Celiac Disease
Celiac disease is an immune disorder causing extreme sensitivity to gluten — a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. In people with celiac disease, eating gluten causes diarrhea, abdominal pain, and digestive issues. Celiac disease also causes damage to the small intestine, reducing nutrient absorption which can lead to other symptoms throughout the body. The only current effective treatment for people with celiac disease is a gluten-free diet.
Celiac Disease falls under theAutoimmune Diseasecategory.
Last Updated:October 13, 2024
Celiac disease, also known as gluten-sensitive enteropathy, is an immune disorder that damages the small intestine and can affect multiple organ systems. Although it shares some symptoms with gluten sensitivity and wheat allergies, only celiac disease causes gastrointestinal tract damage.
Celiac disease can cause a variety of gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea, gas, constipation, chronic diarrhea, and lactose intolerance, as well as extraintestinal symptoms like fatigue, joint pain, mental health issues, infertility, and dermatitis herpetiformis. These symptoms arise from damage to the small intestine and may result from malabsorption or autoimmune reactions to gluten.
Celiac disease is diagnosed through a combination of a physical exam, family medical history review, genetic testing, and the detection of specific antibodies in the blood, along with a biopsy to confirm damage to the small intestine's villi. A positive diagnosis requires prior gluten exposure for several weeks, and people who are on gluten-free diets may need to undergo a "gluten challenge" to avoid false-negative results.
The primary treatment for celiac disease is a gluten-free diet, which helps the small intestine heal and improves symptoms over time. In some cases, steroids and other immunosuppressants may be used to alleviate symptoms during the healing process.
Micronutrient supplements are recommended for people with celiac disease due to common deficiencies in vitamins and minerals caused by reduced absorption in the small intestine. Additionally, probiotics and omega-3 fatty acids have been studied for their potential benefits related to gut health and inflammation in celiac disease.
Diet significantly affects celiac disease because the afffected individuals must eliminate gluten from their diets and avoid foods containing wheat, barley, rye, and related grains. Additionally, they should be cautious of hidden gluten in processed foods that may be introduced during production.
Although gluten-free diets are the primary treatment for celiac disease, there is growing interest in nondietary therapies, and several drug therapies are currently in development and undergoing clinical trials. However, none of these alternative treatments have been approved yet.
Celiac disease is caused by an abnormal immune reaction to gluten, which leads to the destruction of villi in the small intestine. This reaction occurs in genetically susceptible individuals who carry specific variants of the HLA-DQ2 or HLA-DQ8 genes, although these genes alone are not sufficient for the disease to develop.
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