcomes of the two groups are measured. It’s just not going to happen.

Carrageenan has antiviral properties and stimulates the immune system.  On a quick search through the Pubmed.gov database, carrageenan aids in killing viruses and is being researched as an additive in treatments for HIV, enterovirus, and human papilloma virus.

When rats are given carageenan, they develop inflammation and arthritis-type symptoms.  Many studies of anti-inflammatory medications involve giving the test medications to Carrageenan exposed, and hence, inflamed rats and monitoring for improvement and side effects.

Research has shown that animals given carrageenan in high doses develop polyps, ulcers, tumors, and inflammation of the intestine. Most of the published research on the effects of carrageenan on human cells and tissues is by Dr. J. Tobacman from the University of Illinois, Chicago.  In the past year she has shown that carrageenan leads to enzyme changes and an inflammatory response in human intestinal and mammary cells as well. See link for more information.

There are two types of carrageenan. The first is degraded, or low molecular weight, and is the type which has been shown to cause inflammation in animals and human cells. It is not used in food products and products for human consumption.  The second type is undegraded, or high molecular weight, and is the type which is added to foods and beauty products.  There is an widespread belief that undegraded carrageenan is safe, and according to the Stonyfield farms website:

The scientific literature overwhelmingly concludes that undegraded carrageenan is safe to eat.  Based on this independent review of the literature, along with the Board’s recommendation to continue to allow it in organic production, we feel that carrageenan continues to be a safe ingredient to use.

What we don’t have any information about is whether or not our bodies convert some of the undegraded (“safe”) form to degraded (“unsafe”) form after we have eaten it. There are a few small studies from the 1970s which show that this chemical change occurs in the intestinal tract of rats and guinea pigs.

The European Union has banned the use of carrageenan in infant formulas due to concerns about safety in this population.  I just checked the website of the major U.S. formula makers and it is still present in most ready-to-feed formulas commercially available in the U.S.

Dr. Weil, M.D., one of the nation’s leaders in integrative health, spoke out against carrageenan in October 2012 (see link), stating, “I recommend avoiding regular consumption of foods containing carrageenan. This is especially important advice for persons with inflammatory bowel disease.”

As a Celiac I’ve made my decision and there’s no turning back now….

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Introducing Gluten to the Baby At-Risk for Celiac Disease

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This is Claire. She is my fourth baby, my “last” baby, and one of the greatest gifts of my life. She is the first baby I’ve had since being diagnosed with Celiac Disease and going gluten free. Because of this, I spent a lot of time during the postpartum period obsessing/fretting/freaking out about if/when I should expose my dear baby to gluten. I felt that I needed to do everything that I could to protect her from developing celiac disease. As usual, my husband was much more laid back and calm about the whole situation!

I researched my question and discovered the following:

1. Based on the best available information, gluten should be introduced to the “at risk” baby between 4 and 6 months of age. This runs counter to the current notion that infants should be exclusively breastfed for 6+ months and not have solids introduced until after 6 months.

2. Babies should be breastfed when gluten is first introduced and should continue to receive breast milk for at least 2-3 months after the first introduction to gluten.

Here is some of the science behind what I discovered:

-Anti-gliadin antibodies (antibodies against the major gluten protein) are present in breast milk of all women. The highest antibody titers are in colostrum, or early breastmilk, and levels decrease with time. It is hypothesized that these antibodies, which are passed from mother to baby, provide immunity to babies when gluten is introduced. Please refer to my post from November 2012 for additional information.

-Norris, et al. followed a large cohort of infants (>1500) in the U.S. who were at risk of developing celiac disease between the years 1994 and 2004. Feeding practices were analyzed and their research showed a much higher risk of celiac disease if gluten was introduced between 1 and 3 months of age or after 6 months of age.

- The rates of celiac disease skyrocketed in Sweden between 1984 and 1996; 3% of children born during this time developed celiac disease. This epidemic coincided with a nationwide change in feeding practice recommendations from starting solids between 4-6 months until after 6 months of age. This led to many infants having gluten introduced after being weaned from breastfeeding. See link for more information.

- The European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (ESPGHAN) recommends avoiding both early (<4 months) and late (>7 months) introduction of gluten and to introduce gluten while the infant is still being breastfed. This mirrors the advice given by the University of Chicago Celiac Center (see website). The American Academy of Pediatrics emphasizes the importance of introducing gluten while breastfeeding in their 2012 “Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk” policy statement.

Overall, there seems to be a current consensus for an optimal “window” for introducing gluten to the “at-risk” baby between 4 and 7 months.

Back to sweet, little Claire. We started her on wheat-contaminated baby oatmeal at 4.5 months one time/day for about 4 weeks. She received exclusive breast milk for the next 2.5 months and is now a gluten-free baby. We’ll see what develops with time, but at if she develops Celiac Disease, at least I will know that I tried my best to prevent it!

Happy New Year and thank you for reading!

*Also, a quick reminder that this is a blog. I am summarizing medical literature, but also adding in my own thoughts and opinions on what I have read. I am not trying to tell anyone what they should do for their own health, nor am I giving medical advice through this page. Thank you!

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Celiac Disease in the December 20, 2012 New England Journal of Medicine

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I am grateful to one of my partners for leaving the December 20th issue of the New England Journal of Medicine in my mailbox with a yellow sticky note stating, “Jess, Thought this might interest you.” She was right, it did interest me, because it includes a review article written by my favorite celiac researcher, Dr. Fasano, from the Center for Celiac Research in Baltimore, MD (which, if you’re interested, will be moving to Boston, MA in 2013).

I love this article as, from the start, it highlights the fact that celiac disease can present in patients in “atypical” ways.

The article begins by describing a 22 year old female who fractures her wrist while playing volleyball. Outside of having fatigue and oral ulcers, she is otherwise healthy. An X-ray of her wrist shows that she has osteopenia (low bone density). Her blood tests show anemia, low iron, and low Vitamin D levels. She had no gastrointestinal symptoms but celiac disease is suspected.

I absolutely love this case presentation, as when I was in medical school (which wasn’t really that long ago) I learned that celiac disease was to be considered in patients with classic gastrointestinal symptoms, such as chronic abdominal pain, diarrhea, and weight loss. During my pediatrics residency (which was even more recently), I learned to suspect celiac disease in toddlers with signs of malnutrition, chronic diarrhea, and failure to thrive. Definitely not in young adults with a wrist fracture and low Vitamin D levels…..

I am so excited that hundreds and thousands of physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants will read this article and learn and/or be reminded that patients with celiac disease can have symptoms NOT related to the GI tract. As Dr. Fasano eloquently states in the article, “The clinical features of celiac disease are protean and reflect its systemic nature.” How beautiful is that?

Dr. Fasano also reminds us of the consequences of untreated celiac disease, which include osteoporosis, spleen dysfunction, infertility and recurrent miscarriages, intestinal ulcers, and cancer. This is important for all doctors and patients to know.

He mentions that for many celiacs, despite adhering to a strict gluten free diet, minimal intestinal damage persists. I think that it is important for more to know this, as it highlights the need for additional research into celiac disease and the “leaky gut” phenomenon which it seems more and more of us are experiencing.

The last segment of the article is called “Areas of Uncertainty” and includes a discussion regarding the appropriate timing of introducing gluten to infants. He reports a 50% lower risk of celiac disease in infants who are receiving breast milk when gluten is introduced. I hope to write more about this in the upcoming months.

In conclusion, this article reaffirmed my admiration and gratefulness for Dr. Fasano, and I sincerely hope that its publication leads to increased diagnosis and treatment for the 97% of celiac patients in the U.S. who are walking around undiagnosed.

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What Now? Wheat Sensitivity?

