So I Test Positive For The Celiac Gene

 Testing positive for either HLA-DQ2 or HLA-DQ8 does not mean you have to change your eating habits unless you have symptoms of the disease (including damage to the villi that line the small intestines). The test will simply tell you that you have a propensity for the disease, nothing more.

With that being said, most celiac specialists will advise you and your family to be regularly monitored in the event one or more of you eventually become symptomatic. This is because the HLA mutations are passed from parent to child, with some children inheriting two copies of the mutation (one from each parent) while others only inheriting one. Those inheriting two are at greatest risk.

If you have symptoms and all other test results are negative, a positive HLA test may justify a trial period during which you stop gluten to see if your symptoms improve.

Identifying The Celiac Gene

 

Identifying the Celiac Genes

Two chromosomal mutations, known as HLA-DQ2 and HLA-DQ8, are commonly associated with celiac disease.

By definition, HLA (human leukocyte antigen) is a cellular protein which triggers an immune response. With celiac disease, aberrations in the HLA coding can cause the immune system to go haywire in the presence of gluten and attack cells of the small intestine.

Despite the fact that HLA-DQ2 and HLA-DQ8 are both linked to this effect, having the mutation doesn't necessarily mean that you'll get the disease. In fact, as many as 40 percent of the U.S. population have these mutations, mostly in people of European descent. Of those who do carry the mutation, only around 1 to 4 percent will go on to develop the disease in their adult.

Prevalence Of Celiac Disease

 Inheritance. Celiac disease tends to cluster in families. Parents, siblings, or children (first-degree relatives ) of people with celiac disease have between a 4 and 15 percent chance of developing the disorder. However, the inheritance pattern is unknown.

It is estimated to affect 1 in 100 people worldwide. Two and one-half million Americans are undiagnosed and are at risk for long-term health complications. When people with celiac disease eat gluten (a protein found in wheat, rye and barley), their body mounts an immune response that attacks the small intestine

What Foods Trigger Celiac Disease??

 Gluten — a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye — triggers its symptoms. There's currently no cure for celiac disease. A strict gluten-free diet — also known as the celiac disease diet — must be followed to allow your body to heal.

LONG TERM HEALTH EFFECTS OF CELIAC DISEASE

Long-Term Health Effects

People with celiac disease have a 2x greater risk of developing coronary artery disease, and a 4x greater risk of developing small bowel cancers.

The treatment burden of celiac disease is comparable to end-stage renal disease, and the partner burden is comparable to caring for a patient with cancer. 1 2

Untreated celiac disease can lead to the development of other autoimmune disorders like Type I diabetes and multiple sclerosis (MS), and many other conditions, including dermatitis herpetiformis (an itchy skin rash), anemia, osteoporosis, infertility and miscarriage, neurological conditions like epilepsy and migraines, short stature, heart disease and intestinal cancers.

ROLE OF VITAMIN B6

 Vitamin B 6 helps form red blood cells and maintain brain                                                                             function.  Vitamin B 6 deficiency is uncommon but has been                                                                         associated with various conditions including a weakened immune                                                                  system and dermatitis cheilitis. 

Foods high in Vitamin B 6 include pork, poultry, fish, peanuts,                                                                       soy beans, wheatgerm, oats and bananas.

ROLE OF VITAMIN A

 A nutritious diet is a vital component of a healthy lifestyle.                                                                             Many adults have known about the value of fruits and vegetables.                                                                 Vitamin A

Vitamin A helps form and maintain healthy teeth, bones, soft tissue,                                                               mucous membranes, and skin.  According to the WHO vitamin A                                                                  deficiency is the leading cause of preventable blindness in children                                                               and increases the risk of disease and death from severe infections.