Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) inflames the joints. Celiac disease is characterized by an adverse reaction to gluten, proteins found in wheat, barley and rye. However, studies suggest that these two autoimmune conditions involving entirely separate body systems actually have much in common. The gluten-free diet followed by people with celiac disease may benefit many with RA.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
According to research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and published in January 2008 in the journal "Arthritis and Rheumatism," an estimated 1.3 million adults and 294,000 children ages 16 and under, suffer from rheumatoid arthritis. This painful inflammatory disease typically affects the same joints on both sides of the body, most often the wrists, fingers, knees, feet and ankles, but the shoulders, hips, jaw and neck can also be involved. Early symptoms may include fatigue, morning stiffness, loss of appetite, fever, weakness and swollen glands. The destruction of affected joints may begin a year or two after onset of the disease, often leading to deformities.
Genetic Relationship Between RA and Celiac Disease
According to the William K. Warren Medical Research Center for Celiac Disease, this condition affects about 1 percent of the population. When celiacs consume gluten, their bloodstreams are flooded with antibodies that target the lining of the small intestine but may also go on to damage other organs and systems. A large international genome-wide association study, or GWAS, into the genetic architecture of both RA and celiac disease was published in February 2011 in "PLoS Genetics." In addition to the six previously known common genetic markers, researchers found eight others and theorized that more will be discovered during further studies.
Study Finds that Gluten-Free Diet Helps RA
In addition to the debilitating effects of RA on joints and surrounding tissues, people with the disease are at elevated risk for cardiovascular disease, hardening of the arteries, and premature death from other causes. A study led by Stockholm's Karolinska Institutet, published in March 2008 in "Arthritis Research & Therapy," examined the effects of a gluten-free vegan diet, compared to a well-balanced non-vegan diet containing gluten, in people with RA. After three months, those on gluten-free diets experienced significant decreases in bad cholesterol, body mass index and weight, along with boosts in the levels of RA-fighting antibodies in their blood. No significant changes in any of these indicators were found for those in the other group.
Gluten-Free Diets for Autoimmune Disorders
On June 1, 2011, pediatric rheumatologist Alexa Adams of Cornell University presented the case history of a 6-year-old boy with juvenile idiopathic arthritis to doctors attending the Congress of Clinical Rheumatology in Florida. The child had been shunted around among many specialists and subjected to a variety of tests, including a lumbar puncture, but all had failed to get to the root of his persistent headaches, poor growth and behavioral problems. Finally, after a pediatric gastroenterologist diagnosed celiac disease and put the boy on a gluten-free diet, all his symptoms, including the joint pain, vanished. As a treatment option for patients whose complaints suggest autoimmune conditions but elude specific diagnosis, doctors may wish to consider suggesting the risk-free gluten-free diet, which has a proven track record in many difficult cases, Adams said.
References
- Science Daily; "Gluten-Free Vegan Diet May Protect Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients..."; March 20, 2008
- Science Daily; "Genes Involved in Rheumatoid Arthritis Identified"; Sept. 7, 2007
- Internal Medicine News; "Consider Celiac Disease in Autoimmune Disorder Patients"; Sharon Worcester; June 1, 2011
- PubMed Health: Rheumatoid Arthritis
- "PLoS Genetics"; Meta-Analysis of Genome Wide Association Studies...; Zhernakova et al.; February 2011
- "Arthritis Research and Therapy"; Gluten-Free Vegan Diet Induces Decreased LDL...; Elkan et al.; March 2008
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