Gluten Free Raleigh: Celiac Disease Research News

Fundraising History

As of Dec 3, 2010
1) Jules Shepard Gluten Free Cooking Class - 2/28/2009 $100 donated to the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research $400 donated to the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA)

2) Gluten Free Raleigh Run/Walk Fundraiser - 6/13/2009 $915 donated to Gluten Free Week 2009 @ Camp Kanata (GIG sponsored camp in Wake Forest)

3) Jules Shepard Gluten Free Cooking Class - 7/12/2009 $300 donated to the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research

4) GF 101 Class @ Rosie's Plate - 10/3/2009 $175 donated to Gluten Free Week 2010 @ Camp Kanata (GIG sponsored camp in Wake Forest)

5) GF 101 Class @ Rosie's Plate - 1/23/2010 $100 donated to Gluten Free Week 2010 @ Camp Kanata (GIG sponsored camp in Wake Forest)

6) GF 101 Class @ Rosie's Plate - 4/24/2010 $85 donated to Gluten Free Week 2010 @ Camp Kanata (GIG sponsored camp in Wake Forest)

7) Gluten Free Food Drive to benefit The Food Bank of Central & Eastern NC - May 2010 $925

8) GF 101 Class @ Whole Foods - 10/23/2010 $82.50 donated to Gluten Free Week 2011 @ Camp Kanata (GIG sponsored camp in Wake Forest)

Grand Total = $3,082.50

Celiac Disease Stats

16,860 Triangle residents with Celiac Disease
1 out of every 133 Americans (about 3 million people or 1% of population) has Celiac Disease.
97% of Americans estimated to have CD are not diagnosed.
CD has over 300 known symptoms although some people experience none.
Age of diagnosis is key: If you are diagnosed between age 2-4, your chance of getting an additional autoimmune disorder is 10.5%. Over the age of 20, that rockets up to 34%.
30% of the US population is estimated to have the genes necessary for CD.
2.5 babies are born every minute in the USA with the genetic makeup to have CD.
There are 15 states in the US with populations less than the total number of Celiacs in the US.
CD affects more people in the US than Crohn’s Disease, Cystic Fibrosis, Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease combined.
500,000 new Celiac diagnoses are expected to occur in the US by 2012 -- thanks to efforts to raise public awareness of the disease.
People with CD dine out 80% less than they used to before diagnosis and believe less than 10% of eating establishments have a 'very good' or 'good' understanding of GF diets.
It takes an average of 11 years for patients to be properly diagnosed with CD even though a simple blood test exists.
The average cost of misdiagnosis is $5,000 - $12,000 per person per year. Improving the time to diagnosis could save the health care system millions of dollars annually in unnecessary medical care.
A recent study by Packaged Facts projects that the sales of GF food will reach $2.63 Billion by 2012. The GF market is also projected to hit $5 Billion by 2015.
GF foods are, on average, 242% more expensive then their non-GF counterparts.
The smallest amount of gluten which has been shown by a biopsy to cause damage to a Celiac is 0.1 gram per day - or 1/48th of a slice of bread.
The Food Allergen Labeling & Consumer Protection Act became law in 2006 allowing for easier reading of food labels for those with CD but the law only requires labeling of wheat. Nearly 5 years later, the FDA still has not finalized what it means to label a product Gluten Free.
12% of people in the US who have Down Syndrome also have CD.
8% of people in the US who have Type 1 Diabetes also have CD.
Among people who have a first-degree relative diagnosed with Celiac, as many as 1 in 22 people may have the disease. First degree relatives should be tested yearly for CD even if previous tests were negative.
There are currently 0 drugs available to treat CD.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Celiac Disease Research News

Since starting Custom Choice Cereal for a gluten-intolerant friend in 2009 there has rarely been a day where I didn't learn something new about celiac disease. However, I am again and again amazed by how little is known about the triggers for celiac disease and why exactly it is on the rise, as research by Dr. Alessio Fasano from the University of Maryland's Center for Celiac Research indicates.

I also like to stress that unlike many other conditions, a strict adherence to a gluten-free diet is an (the only!) effective treatment for the autoimmune disease. While that sounds stressful and can initially be overwhelming we like to look at the bright side of things: absolutely no medication is needed!

Researchers from the University of Chicago's Celiac Disease Center used mice to identify a biochemical interaction that may trigger an autoimmune reaction in the intestines of genetically susceptible people. Specifically, they found that the compound retinoic acid in combination with high levels of the a pro-inflammatory substance known as interleukin-15 was able to break the body's tolerance to gluten.

Study author Dr. Bana Jabri and her colleagues examined the records of patients at University of Chicago's Celiac Disease Center, which showed that many of them had high levels of IL-15 in their intestines. Then they conducted experiments using a new mouse model of the disease developed in Jabri's lab. When the researchers increased levels of IL-15 in mice, the animals developed all the early symptoms of celiac disease. Adding retinoic acid only worsened the disease. But when the researchers blocked IL-15 in the mice, their symptoms improved and they could tolerate gluten again.

Dr. Bana said that "This is the first time that we actually show how inducing a specific dysregulation in the intestines can lead to losing tolerance to a food antigen, and in particular to gluten." She continued that this represents a key finding because they now know what to target for a re-introduction of tolerance to gluten.

Dr. Fasano added that he was really intrigued by the new discoveries about the role of retinoic acid, "which we've always thought helped to prevent the immune response rather than make it worse. It's a most provocative finding."

While these are promising and important research discoveries in the understanding of celiac disease, much more research is needed. It also needs to be noted that promising research done with animals often fails to produce beneficial results for humans.

__________________________
Hajo Engelke
Founder
Custom Choice Cereal, LLC
www.customchoicecereal.com
919-484-9757

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