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I first came across the term “wheat sensitivity” in an editorial entitled, “Non-Celiac Wheat Sensitivity: Separating the Wheat from the Chat,” in the December 2012 issue of the American Journal of Gastroenterology. Thanks to a night of bad insomnia and a pretty interesting original research article by Carroccio, et al., in the same issue, I kept on reading…

Researchers out of Palermo, Sicily, state that “wheat sensitivity” is a both a new and real diagnosis. They reviewed the medical records of 267 patients diagnosed with both Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and “wheat sensitivity” during the 10-year period from 2001 thru 2011. All of their patients with wheat issues met the following criteria:

  1. Symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome
  2. Negative celiac antibody testing for TTG (tissue transglutaminase) and EMA (endomysial) antibodies
  3. Normal small intestinal biopsies (no villous blunting like that seen in celiac disease)
  4. Negative IgE (skin prick) testing for a wheat allergy
  5. Improvement in gastrointestinal symptoms on a wheat free diet by a double-blind placebo challenge

For the double-blind placebo wheat challenge the patients ate a regular diet, including 30 grams of wheat, daily for 2 to 4 weeks. 30 grams of wheat equals 1 slice of bread. They then had a 2-week elimination period, in which they stopped eating wheat, dairy, tomatoes, eggs, and chocolate, all of which are considered highly allergenic foods in Italy. After the elimination diet period, they were then given one of two pills everyday for 2 weeks. Pill “A” contained wheat and Pill “B” was a placebo sugar pill. Neither the research subjects, nor the researchers, knew which pill each subject was taking during the test period; this is why it is called a “double-blind” placebo study. There was a one week interim period in which subjects avoided all of the allergenic foods again, and then those who received pill “B” for the 1st two weeks were given “A” for the 2nd two week period and vice versa. The beauty of this type of crossover study is that each subject served as his or her own control.

If you’ve actually read this far, you may be wondering what the researchers found when they re-analyzed the 276 cases of wheat sensitivity….see below!

Compared to patients with Celiac Disease and IBS, those with “wheat sensitivity” have the following characteristics:

  • Increased likelihood of having atopic diseases (i.e. eczema, hay fever, environmental allergies)
  • Increased history of food allergies, especially during infancy
  • Elevated numbers of eosinophils (white blood associated with allergic reactions) in both the small and large intestine
  • Abnormally high anti-gliadin antibodies (a type of antibody against one of the gluten proteins) compared with those with IBS
  • Higher rates of anemia and weight loss than seen in those patients with non-wheat sensitive IBS

The researchers were able to break down the 276 wheat sensitive individuals into 2 groups. Those in Group 1 (n=70) shared many characteristics with Celiac patients, including having the genes that predispose to Celiac Disease (HLA DQ2 and/or DQ8). They believe that these wheat sensitive patients with IBS are at risk for the later development of celiac disease. Those in Group 2 (n=206) were found to have multiple food intolerances, including having antibodies to cow’s milk proteins, despite not having IgE mediated food allergies on skin prick testing. This group was referred to as the multiple food sensitivity group.

I believe that the researchers have done a great job demonstrating that there are many people with IBS who may benefit from being wheat free. I wish that I had known this when I was diagnosed with IBS at age 19. I was advised to increase my consumption of healthy whole grains, which I did; unfortunately, most of my increased grain consumption was in the form of whole wheat!

Perhaps in the future gastroenterologists will be able to use the presence/absence of eosinophils in the small and large intestines to help guide nutritional recommendations for patients with IBS. I am especially interested in seeing what the future holds for learning about links between wheat and cow’s milk protein sensitivities. I work with newborn babies and it seems like the numbers of babies with cow’s milk protein allergies are skyrocketing. I hope to write more about this soon.

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The Effects of Gluten on the Brain and Nervous System

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Most of the articles about gluten and celiac disease I’ve came across in the media have focused on symptoms related to digestion, such as abdominal pain and bloating after eating gluten, and damage to the small intestine. The bulk of the gluten-related discussions on the celiac forums I’ve perused concern questions and answers regarding the diagnosis of celiac disease and tips for following the gluten free diet. There have been several papers published over the last few years about the neurologic effects of gluten exposure for those with celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity. I do not believe that they have gotten the attention that they deserve in the media or on the forums. I am especially interested in this area as over the last few months I have developed a peripheral neuropathy (nerve damage) related to having celiac disease.

