Bone Loss Link To Celiac Disease Discovered

Post by **tex** » Thu Oct 08, 2009 11:58 am

Hi All,

The link between celiac disease and osteoporosis has long been known, but the reasons behind it were not known. New research has revealed how it happens.

Apparently, celiacs produce antibodies which attack a key protein, called osteoprotegerin, that maintains bone health, by controlling the rate at which bone tissue is removed. These antibodies are apparently the reason why celiacs do not respond to calcium and vitamin D, which then results in bone loss. Here are two different news reviews of the report:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8295438.stm

http://www.news-medical.net/news/200910 ... rosis.aspx

Soooooooo, now, probably about 20% of us have even more antibodies to worry about.

Tex

angy · Post by **angy** » Thu Oct 08, 2009 5:41 pm

I was just about to post that link up tex u beat me to it lol!!!

Post by **tex** » Thu Oct 08, 2009 7:27 pm

Angy,

Sorry I beat you to it - I just accidentally came across it, while I was checking out another research report.

Tex

Gloria · Post by **Gloria** » Thu Oct 08, 2009 10:29 pm

Very interesting. Even though I don't have Celiac disease, I do have osteoporosis and I'm wondering if I have a similar problem.

Before I went DF, I was overly conscientious about taking calcium supplements, drinking milk - even when I ate out - and eating yogurt nearly every day. I'd only buy the yogurt that had 30% of the RDA for calcium. It makes me wonder if my immune system is fighting my bones as the article mentioned. If it's not one thing with this disease, it's another.

Gloria

angy · Post by **angy** » Fri Oct 09, 2009 2:18 am

Tex if I need to find out new research I know the information will most likely be on this forum because you are so dedicated to us.... This forum is a huge success and it's down to you...And our wonderful members x

Gloria I'm constantly drinking milk shakes high in calcium. I also take calcium supplements with vit d. Problem is I don't know if my calcium levels are substantial. My recent visit with my gi doc last week (yet another different doc. Sigh) I discussed the calcium issue, although she didn't seem that bothered about it. I asked for my calcium, vit b and iron to be checked because my bones and muscles are getting pretty bad these days and I'm worried about the osteoperosis issue. I'm not sure how much of calcium I should take either. If I stop taking dairy products , supplements and calcium foods for a few days my bones ache a lot. I'm hoping I don't have a lactose intolerant issue either cos I have not been tested for that. I seem to be able to tolerate Most dairy foods except some yoghurts that give me flare ups. I am beginning to wonder about the pains in my bones too whether it is a bone issue or is it the start of athritis to which I don't have to my knowledge anyway. My right hand and right hip hurt ocassionly but I'm getting stiffer these days...sigh

it's about time there was a test to identify celiac in the early stages disease before it gets full blown. I'm convinced i'm celiac even though the test is negative cos I get all those symptoms when I eat gluten. That research is quite scary for celiacs regarding the bone issue.

Post by **tex** » Fri Oct 09, 2009 8:57 am

Angy,

I suppose it's certainly possible that you might have arthritis, but the aches and pains in your bones and joints may be connected with MC, or they could be hormonal:

http://www.womentowomen.com/understandy ... tpain.aspx

A simple blood test for erythrocyte sedimentation rates, (ESR, or "sed rate"), can indicate inflammatory arthritis, or related conditions, and a blood test for rheumatoid factor, (RF), can give a pretty good indication of whether rheumatoid arthritis is present. Some doctors occasionally check the "sed rate", so you might look to see if it has been checked on any of your recent blood tests. Osteoarthritis is not so easy to check for, though. X-rays may be needed to detect osteoarthritis.

I thought that I had RA, because before I stopped eating gluten, several of my finger joints were highly inflamed, and those fingers became crooked and one even became twisted. Also, my knees were stiff, and inflammed. All that went away, though, after I recovered from the gluten damage. (Those fingers are still crooked, of course, because that sort of damage is permanent, but they are no longer inflamed, and they are no longer changing). After my TIA event, this past summer, the neurologist checked my RF and sed rate, and they were normal, so apparently I don't have RA after all. All my "arthritis" problems were apparently due to gluten.

Tex

Gloria · Post by **Gloria** » Fri Oct 09, 2009 10:07 am

I think that aches and pains in joints are caused either by arthritis or by an autoimmune reaction. When I was taking the full dosage of Entocort, I had very little pain in my fingers. As I've tapered the dosage, the pain has returned to a lesser degree, in spite of my dietary changes. That tells me it's arthritis, though I know arthritis is considered an autoimmune disease.

I also know that I have arthritis because the orthopedic surgeon saw it when he did the laproscopic surgery on my knee. He said there wasn't anything he could do about it and it would likely get worse as time passed. Glucosomine/chrondroitin keeps the knee pain at bay, hasn't helped my finger joints. I've read that glucosomine/chrondroitin doesn't usually help small joints.

I don't think that osteoporosis causes pain in its early stages. I have full-blown osteoporosis in my spine and neck, but I don't have any pain. Most people don't realize they have it until they have a bone density scan, or there is an obvious "stoop" in their posture. There is pain with a fracture due to osteoporosis, obviously.

Gloria

Post by **tex** » Fri Oct 09, 2009 11:55 am

Gloria,

I agree about the glucosomine/chrondroitin - I've been taking it since my knees first started bothering me, about the turn of the century, and they haven't bothered me anymore, since then, other than the time when I injured a ligament, a couple of years ago. I take two of the triple-strength tablets, every day.

I think you're right about the osteoporosis, too, but osteoarthritis would involve pain, wouldn't it?

Tex

angy · Post by **angy** » Fri Oct 09, 2009 4:24 pm

Thanks for that information tex...That's good that you discovered it's not RA...

It's funny how I started to get all of these symptoms after I got sick with this mc. Before that I never experienced any of this I was fit and pretty active.. I have been thinking about this possibly being RA. I have noticed little lumps on the surface of my thighs underneath my legs and on top of the thigh. I read somewhere that this can occur with R AThritis. I Should really get these checked out. I suppose they could also be fat lumps, or cysts. I have had them for a while and they don't get By bigger, they ache sometimes though . I'm not overweight I'm 9 st..

Gloria · Post by **Gloria** » Fri Oct 09, 2009 6:50 pm

Tex,

Sure, osteoarthritis would cause pain, just as arthritis does.

Gloria

ant · Post by **ant** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 11:54 pm

Hi all,

I found this an interesting blog on the subject of celiac, other autoimmune diseases and osteoporosis.

http://nephropal.blogspot.com/2009/11/c ... rosis.html

Best, Ant

angy · Post by **angy** » Sun Nov 08, 2009 12:12 am

Thanks for sharing that link ant

michaelt · Post by **michaelt** » Wed May 08, 2013 10:41 pm

Tex

These antibodies are apparently the reason why celiacs do not respond to calcium and vitamin D, which then results in bone loss

Are the also non-celiacs with gluten sensitivity that do not respond to calcium and vitamin D? And when we say do not respond, do we mean they will not be able to absorb either of these in the GI tract?

Gloria

It makes me wonder if my immune system is fighting my bones as the article mentioned.

Do you mean Celiac as the immune response or do you refer to other auto immune responses like RA?

Ant

http://nephropal.blogspot.com/2009/11/c ... rosis.html

link is unfortunately not working anymore - have you maybe kept a copy of the info in it?

I know I'm late for this post, but I thought I give it a shot.

Ty Michael

Post by **tex** » Wed May 08, 2013 11:58 pm

Michael wrote:Are the also non-celiacs with gluten sensitivity that do not respond to calcium and vitamin D?

IMO, lack of response is not the problem with these individuals. The primary problem is the fact that vitamin D deficiency and magnesium deficiency are at epidemic proportions in the world today, and that predisposes us to certain problems (such as the development of IBDs, including celiac disease). In addition, IBDs deplete vitamin D levels, which compounds the problem. (You probably recall that references for that statement can be found in my book.) It's the combination of these issues that (IMO) predispose us to osteoporosis.

Michael wrote:And when we say do not respond, do we mean they will not be able to absorb either of these in the GI tract?

If I interpret the research article correctly, the study did not determine whether or not such patients can absorb vitamin D and/or calcium. Rather it determined that such patients did not respond to supplements. That implies that even if they absorbed the supplements, they were unable to utilize them to generate new bone tissue. This seems logical, if these patients were producing antibodies to osteoprotegerin, because remember that antibodies promote inflammation, and if inflamed tissue is chronically inflamed, then it cannot heal, because it is locked in the first stage of the healing process. IOW, before new bone tissue can be generated, the old tissue that is to be replaced, must be removed by the immune system. Until the debris is removed, new tissue cannot be regenerated, and bone density continues to decline.

Remember though, that research article only applies to the approximately 20 % of celiacs who produce antibodies against osteoprotegerin. 80 % of celiacs do not produce those antibodies, but they still suffer from osteoporosis (presumably at a less aggressive level, similar to the situation with non-celiac gluten sensitivity, because of the issues that I described in the first part of this post).

Tex

Gabes-Apg · Post by **Gabes-Apg** » Thu May 09, 2013 12:05 am

a gabes 2 bobs worth....

And since then, we have learnt a lot about Vit D, and absorbing calcium.
were they even testing for Vit D deficiency then???