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At 12:23 PM 10/7/96 -0400, Chris Dye <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
 
>Can anyone please give me any information on how celiac may affect the gall
>bladder?
 
This is a file from my hard disk that I post periodically in the newsgroups.
Don Wiss.
 
 
Written by: Ronald Hoggan <[log in to unmask]>
 
Gall bladder disease or malfunction is often associated with celiac disease.
It can cause pain in the upper right quadrant of the abdomen, just at the
lowest rib on the right side. In one study of 1300 celiacs in Canada, 9%
indicated that gall stones were the earliest presentation, sometimes
followed by many years prior to correct diagnosis of their celiac disease.
In another report, Dr. Kozlowska indicated that 13 of the 41 newly diagnosed
celiacs she investigated were suffering from atresia, a condition which is a
partial or complete blockage of the bile duct.
 
CCK (cholecystokinin) is the hormone responsible for gall bladder
contraction. The bulk of this hormone is produced in the duodenum.
 
Active celiac disease would be likely, then, to cause a reduction or a
cessation of duodenal production of CCK. A radiologist in Hungary is
currently researching this problem. In private correspondence, one
gastroenterologist reports having found (accidentally) a gallstone in a 12
year old girl who had active celiac disease.
 
The 30% incidence of atresia among celiac children, as reported by Dr.
Kozlowska, would suggest an even higher number among adults with active
celiac disease. Given the low level of clinical suspicion for celiac disease
in North America, it would not be at all surprising if a large portion of
patients with gall bladder disease were suffering from occult celiac
disease. Future research may reveal that gall stones and atresia are only
symptoms of celiac disease.
 
I did a Medline search on cck and celiac disease. I got 65 hits. Researchers
repeatedly identified a connection between celiac disease and gall bladder
malfunction with such comments as:
"Thus the already impaired fat absorption in celiac sprue is magnified by
the lack of bile delivery....."; and "We conclude that there is a reversible
defect of gallbladder emptying and cholecystokinin release in celiac
disease." and "Cholecystokinin (cck) release and gall bladder emptying in
response to a fatty meal are completely abolished in coeliac disease." and
"the abnormally decreased gallbladder contraction in coeliac patients is the
result of endogenous cck secretion and not a lack of end-organ
responsiveness to cck."
 
There just isn't much ambiguity there. If you've got celiac disease, you
have gall bladder malfunction, of the sort that may well develop into
atresia and gallstones.
 
Upon receiving a diagnosis of gall bladder disease, whether gall stones or
atresia, one might be wise to request a blood test for celiac disease. The
anti-endomysial antibody test is currently the most reliable and available
test.
 
Now, given the low level of clinical suspicion for celiac disease, I
anticipate the suggestion that absent gall bladder emptying, atresia, and
gall stones might occur in the absence of celiac disease. I did another
Medline search, and I can't find a single study that has tested atresia
patients or gallstone patients for celiac disease. My answer to the
suggestion that gall bladder disease may occur in the absence of celiac
disease is that there is no evidence to support such a contention.
Considerable evidence exists, however, which points to celiac disease as a
likely cause of gall bladder malfunction, atresia, or stones. As for
childhood gallstones, there appears to be only one answer.... it is
associated with celiac disease.
 
A view that incorporates the association of gall bladder disease, and celiac
disease, but does not preclude the above, has been expressed by Dr. Joseph
Murray, of the University of Iowa, who is a gastroenterologist specializing
in treating celiac disease. He believes there are several "triggers" that
can activate Celiac disease in genetically susceptible people. One of them
is: Surgery, particularly GI (gall bladder, etc.) In any case, the
connection between celiac disease and gall bladder disease is well known.
 
More information is available at:
 
The Gluten-Free Page:  http://www.panix.com/~donwiss/
 
I hope this is helpful.
 
Ron Hoggan