Dr. Hadjivassiliou is one of the leading researchers on neurologic problems related to gluten exposure. Although I have no idea how to pronounce his name, I can tell you that he is on faculty in the Department of Neurology at Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield, United Kingdom. My favorite paper of Dr. Hadjivassiliou’s is a review article titled, “Gluten sensitivity: from gut to brain,” which was published in the Lancet, a major medical journal, in 2010. In this paper, gluten sensitivity refers to both celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Some of the key points of this paper include the following:

• Most patients with neurologic symptoms related to gluten do not have gastrointestinal symptoms.

• Ataxia (a problem with balance and coordination) and peripheral neuropathy (nerve damage) are the most common neurologic symptoms related to gluten. Up to 25% of celiac patients on a gluten free diet will develop a peripheral neuropathy at some point.

• Patients with neurologic symptoms often have celiac “autoantibodies” on blood testing, usually anti-gliadin (AGA) antibodies and/or tissue transglutaminase (TTG) antibodies. Many patients with these antibodies have non-celiac gluten sensitivity, meaning that they have high celiac antibody levels and symptoms, but no evidence of villous blunting (seen in celiac disease) on small bowel biopsy.

• The average age of onset of gluten ataxia is 53 years and for the gluten-related peripheral neuropathy is 55 years.

• Brain MRI findings can include cerebellar atrophy (loss of volume) and/or white matter lesions which may mimic those seen in multiple sclerosis.

• Neurologic symptoms often improve on a strict gluten free diet but may never resolve completely.

Gluten sensitivity has also been associated with seizures, dementia, and migraines. Obviously, further research on the effects of gluten on the brain and nervous system is needed. I’ve came across many people on the celiac forums who have psychiatric symptoms related to gluten exposure as well, although this has not been well-studied.

It seems especially frightening that many people who develop neurologic problems, like me, do so when they are already on the gluten free diet. This is a reminder that even small traces of gluten can cause serious damage to those of us who are gluten sensitive. If you have any family members or friends who develop ataxia or a peripheral neuropathy of an unknown cause, I urge you to recommend an evaluation for celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity.

For further reading on the this topic I would suggest the following links:

1. “Brain Abnormalities Common in Celiac Disease Patients,” by P. Harrison, published in Medscape Neurology News on September 10, 2012.

2. Dr. Hadjivassiliou’s Lancet Neurology article, “Gluten Sensitivity: From Gut to Brain,” published in March 2010.

3. Living Without Magazine article, “Gluten Attack: Ataxia,” found in the Feb/Mar 2011 issue.

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The Latest and Greatest on Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity

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Yes, this is a real diagnosis, and it effects between 6 to 8% of our population, or approximately 18 million people. Many doctors and patients are unaware that it exists. Most of the papers on this topic have only been published in the last 2-3 years. The British Medical Journal published a case study and review of gluten sensitivity in their November 30, 2012 edition. It is the first case study I have come across in a major medical journal in which a patient self-diagnoses based on information which he found on the internet. The review article gives a good overview of our current understanding of this disorder.

Gluten sensitivity is a catchall term for a bodily reaction to eating gluten. It is not a food allergy, and the autoimmune process differs from celiac disease in that there is not destruction of the villi of the small intestine. People with gluten sensitivity may experience any of the following symptoms after eating gluten:

1. Gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhea, abdominal pain, constipation, and/or “irritable bowel syndrome.”

2. Fatigue, depression, or difficulty concentrating. Feeling like one has a “foggy brain.”

3. Joint pains, stiffness, and/or leg numbness and tingling.

Anemia and osteoporosis have also been associated with gluten sensitivity. Some recent work has also shown neurologic problems, such as ataxia and peripheral neuropathy, in gluten-sensitive individuals.

