What Types Of Celiac Disease Are There?

Celiac disease is one of the autoimmune diseases and is triggered by the adhesive protein gluten. This can cause serious damage to the intestines. Today you will learn interesting facts about the different forms of this disease and the clinical symptoms.

Celiac disease comes  in different forms and is classified accordingly. The trigger for this autoimmune disease is the adhesive protein gluten, which is contained in many foods, for example in products made with wheat, barley or other types of grain. It is estimated that 1% of the population in Europe is affected.

The problem is that in a large number of cases this disease can be asymptomatic, which makes the diagnosis more complex and delays. That’s why in this article we explain everything you should know about celiac disease.

What is Celiac Disease?

As mentioned earlier, celiac disease is an autoimmune disease that involves a reaction to gluten. This means that when this protein is absorbed, an immune system response is triggered in the small intestine. This damages the intestinal lining. The small intestinal villi and microvilli recede and fewer nutrients can be absorbed.

Gluten is a protein found in various types of grain. For example in wheat, rye or barley. These are foods that are generally high in the diet. They are part of bread, rice and pasta.

Damage to the intestinal mucosa affects the absorption of nutrients in digestion over time. Therefore, in many cases, children experience weight loss, anemia, or stunted growth.

While it is not yet known exactly what causes the different types of celiac disease, genetics are known to be a determining factor. Celiac disease is also commonly associated with other types of autoimmune diseases. According to a study published in the Cuban Journal of Food and Nutrition, there may be a link between celiac disease and type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Types of Celiac Disease

Celiac disease has different clinical forms, depending on the symptoms and the results of certain complementary tests that allow an examination of the digestive system. This gives rise to the types of celiac disease. However, according to the Federación de Asociaciones de Celíacos de España (German Spanish Celiac Association), almost 75% of patients are undiagnosed.

This is due to the fact that it was not known for a long time that this disease can also be asymptomatic.

The following types of celiac disease are distinguished: asymptomatic, symptomatic, potential, latent and refractory. In the following we explain the most important features of these different forms.

The asymptomatic form

There are no symptoms in asymptomatic celiac disease. However, when testing (e.g. through an endoscopy to look at the bowel), the presence of the disease will become clear.

The typical celiac disease

In this form of celiac disease, the person has both symptoms and positive test results. However, the complaints are very different. Some people experience diarrhea, weight loss, fatigue, vomiting, and abdominal pain.

In other cases, continuous constipation can occur. Other typical signs include stunted growth in children, meteorism, and abdominal distension. In addition, it could lead to anemia or constant irritability.

Potential Celiac Disease

There are no symptoms in this species, but people who are affected are more likely to develop the disease. The HLA-DQ2 / DQ8 genotyping provides information about this.

However, a biopsy of the small intestine tissue does not reveal any evidence of celiac disease. An article in the Chilean Medical Journal explains that people should be monitored but not have to follow a strict gluten-free diet.

The latent form

In latent celiac disease, the disease is diagnosed, but no symptoms or bowel discomfort are found afterwards. For example, it could be a person who was diagnosed in childhood but no longer suffers from the disease despite reintroducing this protein thanks to a completely gluten-free diet.

Refractory Celiac Disease

In this case, despite a gluten-free diet, symptoms or signs of the disease will still be present. The diagnosis of refractory celiac disease is made when the person still has symptoms after six months of eating gluten-free.

There are many different forms of this disease