Celiac Disease Support Group
Celiac disease is an auto-immune disorder of the digestive system that occurs in genetically-predisposed individuals. It is characterised by damage or flattening to all or part of the villi lining the small intestine, which interferes with the absorption of nutrients. This damage is caused by eating anything with gluten (gliadin), a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley...
I was just watching RAI TV which is the an italian news station. Thier health topic today was celiac disease. This doctor ( a specialist on CD) had some interesting information.
In Italy and in the U.S. (in the U.S. they looked at 200 children with CD) they have discovered so far that the celiac population carries antibodies for the Rotavirus infection. The rotavirus infection is one that causes stomach the flu.
They figure that the rotavirus somehow compromises the small intestines and gluten no longer gets processed normally. This opens the gateway for large particles of gluten to get through into our system and our bodies fight back with an autoimmune response. Sounds almost like leaky gut syndrome.
In Italy they are currently researching a vaccine against the rotavirus in hope to vaccinate children between the ages of 3 - 6 months before they can come in contact with the virus. Especially if CD runs in the family.
This doctor also said that until recently it was estimated that 1 in 100 - 150 people were afflicted with CD. With other countries now diagnosing this disease the numbers are more like 1 in 80. He stated that this disease is no longer as rare as it was once originally thought to be.
He did say that they are working on a few pills for CD but he does not foresee anything coming up in the near future. Staying on a strict GF diet is the only thing we can do right now.
The other thing that he stated was that he does not diagnosed patients on bloodwork alone. Even though he does run blookwork for a celiac panel he makes his diagnosis after performing an upper endoscopy.
He said un upper endoscopy performed correctly will show the presence of celiac disease. The biggest mistake physicians do when performing an upper endoscopy is not getting enough biopies.
He did go on to say that doctors should not look for classical symptoms in order to diagnose CD in adults. He went on to talk about bone density issues, dental enamel problems, neurological issues, poor iron levels, bone and muscle pain etc. He said children will present with the classical symptoms most of the time.
I found his interview quite interesting and I thought I'd pass it along. I was actually hoping to hear better news on the pill.
In Italy and in the U.S. (in the U.S. they looked at 200 children with CD) they have discovered so far that the celiac population carries antibodies for the Rotavirus infection. The rotavirus infection is one that causes stomach the flu.
They figure that the rotavirus somehow compromises the small intestines and gluten no longer gets processed normally. This opens the gateway for large particles of gluten to get through into our system and our bodies fight back with an autoimmune response. Sounds almost like leaky gut syndrome.
In Italy they are currently researching a vaccine against the rotavirus in hope to vaccinate children between the ages of 3 - 6 months before they can come in contact with the virus. Especially if CD runs in the family.
This doctor also said that until recently it was estimated that 1 in 100 - 150 people were afflicted with CD. With other countries now diagnosing this disease the numbers are more like 1 in 80. He stated that this disease is no longer as rare as it was once originally thought to be.
He did say that they are working on a few pills for CD but he does not foresee anything coming up in the near future. Staying on a strict GF diet is the only thing we can do right now.
The other thing that he stated was that he does not diagnosed patients on bloodwork alone. Even though he does run blookwork for a celiac panel he makes his diagnosis after performing an upper endoscopy.
He said un upper endoscopy performed correctly will show the presence of celiac disease. The biggest mistake physicians do when performing an upper endoscopy is not getting enough biopies.
He did go on to say that doctors should not look for classical symptoms in order to diagnose CD in adults. He went on to talk about bone density issues, dental enamel problems, neurological issues, poor iron levels, bone and muscle pain etc. He said children will present with the classical symptoms most of the time.
I found his interview quite interesting and I thought I'd pass it along. I was actually hoping to hear better news on the pill.
Thank you so much for empowering us all!!
We just have to continue to support research until they find an answer.