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antibody and antigen gluten sensitivity

Investigation of Gluten Sensitivity Requires Anti-Gliadin Antibody Testing

[Editor’s Note: Reprinted from 7 09 08 – and still very important.]

antibody and antigen gluten sensitivity
Author: Fvasconcellos Source: Wikimedia Commons

The news release below is timely because anti-gliadin antibody blood tests are losing ground while the reality of gluten sensitivity looms far larger than is now appreciated by many doctors!  These blood tests are absolutely necessary to investigate health problems caused by gluten itself, yet they are being dismissed by doctors who look only to diagnosing celiac disease.

Positive anti-gliadin antibody tests show undigested gluten peptides in the bloodstream.  This abnormal finding tells the story that gluten has passed through the tight barrier defenses of the small intestinal lining into the body where it can wreak havoc, with or without celiac disease.  Gluten is a food protein in wheat, barley, rye and oats.

Scientists Uncover Further Steps Leading to Celiac Disease

 

 3 06 08

Contact: Sally Webster
s.webster@qmul.ac.uk
44-207-882-5404
Queen Mary, University of London

Scientists who last year identified a new genetic risk factor for coeliac 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 coeliac 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. It is published online today (2 March 2008) in Nature Genetics.

The Avalanche of New Mercury-Autism Studies

by Mark Geier, MD, PhD & David Geier

July 24, 2010

Dear Everyone: We wanted to share with you the avalanche of new mercury-autism studies published yesterday in the peer-reviewed literature. Yesterday, there were six studies published in one day that implicate a causal role for mercury exposure in autistic disorders.

(1) Sorting Out the Spinning of Autism – Heavy Metals – Mercury – & Incidence

“We analyzed the data reported in some articles that have been, or might be, taken to support the view of no-real-increase or no-environmental-connection. Overall, we have offered a critical view of some of the literature from the perspective of research scientists who have become interested in the topic within the past five years and sought to gauge the actual state of scientific knowledge regarding autism etiology…  To summarize, of the 58 empirical reports on autism and heavy metal toxins, 43 suggest some link may be present, while 13 reports found no link. Even with the tendency for null results not to be reported, it cannot be said there is no evidence for a link between heavy metal toxins and autism: although the question may still be open-in sum, the evidence favors a link.“

Skeletal (Bone) System Symptoms

Disorders of bone, joints and teeth in celiac disease. Bone Fracture Bone Pain Enteropathic Arthritis Osteitis Fibrosa Osteomalacia Osteonecrosis Osteoporosis Psoriatic Arthritis Recurrent Monoarthritis

gluten headache migraine

Migraine Headaches and Celiac Disease

According to WebMD, approximately 45 million Americans suffer from chronic headaches, and of them, 28 million suffer from migraines.(1) A migraine headache is a neurologic disorder characterized by reduced cerebral blood flow. They are marked by periodic, usually one-sided pulsing headaches with or without aura and light and noise sensitivity or nausea.(1)

A 2003 medical study testing migraine sufferers for celiac disease showed that 4.4% had the disorder.(2) That would equate to more than 1.2 million migraine sufferers in the US having celiac disease. 

Our Pets, Gluten and Irritable Bowel Disease

They might be furry and walk on four legs, but they’re family just the same and we oftentimes treat them like our kids. I’m talking about our pets. Well, it seems our pets are even more like us than we thought. Dogs, cats and even other animals like guinea pigs can have food sensitivity issues just like humans leading to digestive problems.

Diane Haggar’s black Labrador, Maddie, suffered from frequent diarrhea, weight loss and terrible smelling gas. The diagnosis was Irritable Bowel Disease and an elimination diet was performed that found gluten to be the problem. A change to a gluten-free diet resulted in a complete remission of symptoms within a few weeks. “We had to be especially careful to inform family, friends and the doggie day care people about Maddie’s diet. She gets sick for a few days with diarrhea, even if she only gets a little bit.”

Celiac Disease: Why You Must Depend on Yourself to Be Healthy

Below is an important letter by Cleo Libonati, celiac disease author and speaker. She explains why you must be your own health advocate if you wish to be healthy and receive optimal care.

Dear Friend,

For the past three years, I have met with HMOs, pharmaceutical companies, politicians, doctors, dietitians, celiac support groups, and patients across the United States. One thing is abundantly clear. Doctors are not recognizing celiac disease and do not realize how little they know about the disorder.

In 2004, the National Institutes of Health called for education of physicians and other healthcare providers about celiac disease. To date, few efforts have been undertaken and none has succeeded.

The result is missed diagnoses, inadequate follow-up, unnecessary surgeries, improperly prescribed medications and needless pain. During my presentations, I meet many people who think they are receiving good treatment and cannot understand why no one has told them their persisting symptoms are due to simple nutrient deficiencies.

How to Lose Weight on the Gluten-Free Diet

The traditional look of celiac disease was an underweight person. However, a large minority (39%) are now found to be overweight at diagnosis.

A woman with a history of struggling to lose weight is diagnosed with celiac disease. After starting the gluten-free diet she loses 50 lbs in less than a year…seemingly without effort. A middle-aged man who has never had issues with his weight is diagnosed with celiac disease, adopts the gluten-free diet and begins to pack on pounds and doesn’t know why. A young man loses over 20 lbs in less than 3 months and reaches his ideal weight after going gluten-free.

These are true stories – in fact the last one was mine.

Is the Media Fueling the Gluten free, Casein Free Autism Controversy?

The debate about autism and the effectiveness of the gluten-free, casein-free diet continues – this time due to irresponsible reporting of the mainstream news media who seem to have chosen sensationalism over objective journalism when covering an important medical paper on gastrointestinal disorders in autism.

This week, a panel of medical experts led by Timothy Buie, MD at Harvard Medical School published a consensus statement on the Evaluation, Diagnosis and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Disorders in Individuals with ASDs (Autism Spectrum Disorders) in the medical journal Pediatrics. You can find the full paper here.

The panel covered 23 topics in a document that is 20 pages in length, dealing with the diagnosis and care of individuals with autism spectrum disorders and gastrointestinal issues. The panel based its conclusions on available information which they agreed was limited and incomplete.

The Key Topic

“Individuals with autism spectrum disorders who present with gastrointestinal symptoms warrant a thorough evaluation, as would be undertaken for individuals without autism spectrum disorders who have the same symptoms or signs. Evidence based algorithms for the assessment of abdominal pain, constipation, chronic diarrhea, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) should be developed.”

Some of the other topics include recommendations for the banking of DNA samples, the complexity of diagnostic evaluation when ASD and gastrointestinal disorders present, the need for studies to determine the prevalence of intestinal permeability in neuropsychiatric manifestions of ASD, and the need for large studies to determine the effectiveness of the gluten-free, casein-free diet.

Celiac Disease Alert: Six Ways Gluten Can Kill You

“I only cheat once in awhile. You know, like twice a week…”

Photo: Suite101.com

If you have celiac disease, you damage your body EVERY TIME you ingest gluten. That may sound bad, but it gets worse.

You can DIE from celiac disease in a variety of ways. None of them are fun. Some take longer than others. Some may not kill you per se, but rather they may stop you from enjoying life, make you suffer from chronic pain or limit your potential.

Celiac disease is a deadly serious condition caused by eating what is essentially a poison to susceptible people – gluten proteins in wheat, barley, rye and oats.

Here are just 6 examples how celiac disease from gluten ingestion can kill you: