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The following report was prepared by Ann Whalen, celiac, and editor/publisher of Gluten-Free Living , which is a bimonthly newsletter for celiacs - Gluten-Free Living, PO Box 105, Hastings-on-Hudson, NY 10706. On March 10th, more than 20 members of the celiac community and celiac disease specialists (see list at end) attended a meeting of the Digestive Diseases Intra-agency Coordinating Committee, a part of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). The meeting, held to update the current status of Celiac Disease, was chaired by Jay Hoofnagle, M.D., Director of the Division of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition at the NIDDK. At the meeting, presentations were made by Martin Kagnoff, M.D., Joseph Murray, M.D., Alessio Fasano, M.D., and Frank Hamilton, M.D. Dr. Kagnoff is a gastroenterologist and Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Diego. He spoke about his research into the genetics of Celiac Disease, focusing on the pathogenesis. Dr. Kagnoff is well known for his research into the genetics of Celiac Disease, and several of his studies have been funded by the NIH. Dr. Murray, Associate Professor of Medicine and clinician at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, described his experience with Celiac Disease both in Iowa and in Ireland, noting that his interest in celiac disease is clinical. He emphasized what he called the Classic II symptoms, meaning the actual symptoms patients have today and not the Classic symptoms many doctors may be familiar with. He said the rate of diagnosis is proportional to suspicion. Dr. Murray described the celiac disease experience at the University of Iowa from 1985 to 1997, presenting statistics that indicated a steep increase in diagnosis. At our institution, Celiac Disease is an adult disease, he said, and is now seen as frequently as Crohns Disease. Anticipating the question, Why look for Celiac Disease?, Dr. Murray gave his reasons: preventing lymphoma and osteoporosis, as well as resolving fatigue and nonspecific symptoms and shortening the current significant delays in diagnosis. Dr. Fasanos presentation was called Where Have All the American Celiacs Gone? He described what has happened in the field of celiac disease in various parts of the world, including some parts of the United States, but emphasized the European experience. Dr. Fasano noted that plans are already underway in Italy to screen all seven-year-olds in 1999. Dr. Fasano explained why an epidemiology study is critically needed in this country. He pointed out the benefits of such a study for four groups: The American health care community: lower health care costs, increased awareness of celiac disease and more knowledge of its protein manifestations in the US Participating physicians: publications, more patients and increased credibility. The American people: the prevalence will be established and celiac disease will be diagnosed more quickly. Celiac Patients: free screening of first-degree relatives, federal support for dietary and drug regulations, an improved food supply, stronger local support groups and more funding for celiac research. Dr. Fasano added that such a study, whatever its findings, would end in a win-win situation for everyone. If the study shows that celiac disease is underestimated in this country, patients will benefit as physicians begin looking for the problem with the knowledge that they might well find it. If the study shows celiac disease is indeed rare in the United States, its even more exciting because we will be able to figure out why. Dr. Hamilton, chief of the Digestive Diseases Program Branch at the NIDDK, briefly described the celiac disease research, to date, that has already been funded by the NIH. He said $1.4 million has been granted for such research, adding that over the last five years, we have seen growth in the funding of Celiac Disease. He said he was pleased funding has increased, and felt a lot of work has to be done. Dr. Hamilton ended by saying, Todays meeting will serve as an impetus for a partnership between the National Institutes of Health, academe, and the lay groups to foster more research. He added that it was important for the investigators and support group representatives present at the meeting to get the word out, referring to information about Celiac Disease. These talks were followed by a round table discussion, between the members of the committee and the presenters. Later, audience comment was invited. The committee showed an interest in the current adult nature of the disease, the changing symptoms, current testing methods, and identification of the most critical research needs. Patients who spoke were anxious to let the committee know what they felt were the important concerns in the real