celiac PART TWO

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http://www.denvernaturopathic.com/news/celiac.html

 

For the last ten years we have known that celiac disease is associated with

hypothyroid disease, specifically Hashimoto's Disease. About 10- 14% of

celiac patients are hypothyroid. Celiac patients are about ten times as

likely to have thyroid nodules. [5,6,7] Is it the same genetic

predisposition making people overly prone to develop autoimmune diseases

that causes both conditions? Or is it the chronic bowel inflammation that

stimulates these autoimmune reactions? At this point it isn't clear.

 

Celiac is clearly an autoimmune disease. The gliaden portion of the gluten

protein contains a sequence of amino acids that trigger the immune reaction.

When they bind on to the intestinal mucosa they act as an antigen and summon

killer lymphocytes to attack. The immune system also develops an immune

reaction to the muscle lining of the intestine, the endomysium and the

enzyme transglutaminase. [8] People with celiac disease make antibodies

which attack both the endomysium and the enzyme transglutaminase. Once this

autoimmune process has been triggered, damage occurs in other parts of the

body and not just the intestine.