102-the-link-between-celiac-disease-and-other-autoimmune-diseases

What's the Link Between Celiac Disease and Other Autoimmune Diseases?

by Zach Rachins

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease, which means the body has a damaging and abnormal immune response to a substance that is normally either present in the body or can be digested by the body.

Like most autoimmune diseases, our genes play a large part in determining which of us develops celiac disease. After many years of research, celiac disease has come to be considered a genetic disease, according to the National Institutes of Health.

It is very common for people with celiac disease to also have other autoimmune diseases, in particular the following conditions...

Autoimmune thyroid disease (such as Hashimoto's thyroiditis)
Rheumatoid arthritis
Addison's disease
Sjögren's syndrome
Autoimmune liver disease
Type 1 diabetes
Multiple sclerosis

Genes are thought to be the culprit for why more than one of these diseases is frequently found in the same individual. In addition, people with certain genetic disorders, such as Down Syndrome and Turner Syndrome, are more likely to have celiac disease.

It is believed that autoimmune disease is often triggered in a genetically predisposed individual by illness, massive hormonal changes, or trauma. For example, people may develop celiac disease or another autoimmune disease after a car accident, severe stress, pregnancy, menopause or illness. Once it is triggered, autoimmune diseases are chronic conditions, though most can be well controlled with proper medication, diet, stress reduction and exercise.

A Study of Celiac Disease and Hashimoto's Thyroiditis

One of the most common autoimmune diseases found in people with celiac disease is Hashimoto's thyroiditis. A research study (Digestive Diseases and Sciences, February 2000; 45: 403-406.) of patients with autoimmune thyroid disease found that a highly disproportionate number of thyroid patients had celiac disease as compared to controls. This study also suggested that untreated celiac disease may trigger other autoimmune diseases.

The researchers concluded that "…undiagnosed celiac disease can cause other disorders by switching on some as yet unknown immunological mechanism. Untreated celiac patients produce organ-specific autoantibodies." Organ-specific antibodies would include the thyroid antibodies that cause the destruction of the thyroid gland in Hashimoto's thyroiditis, for example. Interestingly, gluten-free diets were actually found to help decrease or eliminate organ-specific antibodies, according to this study.

Based on this study, people with thyroid diseases are encouraged to get screened for celiac disease. The researchers even suggest that celiac screening and treatment (i.e. the gluten-free diet) can reduce the likelihood of an individual developing another autoimmune disease. For people who already have other autoimmune diseases, gluten-free diets may be beneficial.

Some studies have shown positive results for even non-celiacs with these autoimmune conditions, as is the case with recent research on the response of rheumatoid arthritis to a gluten-free vegan diet. Other studies, such as a recent study on multiple sclerosis, show a reduction in multiple sclerosis symptoms when an MS patient with confirmed celiac disease starts to follow a gluten-free diet.

The symptoms of autoimmune diseases overlap tremendously. For example, here are just a few of the symptoms that are shared by several autoimmune diseases, including but not limited to celiac disease:

fatigue
joint pain
headaches
depression or anxiety
"brain fog"
numbness and tingling
nausea
peripheral neuropathy

If you have celiac disease and have been strictly gluten-free for 6-12 months and continue to have symptoms, it is worth investigating the possibility of other autoimmune diseases in addition to seeking out possible hidden sources of gluten contamination. Most autoimmune conditions can initially be tested for by a general practitioner through blood tests.

If you are having trouble complying with a gluten-free diet, consider the possibility that not being completely gluten-free may in fact trigger the development of additional autoimmune diseases. A strict gluten-free diet in conjunction with controlling your level of exposure to stress and trauma to the best of your ability may prove to reduce your risk factors for developing multiple autoimmune conditions.

Tags Celiac Research, Celiac Nutrition, Celiac Disease Story

Comments

0 Bonnie

Good article. Blood tests for celiac, however, often give false negatives. For instance, my younger daughter has full blown celiac. My husband (her father), her sister and I all had blood tests - negative. Nonetheless, my husband and I both went gluten free. It cleared up my non-diabetic neuropathy and his digestion. There are saliva tests that test for the gene itself as well as a fecal test (not requiring an endoscopy). You have to find a wellness consultant, however, because doctors do not seem to use them. Or just go gluten free for six months or so and see how you feel (it took my husband almost a year, but he was much less careful than I)