Celiac From Mainland China?

[Netzel]

This is a first post for me. I have learned SO MUCH from this forum and feel it is the most practical resource available for information and advice. A friend who is celiac (and contributor to this forum) told me to check out this site when she realized how similar my husband's symptoms are to things she has experienced.

Here is the difference, and it is a big one! My husband was born and grew up in Mainland China. The north of China, where he lived, is more wheat-based than the south. He ate noodles and dumplings, as well as rice, but also lived through years of famine. He came to the US at age 23 on a full scholarship which included a bottomless meal card. Talk about a kid in a candy store! It was probably about the most radical change in diet a person could have. Fast forward 22 years later. He still eats like a horse, but doesn't put on a lot of weight. I have always said he must have a 'hot' metabolism' as he can eat anything in huge quantity and not seem to add more weight. Granted, he gained quite a bit of weight since his arrival time, but has been on a plateau for at least 15 years. He suffers from many allergies, both seasonal and food, and uses all the available prescription meds to treat them. We always attributed this to the fact that he grew up with different allergans and then moved here after maturity. He has quite a constant cough and although is not asthmatic he does have to occasionally use an inhaler. Two times now he has been treated for esophageal ulcers and GERD (which he does not feel) found through endoscopy. The gastro never suggested possible celiac. For the past 5 years he has been breaking out in hives and a reddish rash which go away quickly (constantly uses zyrtec for allergy and the hives) , he has suffered from occasional abdominal pain-once severe enough to go to the emergency room while on vacation, has intermittant heart palpitations,is diagnosed with adult ADHD, has very foggy thinking when not on ritalin, blood glucose levels in the high range-but never told he is diabetic (must check that again)....

Due to the chronic hives, his allergist ran some blood tests about a month ago and they showed antithyroglobulin antibodies and a slightly above normal TSH reading. He has a pending appointment with an endocrinologist to look at the thyroid issue, which I believe since he has those antibodies means there is an issue?

After studying this site we asked the allergist to run some celiac bloodwork on him. It came back negative for the tTg, but showed 4X the normal of antigliadin IgG (37--with the top of the range being 9). Am I correct that this probably means he is at least very gluten intolerant?

I am not sure of the genetic side to this, since he is full Chinese and I have been trying to find if it is even possible to have a propensity towards celiac if you are Chinese.

We are thinking of Enterolab testing. He has been eating gluten free since the day after his blood was drawn.

I would welcome any opinions or advice!

[Jestgar]

It sounds like gluten could be a problem. Keep track of how he feels off gluten. If it makes a big difference, then that's a clue in and of itself.

[Cinnamon]

I was just to the doctor Friday with the 3rd of my 4 children to have problems with wheat. We are Irish all the way around, and he said that even though food has gone global, our bodies are stuck back in the 12th century or so. Potatoes were the staple for thousands of years in Ireland, and even though wheat's been available for quite awhile, that wasn't the case for most of history. He said he also sees lots of Asians who also have trouble with wheat, since rice was and is the staple there. Of course they have wheat there now and probably had it for several generations, but that might not always have been the case.

Hopefully he'll feel great on the diet!

[kenlove]

Cant say for sure about China but in Japan in 2005 I was told there were 12 reported cases of celiac and in 2007 over 20,000. I would guess this is in part to the increased western diet and in part to better diagnostics and doctor awareness.

My theory although often based in heredity, celiac can be brought on by diet and I suspect those of Asian decent will become more and more prone to the disease as long as they keep eating western wheat based foods.

This is a first post for me. I have learned SO MUCH from this forum and feel it is the most practical resource available for information and advice. A friend who is celiac (and contributor to this forum) told me to check out this site when she realized how similar my husband's symptoms are to things she has experienced.

Here is the difference, and it is a big one! My husband was born and grew up in Mainland China. The north of China, where he lived, is more wheat-based than the south. He ate noodles and dumplings, as well as rice, but also lived through years of famine. He came to the US at age 23 on a full scholarship which included a bottomless meal card. Talk about a kid in a candy store! It was probably about the most radical change in diet a person could have. Fast forward 22 years later. He still eats like a horse, but doesn't put on a lot of weight. I have always said he must have a 'hot' metabolism' as he can eat anything in huge quantity and not seem to add more weight. Granted, he gained quite a bit of weight since his arrival time, but has been on a plateau for at least 15 years. He suffers from many allergies, both seasonal and food, and uses all the available prescription meds to treat them. We always attributed this to the fact that he grew up with different allergans and then moved here after maturity. He has quite a constant cough and although is not asthmatic he does have to occasionally use an inhaler. Two times now he has been treated for esophageal ulcers and GERD (which he does not feel) found through endoscopy. The gastro never suggested possible celiac. For the past 5 years he has been breaking out in hives and a reddish rash which go away quickly (constantly uses zyrtec for allergy and the hives) , he has suffered from occasional abdominal pain-once severe enough to go to the emergency room while on vacation, has intermittant heart palpitations,is diagnosed with adult ADHD, has very foggy thinking when not on ritalin, blood glucose levels in the high range-but never told he is diabetic (must check that again)....

Due to the chronic hives, his allergist ran some blood tests about a month ago and they showed antithyroglobulin antibodies and a slightly above normal TSH reading. He has a pending appointment with an endocrinologist to look at the thyroid issue, which I believe since he has those antibodies means there is an issue?

After studying this site we asked the allergist to run some celiac bloodwork on him. It came back negative for the tTg, but showed 4X the normal of antigliadin IgG (37--with the top of the range being 9). Am I correct that this probably means he is at least very gluten intolerant?

I am not sure of the genetic side to this, since he is full Chinese and I have been trying to find if it is even possible to have a propensity towards celiac if you are Chinese.

We are thinking of Enterolab testing. He has been eating gluten free since the day after his blood was drawn.

I would welcome any opinions or advice!

[ravenwoodglass]

I would agree with Enterolab testing. His symptoms sound a lot like mine and many of us. Celiac can impact the brain and the thyroid so the first thing I would do is get him gluten free.

As far as the gene goes, well I carry DQ9, this is a gene that is associated with folks from the Orient and supposedly is not often found in the US. How I ended up with 2 copies of this gene, one from a Irish, Welsh and English parent and one from someone who is German and Dutch who knows. I do know I had a very hard time getting diagnosed because I do not show up on blood testing.

I would get him on the diet as soon as you can, for some of us that is the best way to diagnose.

Be sure to check all the meds he is on, please do it with the company that makes them to be sure. Oh and many of those may be able to be dropped as he progresses on his healing. I went from 7 daily meds just to be able to function to none at all within a couple of months. I have never had to add anything back. Not the case for all of us of course but for me the diet was nothing short of a miracle.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

I know it's a long shot, but could soy also be an issue? I do remember reading several posts from people who had to eliminate gluten, dairy, AND soy. (But hopefully, it's just gluten--the simpler, the better, right?)