Autoimmune Diseases And Gluten

[Mercy]

I'm looking for info on connections between gluten and autoimmune diseases such as Bullous Pemphigoid and /or Scleroderma. Any leads? I have two older adults in my life dealing with these. The wide variety of body systems that can be affected by celiac dx makes me wonder. (I have been gluten-free for 4 years with symptom remission, tho never "diagnosed")

[Mother of Jibril]

Welcome to the group!

Unfortunately, there's a lot to learn about autoimmune disorders. Even if you have the genes (which are still being identified), it takes some kind of trigger before you get the disorder. There are lots of possibilities... hormonal changes (pregnancy is a big one), physical trauma, severe stress, exposure to viruses like Epstein-Barr, environmental toxins, food allergies, etc... It's very complicated and this is a totally new area of research!

Celiac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis are the only disorders that have been conclusively linked to gluten... stop eating gluten and they go away. Other disorders like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, type I diabetes, MS, fibromyalgia, etc... may improve a gluten-free diet or go into a period of remission. However, there's no cure for any of these.

Having one autoimmune disorder puts you at risk for developing others. There are several that are known to cluster with celiac disease... type 1 diabetes, thyroid disorders, Sjogren's syndrome, primary biliary cirrhosis, myasthenia gravis, and pernicious anemia. A good place to start looking for information is AARDA (Open Original Shared Link), the American Autoimmune and Related Diseases Association.

[nasalady]

I'm looking for info on connections between gluten and autoimmune diseases such as Bullous Pemphigoid and /or Scleroderma. Any leads? I have two older adults in my life dealing with these. The wide variety of body systems that can be affected by celiac dx makes me wonder. (I have been gluten-free for 4 years with symptom remission, tho never "diagnosed")

Hi, I don't know much about either of those autoimmune disorders, but there was a thread on this forum about Bullous Pemphigoid some time ago; here is the link:

https://www.celiac.com/gluten-free/index.php?showtopic=34368

As far as the link between celiac disease and other autoimmune diseases, there are many ADs that improve on a gluten free diet, particularly autoimmune thyroid diseases. If you would like to read some medical articles on this subject, I have a few posted at: Open Original Shared Link

There are theories that celiac disease may be to blame for increasing the tendency to develop other autoimmune diseases; if you do a search for "zonulin" on this site, you will come up with various threads that discuss this issue. My very limited understanding is that zonulin is a cytokine, produced in the intestine as a reaction to gluten, which increases the permeability of the intestinal walls, allowing all sorts of things (viruses, bacteria, other garbage) through into the bloodstream. These foreign substances can trigger autoimmune responses so that your body develops antibodies to attack its own tissues such as your intestine, thyroid, liver, joints, etc..

Here is an article on zonulin, actually an interview with the man who discovered zonulin: Open Original Shared Link

Hope this helps!

JoAnn

[AliB]

Open Original Shared Link

Gluten sensitivity and Celiac disease are a known cause of scleroderma and dozens of other autoimmune diseases. Even if tests for gluten sensitivity and Celiac disease are negative or inconclusive, trial of a gluten-free and casein-free (Gluten-free Casein-free) should be considered.

I did a bit of research on Bullous and Celiac/gluten too and there were a few tenuous links, but would say that whilst gluten may well be a contributory factor, with both of these conditions, like many others including DH and its ilk, the cause is very likely to be due to gut dysbiosis and an infestation of pathogenic yeasts, bacteria and/or parasites.

Many who follow a gluten-free diet whilst finding that some symptoms improve, often do not get better, or get better for a while then get worse or just get a bit better and get stuck.

This may well be because the gluten-free diet is typically high in the types of carbohydrates which actually feed the pathogens. It is likely that those with DH who have to follow a gluten-free diet for at least a year before seeing any relief, are having to do that because it takes that long to start getting the pathogens under control and bring about a reduction of their toxic by-products.

Pathogens like Candida for instance, if given the opportunity due to the destruction of their natural control bacteria - the good gut flora - often due to things like anti-biotics which indiscriminately kill the good guys as well as the bad (but other things contribute too - painkillers, steroids, the pill, any amount of different drugs), will run rampant through the body causing mayhem in any part of it, depending on the weaknesses and vulnerabilities of the individual.

Many who have had limited success, like myself, on the gluten-free diet, have been following the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) that is a healing diet. It works on a two-pronged approach by removing the foods that feed and contribute to the proliferation of the pathogens, and also by encouraging the re-establishment of the good gut flora with natural home-made 24-hour yogurt and/or probiotics. Because it robs the pathogens of their food sources it works considerably quicker to get them under control than a gluten-free diet alone. It is beneficial for many health issues whether physical or mental.

Hippocrates said that 'all disease begins in the gut'. He also said 'let food be thy medicine'. both very wise pieces of information. If the bacteria that protects the gut from pathogens and supports the immune system is compromised or even destroyed, any of the hundreds of microbes that live in the body or pass through it on a daily basis can move in and set up home. 'Kill the soldiers and the city is undefended'.

If you want to know more about the SCD there is a thread on the 'Other Food Intolerances' section and the two main websites are 'breaking the vicious cycle' and 'Pecanbread'.

Hope this helps.