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Below is a summary between Barrett's Esophagus and Celiac Sprue. I have
received only 11 replies so far.

Three persons wanted to know what Barrett's Esophagus is.

Three persons have a close relative who have been diagnosed with
Barrett's Esophagus but do not have Celiac Sprue.

One person who has CD (celiac disease) was just diagnosed with GERD
(gastroesophageal reflux disease) and had very little symptoms of GERD.

Two persons with CD were just diagnosed with BE (barrett's Esophagus)
after history of GERD.

Two persons with CD developed Esophagus cancer one year after having
been diagnosed with BE. Both persons had very little GERD symptoms and
their cancer was picked up on yearly endoscope exams.

One person with CD that developed esophagus cancer was told by their
doctor that this form of cancer was associated with Celiacs disease.

What is Barrett"s Esophagus?

Barrett's Esophagus is a condition in which acid from the stomach will
damage the lining of the lower part of the esophagus. Cells that line
the stomach then move into the damage area of the esophagus. These cell
are not normal cells, they are premalignant. In the states, a annual
gastroscopy is done for barrett's to help in detection of early stages
of esophagus cancer if or when these cells turn to cancer. Barrett's is
acquired in only 5% of people that have bad or long history of GERD
(gastroesophageal reflux disease). People with GERD may or may not have
symptoms. People with little or no symptoms of GERD  seem to be at
greater risk at developing Barrett's.

What type of esophagus cancer comes from Barrett's Esophagus?

There are two types of esophagus cancer, Squamons cancers and
adenocarcinomas. Adenocarcinomas are the form of cancer that you get
with Barrett's Esophagus,stomach,small bowel and colon.

I have worked in the medical field for 20 years and I am currently
running a nuclear cardiac imaging lab. I work with alot of patients with
all types of diseases. Iam not a Doctor, but with my medical knowledge,
experience and research in this area, this is what I have found.

There is no direct link to say that Celiac Sprue will cause GERD,
Barrett's Esophagus or Esophagus Cancer. The effects of CD on  GERD, BE,
and esophagus cancer is by a secondary effect of a suppress immune
system. When you suppress you immune system, the body cannot repair it
self. Little problems can become big problems. Such as reflux to GERD to
Barrett's Esophagus to Esophagus Cancer. Very very few ever get to the
cancer stage in the general population, but for people with an
autoimmune diseases  such as Celiac Sprue, the risk is higher.

I email the Fred Hutchingson Cancer Research Center in Seattle
Washington and asked their Barrett's Esophagus Program if people with
Celiac Sprue and Barrett's are at higher risk at developing esophagus
cancer vs a person with Barrett's that do not have Celiac Sprue. Below
is their response.

The following sentence was taken from the Textbook of Gastroenterology
Volume Two: Yamada, Alpers, Owyang, Powell & Silverstein. Chapter 72
page 1654:
   "Evidence strongly suggests that adherence to a gluten-free diet reduces
   the subsequent incidence of malignancy associated with celiac disease...
   it seems prudent to advise celiac disease patients to adhere to a strict
   gluten-free diet."

In the references that we could find, the esophageal cancers associated
with celiac disease were predominately squamous cancers rather than
adenocarcinomas (which are associated with Barrett's). However, in
general we agree with the above statement that the adherence to a gluten
free diet appears prudent.

Seattle Barrett's Esophagus Program
http://www.fhcrc.org/~barretts

As you can see, not alot of research have be done in this area.
Sometimes when you look for a needle in a haystack, the haystack gets
bigger!

With all the research that I have done, there is strong evidence to
support the facts that any ingestion of gulten, among  Celiac's,
will suppress your immune system which will leave you open to all kinds
of infections and cancers. Even that the risk is still small, it is
still higher then the general public. My reseach agrees alot with what
Ron Hoggan has found.

The question is not how much gluten is safe gluten? The real question is
how much damage, by the ingestion of gluten, will it take to cause a
symptom. The lucky people get early symptoms before to much damage is
done. The hard part is always trying to find out what causes the
symptoms. It is easy to treat the symptoms.

I was diagnosed with both Celiac Sprue and Barrett's Esophagus one year
ago. I do not believe that there is good gluten or safe gluten. I will
continue to do reseach in Celiac Sprue vs Barrett's Esophages and other
related diseases. Ron Hoggan, If you are reading this, if you come
across any related information between Barrett's, esophagus cancer and
Celiac Sprue, I would appreciate you sending it my way.

John
Spokane, WA