world. At the end of the meeting, Dr. Hoofnagle said his division will prepare a short, pithy plan, then present it to Drs. Kagnoff, Murray and Fasano. He noted that the important issues are pathogenesis, delivering the message to physicians, clinical research issues and pediatric health concern. Some Quotes from the Meeting Elaine Monarch: There is a general lack of knowledge, awareness and interest in Celiac Disease among the medical profession. We celiacs can go for years with substantial symptoms but not diagnosis...The cost to the medical community is enormous. Joseph Murray, M.D.: There is more than one gene involved in Celiac Disease. Most Europeans are homogenous. Here we have a mongrelized population. What happens when you mix? How much does it change? Our mongrelized population may be at risk at a later age. Martin Kagnoff, M.D.: The issue of other genes is not at all clear. Like Joe (Dr. Murray), I see adult celiacs. Their time delay to diagnosis is not exaggerated, but what is striking is the lack of knowledge of doctors, even at the University of California. They really are not aware of this disease. Alessio Fasano, M.D.: We receive 10-15 calls a day. The vast majority are self diagnosed. They say, I know more than my gastroenterologist. Peter Green, M.D.: We need to emphasize education of gastroenterologists. At my institution (Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City), doctors are not used to looking at the duodenum...We need to educate many levels of the medical community and tell them, If you dont recognize something, take a biopsy. Sue Goldstein: Im concerned about the people who have not yet been diagnosed and the reasons why a physician wont consider Celiac Disease. It all boils down to, its rare and you cant have it. In addition to the speakers, the following were among those who attended: Phyllis Brogden, celiac, founder and chairperson of the Greater Philadelphia Celiac Sprue Support Group. Winnie Feldman, celiac, Celiac Disease Foundation Kenneth Fine, M.D., gastroenterologist/ researcher at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas. Al Fornace, M.D., celiac, National Cancer Institute Sue Goldstein, celiac, founder and advisor, Westchester Celiac Sprue Support Group Peter Green, M.D., clinician/researcher at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City. Joanne Hameister, celiac, former chairperson, Western New York Gluten-Free Support Group Ivor Hill, M.D., clinician/researcher at Bowman Gray School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Beth Hillson, celiac and proprietor of the Gluten-Free Pantry. Karoly Horvath, M.D., clinician/researcher at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore. Marge Johanamen, celiac, CSA Kentucky state coordinator Pam King, University of Maryland Bob Levy, Celiac Research Foundation Ruth Levy, spouse Jax Lowell, celiac and author of Against the Grain Elaine Monarch, celiac, founder and Executive Director of the Celiac Disease Foundation Selwyn J. Monarch, Board of Directors, CDF Diane Paley, celiac, governing board CSA/USA Michelle Pietzak, M.D., pediatric gastroenterologist at Childrens Hospital, Los Angeles Connie Tur, celiac, president Greater Louisville Celiac Sprue Support Group

Dr. Joseph Murray, of the Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN, is a gastroenterologist who specializes in treating Celiac disease. He gave a talk entitled Celiacs in the 90s at a conference hosted by the American Celiac Society on June 10-11, 1994. What follows are highlights of Dr. Murrays talk. Dr. Murray comes from Ireland, where Celiac Sprue (CS) is much more common. In Ireland, people have a much easier time dealing with the gluten-free (gluten-free) diet, whereas in the US it is almost as though it were considered unpatriotic to not eat wheat. You can reach Dr. Murray at: murray.joseph@mayo.edu. Dr. Murray believes that ALL Dermatitis Herpetiformis (DH) patients also have Celiac disease, whether they realize it or not. This celiac disease is often latent or silent. Earlier reports of patients with DH who did not have enteropathy (small intestinal damage) may not have counted milder forms of the celiac disease damage. (Editors note: Dr. Alexander, our physician advisor, believes most, but not all DH patients have Celiac disease.) Not every Celiac patient suffers weight loss or has diarrhea. One of his patients is a woman who weighed 400 lbs. when she was diagnosed. Her symptoms included nocturnal pain, and constipation. After checking the stomach and some other testing, they did a small intestine biopsy. When they found the classic flat villi, they suspected a lab mix-up because the womans symptoms were so atypical. In this case, the woman was suffering from cravings that caused her to greatly overeat. She was nutritionally over- compensating