Posted on 03/05/2008 10:01:05 AM PST by blam
Seven Gene Regions Linked To Celiac Disease
ScienceDaily (Mar. 5, 2008) — Scientists who last year identified a new genetic risk factor for celiac disease, have, following continued research, discovered an additional seven gene regions implicated in causing the condition. The team, lead by David van Heel, Professor of Gastrointestinal Genetics at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, have further demonstrated that of the nine celiac gene regions now know, four of these are also predisposing factors for type 1 diabetes. Their research sheds light not only on the nature of coeliac disease, but on the common origins of both diseases.
Professor van Heel and his team, including collaborators from Ireland, the Netherlands, and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, first performed a genome wide association study in celiac disease. Genetic markers across the genome were compared in celiac disease subjects versus healthy controls. They then assessed around 1,000 of the strongest markers in a further ~ 5,000 samples. Their results identified seven new risk regions, six of which harbor important genes critical in the control of immune responses, highlighting their significance in the development of the disease.
Celiac disease is common in the West, afflicting around 1 per cent of the population. It is an immune-mediated disease, triggered by intolerance to gluten (a protein found in wheat, barley and rye containing foods), that prevents normal digestion and absorption of nutrients. If undetected it can lead to a number of often severe problems among them anaemia, poor bone health, fatigue and weight loss. Currently only a restricted diet can diminish symptoms.
Professor van Heel said: "So far our findings explain nearly half of the heritability of celiac disease - now studies with many more samples from individuals with celiac disease are needed to identify the precise causal genetic variants from each region, and understand how these influence biological processes."
The research was funded by Celiac UK and The Wellcome Trust.
The paper, 'Newly identified genetic risk variant for celiac disease related to the immune response' is published online, on 2 March 2008, in Nature Genetics.
Adapted from materials provided by Queen Mary, University of London, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
Ping.
I just lost a friend to celiac disease. It is sad that the
good news about the benefits of vitamin d in the possible resolution of this killer is not well known. There is a good case study from Egypt that documents resolution with vitamin d, calcium and the elimination of wheat gluten.
That’s interesting. I wonder how long ago that happened. I was at the doctor last year with some problems and they tested for celiac very early on. I wonder if it’s now gotten more attention in the medical community?
Eating wheat is unnatural and harmful even to people without this so called “disease.”
Do you have a reference to this study or any that links vitamin D to benefits for celiac?
I will go look for the book as soon as I post this.
I was diagnosed with Celiac several weeks ago and it is the best thing that has ever happened to me, as far as my health is concerned. I have never felt or looked better in my adult life since the diagnosis. and subsequent diet (no wheat, barley or rye).
I had faced years of being told I had IBS, and too many other strange diagnoses that just never quite fit. I was actually overweight for my height, and that precludes a Celiac diagnosis in the minds of many doctors. They think the patient has to be underweight to even be considered.
But the truth is that a very large subgroup of undiagnosed Celiac sufferers are overweight.
See: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17032202
Since my diagnosis, the weight has just fallen off with no effort. The doctor who diagnosed me was somehow able to put all the little parts together and ordered testing. I feel that I owe her my life.
The only thing I sort of miss is good soy sauce. The good kind, as far as I am concerned, is made with wheat. Still, I certainly can live without it happily.
Take a look here on this Celiac Disease Forum.
The patient finally got a correct diagnosis in 2004. I’ve encountered many of the things described in the book—the tendency to jump to conclusions, to cling to outmoded methods out of habit, to be prejudiced against certain types of patients, etc. Some Drs. are just like the “climate experts” who follow the herd in believing in “anthropogenic global warming.” However, as the book points out, there are also brilliant, open-minded, and humble ones. The celiac patient finally encountered on of the good ones.
Thank you, Blam.
My mother-in-law has celiac disease, and we know that our daughter has the genetic markers for this disease.
My mother-in-law was ill for many years, and at one point she almost died because of an incorrect diet.
She now says that looking back the only time she was really healthy was during pregnancy... and she attributes that to her vitamin intake while pregnant.
I’m hoping that one day we’ll have our son tested, too.
If nothing else, we know that this disease can show up in our children. We are fortunate to have that information in our arsenal, should they start to show symptoms.
Trader Joe's sells a rice product that looks like a large French bun. Take one out, slice it in thirds, and it makes passably good toast.
There are no pure rice beers on the market. All of them are contaminated with barley for flavor.
Corn chips and potato chips are your friends, but read the labels because the "baked chips" are usually contaminated with wheat and wheat byproducts.
Remember, this problem is going to be known to the person having it one of two ways ~ skin eruptions, or diarrhea.
There are other symptoms that take a little bit of technology to discovery.
However, if you are visting the family nightsoil pot 12 times a day you do have a problem.
Try Bragg’s Liquid Aminos:
http://www.bragg.com/products/liquidaminos.html
It’s a great substitute for soy sauce and it’s gluten free.
I’ve been gluten and dairy free for almost two years now, and I can very much echo your good results from a gluten free diet. Severe headaches have resolved, along with brain fog, constipation, achy muscles, frizzy dry hair, hormonal imbalance, fatigue, etc. The pounds also just dropped off of me without any extra effort other than the gluten-free/dairy-free diet. It’s been well worth it to me to live without gluten, and it’s been actually fun to learn to cook with other ingredients.
Check out your local oriental grocery. They’re usually a cheap source for things like rice flour, tapioca starch, and rice noodles.
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