Question

Part II - Getting the Diagnosis Right "I don't understand," Jane said looking at Dr. Klein. "What does my immune system have to do with my infertility issues?" "Infertility can unfortunately be a complication of several autoimmune diseases. Given your history of gastrointestinal issues along with the presence of several specific autoantibodies I believe you may have Celiac Disease. I would like you to see a gastroenterologist to confirm the diagnosis," Dr. Klein explained. Brian interrupted, "But I thought Jane has irritable bowel syndrome? Did the IBS cause the Celiac Disease?" "No, I fear that Jane may have been misdiagnosed with IBS when all along she had Celiac Disease. The two can have similar symptoms, but there are tests that can definitively identify Celiac Disease," Dr. Klein explained. "If I get treated for Celiac Disease, will I be able to have a baby?" Jane asked fearfully. Dr. Klein patted Jane's hand, "Let's get the test results back and make sure we understand the cause of your intestinal issues, and then we'll concentrate on your infertility." "I don't think I understand," Jane said looking from Brian to Dr. Klein. "You explained to us what an antibody is and I thought they were good, so why would they cause disease? I don't know how I could have gotten an autoimmune disease in the first place. I'm pretty healthy. I exercise and try to eat right. What could I have done differently?" Questions 1. Briefly describe what Celiac Disease is. 2. How is Celiac Disease different from gluten intolerance or sensitivity? 3. What specific autoantibodies are tested for in Celiac Disease? What other diagnostic tests will be performed on Jane? 4. Suppose that Jane stopped all gluten intake before her autoantibody tests were performed. How do you think this change in diet would affect her test results and diagnosis? 5. Jane is concerned that she could have prevented herself from getting an autoimmune disease. What are some risk factors for autoimmune diseases in general? Looking at these risk factors, could Jane have done anything to prevent the development of her disease? 6. What hypotheses are often used to explain the triggerlonset of autoimmune diseases

Answer 1

celiac disease is a disease caused due to gluten intolerance i.e the body of the affected person is unable to digest or break gluten  . It is an autoimmune disease and is hereditary that means it runs in the family. it is a digestive disorder which induces abnormal immune responses when the diseased person intakes gluten. Gluten is a protein found in foods such as wheat, barley , rye etc. when the person with celiac disease intakes gluten , the body starts producing immune response which causes damage of the villi. as villi are responsible for the absorbtion of nutrients from the food , destruction of them causes inability of the body to absorb nutrients from the food. if left untreated it can leads to malnutrition and other serious health problems such as permanent intestinal damage.

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