for the small intestine damage. After being diagnosed, the patient went on the gluten-free diet, lost some of these cravings, and promptly lost 50 lbs. Symptomatic Celiacs can be split into two groups: Those that have the classical CS symptoms and those that have atypical symptoms or only one of the classical symptoms. Patients in the first group are usually (though not always) diagnosed correctly by a gastroenterologist. Those in the second group, which make up about 2/3 of Dr. Murrays patients, are much more difficult to diagnose. Another factor is variable histology, which basically means that the villi are not always completely flat. The average adult has more than 20 feet of small intestine, and often, only the very front part gets severely damaged. Often, the remaining portion of the small intestine is able to compensate for what the damaged section is not absorbing. Dr. Murray believes that we are seeing fewer diagnosed Celiacs in the US than in Ireland because our diets are very calorie-dense. This means that even with malabsorption you are still getting a lot of nutrients so that you absorb enough to not lose weight and not fully develop other symptoms. Gluten causes damage that makes the gut leaky. This can lead to exposure of the bodys immune system to foreign allergens it would not otherwise see. This explains why Celiacs tend to have more allergies than the general population. Dr. Murray believes there are several triggers that can activate Celiac disease in genetically susceptible people: A sudden change to a low fat diet, which usually means a sudden increase in starches, which usually means a dramatic increase in wheat-based products. A woman is susceptible during postpartum, when the immune system is adjusting to the changes after delivery. Surgery, particularly GI (gall bladder, etc.) can be a trigger. Certain viral infections. Also, there is some suspicion that certain antibiotics can be triggers, though in these cases it could also be the infection that the antibiotics are fighting. Dr. Murray believes CS is not an allergy; it is an auto immune disease (Allergy vs. Intolerance). For Celiac disease to develop, two conditions must be met: There must be a genetic predisposition towards Celiac disease. This involves very specific genetic factors. The auto immune system must be triggered in some way. CS tends somewhat to run in families. The incidence in first degree relatives (parents, siblings, children) of a Celiac is about 10%. Anyone who has both a parent and a child with CS should be tested themselves for CS. CS is not entirely genetic. Among identical twins, if one has CS, about 70% of the time the other will also have CS. If the disease were entirely genetic, then the incidence in identical twins would be 100%. Among siblings that are HLA-matched to a Celiac sibling, the incidence of CS is about 30%. When not HLA-matched, the incidence rate is much lower. According to Dr. Murray, since CS is an auto immune disease, it follows that there are other auto immune diseases that are associated with it. Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, Type I Diabetes, and some eye problems may occur more frequently in CS patients. This is not because of gluten or CS itself; it is because CS patients are part of a group that is genetically predisposed towards auto immune problems. About 5% of CS patients also have DH. At the University of Iowa, there have been 350 patients diagnosed with DH. Dr. Murray believes these have celiac disease. If these DH patients are only 5% of the Celiacs, then there should be about 7,000 Celiacs in the Iowa area. The number of diagnosed Celiacs is much less than 7,000. Even if this extrapolation is exaggerated, it is still clear that there are many undiagnosed Celiacs out in the general population. Most DH patients are prescribed Dapsone, which treats the symptoms. In most cases, they are told of the gluten-free diet, but it is not stressed and so most DH patients do not follow the diet. Dr. Murray finds this most distressing, because even if these patients dont have GI-related symptoms, there is still continual damage being done to the small intestine. Dermatologists, in general, dont give enough consideration to a GI problem as the source of DH. This places DH patients at an even greater risk of developing lymphoma in the small intestine. Lymphoma in the small intestine is extremely rare in the general population. Untreated Celiacs have a 70 or 80 times greater chance of developing lymphoma. A lifetime of not following the gluten-free diet gives a Celiac about a 7% chance of developing lymphoma. There is also an increased risk of other GI-related and lymphatic cancers. The risk of developing lymphoma immediately begins to decrease when a Celiac patient starts following a gluten-free diet. The risk continues to decrease