<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Thanks to everyone who replied.  You are a great group.  

 

The consensus is that there is a connection between spondylitis and celiac.  Several pointed out that both are auto-immune.

 

One found that going GF made no difference. Her doctor told her that celiac had opened her up to autoimmune disease and the damage had been done well before she was diagnosed.  

 

Another told of a family history: I was initially told that they may have ankylosing spondylitis about 10 yrs ago, because of sacro-iliitis (arthritis of the sacro-iliac joint - lower back/tailbone area) and had a 1st cousin, once removed, with that diagnosis, and a brother with arthritis (unclear type). Anyway, fast forward, I was diagnosed with CD 4 yrs ago, and my arthritis has disappeared on the GF diet.

 

One mentioned her son with it had normal blood work, so decided not to go GF.   She had just broken her hip because of it and I imagine is celiac to be on the list.

 

 One had spinal fusion surgery last year because of spondylitis. 

Another reported being diagnosed celiac and one year later with AS (Ankolosing Spondylitis)

While yet another is celiac and her 25 year old son has AS.  His doctor mentioned it often runs in families, along with celiac (though it is a different gene).

Two people provided useful links:

 the Spondylitis Association web site http://www.spondylitis.org/about/main.aspx?YYZ=NAV02 . They discuss one form, enteropathic spondylitis, that is associated with IBD and Crohn's.. 

Yes, there is a connections between arthropathies and gluten. There is probably a greater connection if you would look at the whole spectrum of gluten sensitivity and not just CD(flattened villi). 

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=10791622&ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

 

http://ww2.arthritis.org/research/Bulletin/vol51no2/51_2_printable.asp

 

The Gluten File has a small section on RA and gluten http://jccglutenfree.googlepages.com/otherautoimmunedisease

 

 

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