What is Celiac Disease

Celiac disease (CD) is a permanent intolerance to gluten, a protein found in various wheats (e.g., durum, kamut, spelt), rye, barley and triticale. Gluten consumption causes damage to the absorptive surface of the small intestine and can result in malnutrition, anemia, nutritional deficiencies and an increased risk of other autoimmune diseases and some cancers of the gut.

Dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) is celiac disease of the skin, and is characterized by blistering, intensely itchy skin. The rash has a symmetrical distribution and is most frequently found on elbows, knees, buttocks, back of the neck, scalp and upper back. People with dermatitis herpetiformis can have gastrointestinal damage without obvious symptoms.

Genetics

Celiac disease is an inherited condition. First degree relatives (parents, brothers, sisters and children) of individuals with celiac disease are at the highest risk of having unrecognized celiac disease (5-15%). It can appear at any time in the life of a person with a hereditary predisposition to it. Environmental factors such as emotional stress, pregnancy, surgery, or an infection (e.g., travellers diarrhea, pneumonia) can sometimes trigger the    onset of symptoms.

Prevalence

Recent research has revealed that celiac disease affects 1:100-200 people in the United States (1.2). Growing awareness of celiac disease, earlier diagnosis and improved blood screening point to the likelihood of similar prevalence figures in Canada.

Symptoms

The number and severity of symptoms associated with untreated celiac disease can vary greatly from person to person. In some cases, undiagnosed adults with celiac disease have only iron deficiency anemia without digestive or intestinal symptoms. The similarity of the symptoms of celiac disease to those of other conditions often leads to a misdiagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome, lactose intolerance, chronic fatigue syndrome or diverticulosis, thus delaying the diagnosis of celiac disease.  The presence of obesity does not exclude the diagnosis of celiac disease.