until, after 3-5 years, it approaches that of the general population. Dr. Murray makes a small intestine X-ray a routine part of the treatment for a newly diagnosed adult Celiac patient, especially those over 40 years of age. Hes looking for lymphoma in the small intestine. It is very difficult to find, but if it is found it can usually be successfully treated. DH is caused by reactions to antibody complexes that, for reasons not totally clear, become deposited under the skin. These DH breakouts can continue for a long time after a gluten-free diet is adopted, because these deposits are not reabsorbed by the body very quickly. In about 70% of the cases, dapsone treatments can be discontinued after 18 months-2 years; for the other 30% it takes longer. How gluten-free should the diet be? Dr. Murray believes that Celiacs should treat gluten the same way they treat rat poison. Celiacs should never eat food if it is known to contain gluten. Accidental ingestion of gluten should be avoided as much as possible. For a Celiac, it is unacceptable for gluten to be ingested more than once a month, accidentally or otherwise. You can NOT judge whether a food has gluten by your reaction to it. Many Celiacs can ingest small amounts of gluten with no symptoms; however, the small intestine is still being damaged. Dr. Murray stressed that once you have Celiac disease, you will always have it; you will never be able to eat wheat or other gluten-containing products again. This is a fact of life that Celiacs simply must accept and live with. Lactose intolerance is not common in white Caucasian adults of northern European descent; probably close to 5%. (Editors note: According to Dr. Alexander, it occurs in about 30% of the adult US population.) A newly diagnosed Celiac may have temporary lactose-intolerance due to the damage in the gut; the intolerance should disappear once the gut heals. If you are lactose-intolerant, you should be aware that while ingesting lactose may make you uncomfortable, it does not damage the intestine. Most newly diagnosed Celiacs can use temporary lactose-intolerance as a way to check on the healing taking place. Once a month, they should drink half a glass of milk on an empty stomach and see if there is a reaction such as gas, cramps, diarrhea, etc. Failure to have a lactose reaction means that the gut is healing and the diet is working. For most people, lactose intolerance will disappear within six months of being on a gluten-free diet. Dr. Murray advises Celiac patients against smoking. Newly diagnosed Celiacs, as well as those not following a strict gluten-free diet, already have an increased risk of malignancy. Celiacs cannot afford to increase that risk even further by smoking. Refractory Sprue is a rare complication that generally occurs in older Celiac patients. This is a situation where malabsorption continues to occur even though the patient is on a gluten-free diet. Dr. Murray says the first three things you do when presented with refractory sprue are: Check the diet Check the diet again Check the diet a third time Once you have verified that no hidden sources of gluten are causing the problem, then you recheck the diagnosis, look for enzyme supplements to help with digestion, check for pancreatic problems, lymphoma bacterial overgrowth, etc. Diagnosis of CS in the US is probably lower than it should be due to rigid medical practices and old thinking. One common label applied to people with stomach complaints is Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Dr. Murray calls that an intellectual trash can if it is used too widely and if doctors forget about other possibilities, in that it is occasionally over-diagnosed. It really means, There is something wrong with your stomach, and we dont know what it is. The occurrence of stress-induced bowel dysfunction is a real entity. In the US, CS is an exception to the rule concerning research efforts. It is considered to be a marginal disease. There is very little commercial interest in it. CS is definitely under-represented when compared to other diseases that get far more attention. Dr. Murray believes there are too many different national organizations that deal with CS. He believes these organizations need to unify and become one in order to advance the national agenda. He thinks local support groups such as our TCCSSG are doing a lot of good work; he considers belonging to a support group to be an essential part of the treatment of Celiac disease. Dr. Murray recommends physicians associated with local support groups should read a book that thoroughly explains this disease. The book is Coeliac Disease, by Michael Marsh, Blackwell Scientific Publications, November 1992. It costs about $175, but is well worth the cost if it helps a physician become more interested and learn more about this disease.