Many of these symptoms overlap with celiac disease, but patients with gluten sensitivity do not meet the diagnostic criteria for celiac disease. Some may not have either of the two major celiac genes (HLA-DQ2 or DQ8), some may not have abnormal celiac antibodies, and most have normal, or almost normal, small bowel biopsies.

There are no tests for gluten sensitivity. Once celiac disease has been ruled out, if your symptoms go away when you stop eating gluten, and they return when you start eating gluten again, then you know that you are “sensitive” to it. You can diagnosis yourself.

We do not yet have information on the long-term effects of continuing to eat gluten if you have a gluten sensitivity. In this recent article, Dr. Fasano, one of the leaders in celiac disease research, states that he doesn’t believe that there are long term effects on health if you choose to do this.

I am a bit uncomfortable with this, as just a few decades ago it was believed that patients could “outgrow” celiac disease. The bottom line is that if a food makes you feel terrible, don’t eat it! You can definitely survive and live a full life without gluten-containing cupcakes, pizza, pancakes, etc. My fellow Celiacs and I are proof of this and we can help you on this journey.

For additional reading on this subject I would suggest Melinda Beck’s article, “Clues to Gluten Sensitivity,” published in the March 15, 2011, Wall Street Journal Health Journal.  There is also some helpful information about gluten sensitivity on the website www.celiaccenter.org.

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Why are 97% of American Celiacs Undiagnosed?

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Based on prevalence studies, it is estimated that 3 million Americans have Celiac Disease. Of these 3 million people, 2.9+ million have no idea that they have a serious autoimmune disease. This is a huge problem….

A few explanations for the atrocious rates of diagnosis:

-Only 1/3 of Celiacs have “classic” symptoms, such as abdominal pain and chronic diarrhea. Many of the symptoms of celiac disease, such as reflux, fatigue, anemia, oral ulcers, joint pains, hair loss, osteoporosis, seizures, migraines, infertility, etc. can be seen in other conditions and lead to errors and delays in diagnosis. There are probably many people with diagnoses such as chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia who actually have celiac disease as their underlying problem.

-Doctors used to teach that children with celiac disease would “outgrow” the condition, so there are many adult celiacs who believe that they outgrew their problems with wheat.

-The screening blood tests for celiac disease can be inaccurate.

  • Although there is evidence that patients need to have tests for several celiac antibodies, many labs are not performing all of these.
  • The labs that must be performed are 1. IgA endomysial antibodies, 2. IgA and IgG tissue transglutaminase antibodies, 3. total IgA antibodies, and 4. deamidated gliadin peptides.
  • 3% of celiacs have selective IgA deficiency, so if total IgA antibodies are not tested, the rest of the test results will be meaningless (meaning that celiac antibody tests will be negative even if celiac disease is present).


-Genetic testing is not perfect either. Most labs will test for two genes, HLA-DQ2 and HLA-DQ8, which are found in 95% of people with celiac diease. If a patient doesn’t have these genes, even if they get horribly sick from eating gluten, they are often told that they do not have Celiac Disease and may not be offered further testing. However, in 3-5% of cases, patients with Celiac Disease on biopsy are negative for DQ2 or DQ8. So it is possible to be a Celiac, even if you don’t have the 2 most common genes.

-Many biopsies are done incorrectly. According to most experts, the “gold standard” of diagnosis is an endoscopy with biopsy. Celiac disease destruction of the small intestine can be very patchy, and if the wrong areas are biopsied, and/or not enough tissue samples are taken, it can be missed. It is essential that at least 4 samples are taken. It is essential that the duodenal bulb be biopsied in all cases. Despite the guidelines, only 35% of biopsies are done correctly. Many patients have classic symptoms of celiac disease, positive antibodies and/or gene tests, but have negative biopsies due to the wrong area being biopsied. They are labeled as being gluten intolerant and some are sadly told and advised to continue to eat gluten!

-Right now there is no cure. Celiac disease is treated with the gluten free diet, but there is not a pharmaceutical “magic bullet.” I think that when there is finally a pill to treat this disease, and the associated marketing campaign, that people will finally get diagnosed in large numbers.

The bottom line is that if you or a loved one has any symptoms of celiac, it is worth researching the idea of celiac disease and discussing with your doctor. A lot of people who I have met have been diagnosed after asking their doctors to test them. Also, the book “Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic” by Peter Green, is definitely worth checking out if you have any suspicions or conerns that gluten is causing you harm.

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Help, My Gut is Leaking! Celiac Disease and the “Leaky Gut”

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I have heard and read tidbits about the concept of the “leaky gut” for a while, especially in regards to autism, so it was with great interest that I read Dr. Alessio Fasano’s article, “The Leaky Gut and Autoimmune Diseases,” which was published in 2012. Dr. Fasano is one of the leading U.S. researchers of Celiac Disease and is the head of the Center for Celiac Disease Research at the University of Maryland. He was the first to report that 1 in 133 Americans are Celiacs (the majority of which have no idea). He will likely be one of the first to find a cure for us. And, as I recently learned by watching a recent televised interview, he is also very easy on the eyes…

Our digestive tracts are one of the largest immune organs in our body. The tissues of our small and large intestines act as a barrier to keep out proteins and other molecules which may be perceived by our bodies as being “foreign.” According to Dr. Fasano, increased intestinal permeability (or loss of the barrier function of our intestines) may play a role in the development of autoimmune diseases. In autoimmune diseases, our immune systems produce antibodies against our own tissues, called “autoantibodies.” For example, in Hashimoto’s Disease, the first autoimmune disease which I was diagnosed with, autoantibodies have attacked and destroyed my thyroid gland. In Celiac Disease, when our bodies are confronted with “foreign” proteins in gluten, such as gliadin, autoantibodies are formed which lead to an attack that may cause injury to many organs, including the intestines.

We all have “tight junctions” between the cells in the lining of our intestines. These tight junctions prevent the movement of “foreign” proteins to the layer of the intestines where the immune response occurs. Dr. Fasano has found that individuals with autoimmune diseases have increased levels of a molecule called zonulin in their intestines. Zonulin plays a role in making the intestinal tight junctions looser, and thus, “leakier.” Leaks between the tight junctions allow “foreign” proteins, i.e. gliadin, to sneak into the deeper layers of the intestine and for autoantibodies to be created. Dr. Fasano provides evidence that zonulin levels are increased in Celiac Disease as well as other autoimmune diseases, such as Type I Diabetes, Asthma, Multiple Sclerosis, and Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Trials of a zonulin blocker, called Larazotide acetate, are currently underway. Thus far, patients with Celiac Disease who take this medication have much “tighter” junctions when ingesting gluten. While this would not be a cure for celiac disease, it would be a great way to prevent people on the GF diet from getting accidentally “glutened.” And if you are a Celiac or have a loved one who is a Celiac, you can understand how truly horrendous it is to get “glutened.” I am curious to see if research will show that increased zonulin levels lead to other food intolerances and sensitivities in those of us with Celiac disease. Since going gluten free I have also developed autoimmune/inflammatory symptoms after consuming foods with soy proteins as well as sulfites. I guess that time will tell. Until then I am patiently waiting….

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Save the Date (September 22-25, 2013, Chicago, IL)

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I am thrilled to learn that the 15th International Celiac Disease Symposium will be taking place in Chicago from September 22-25, 2013. The last symposium was held in Oslo, Norway in 2011. This meeting will bring together celiac researchers, physicians, nurses, dietitians, patients, etc. from around the world. The latest research on celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity will be presented. There will be 2 separate forums, one for physicians and scientists, and a clinical forum for patients, clinicians, dieticians, etc.

I plan on attending for sure, as I live within driving distance to Chicago, it’s a lovely time of year to visit the city, and I am eager to learn from this conference. I will likely sign up for the “clinical” track, although there is a part of me which would love to participate in the scientific forum as well (each person can only register for the scientific or the clinical forum).  Luckily, I have plenty of time to make a decision.

Please check out the Symposium’s website for full details and registration. I hope to see you/meet you there and/or share information with you after I attend.

 

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