It’s likely that coeliac disease symptoms have been around since mankind first began cultivating wheat in approximately 9500 BC. Since then, the understanding of the condition, and its cause, has developed slowly, with some dietary treatments only stumbled on by chance.

However, in the last fifty years, we’ve come to understand much more about the biological and genetic mechanisms behind the condition. We’ve developed effective ways to test for, diagnose and treat coeliac disease.

Ancient origins

One of the earliest documented examples of coeliac disease was unearthed during an archaeological dig in Cosa, Italy in 2008. The remains of a woman’s body from the first century AD were discovered, showing signs of severe malnutrition. Upon further investigation, her bones were found to contain the genes linked to Coeliac disease.

Around the same time that this woman lived, Greek physician Aretaeus of Cappadocia first described the condition. He called it koiliakos, after the Greek word κοιλιακός meaning abdomen. Aretaeus incorrectly suggested that coeliac disease symptoms were caused by a lack of heat in the gut, preventing food from being digested. His work was translated in the 19^th century and presented to the Sydenham Society by Francis Adams in 1856.

The first modern description

While British pathologist Matthew Baillie described a gastrointestinal disorder that responded to a rice only diet as early as the 1800s. The first modern description of coeliac disease symptoms is generally credited to Dr Samuel Gee. He presented a lecture on the condition at Great Ormand Street Children’s Hospital in 1887. In which he suggested that the condition would most likely be treated through diet.

Dr Gee’s work was supported by an American scientist, Dr Christian Herter, and the condition was known as Gee-Herter syndrome for a number of years. Unfortunately, although he tried numerous approaches, Dr Gee was unable to identify which foods caused coeliac disease symptoms during his lifetime.

Accidental success

In the first half of the 20^th century, researchers tried a number of different diets to try to treat coeliac disease. With varying degrees of success. The diets, which ranged from Dutch mussels to bananas, were often successful because they coincidentally excluded wheat, although this was more by accident than design.

It wasn’t until the Second World War that Dutch physician, Dr Willem Dicke first noticed that coeliac disease symptoms dropped dramatically during the Dutch famine, as bread and flour became scarce. Based on these observations, he developed a wheat free diet that was highly effective in treating coeliac disease. This work was built on by a team from Birmingham, who narrowed down the problem to the gluten component of wheat, barley and rye.

Coeliac disease symptoms

As research techniques improved, the cause of coeliac disease symptoms was identified in the gut. Dr John Paulley and his team found flattened villi, know as villous atrophy, in gut samples taken from patients displaying coeliac disease symptoms. These flattened villi were unable to absorb food in the normal way, leading to malnutrition and other symptoms. This work was improved upon by the development of a new gut biopsy technique by Dr Margot Shiner and her team in the 1950s.

Using this biopsy technique, Australian scientist Dr Charlotte Anderson published research in 1960. It firmly established the link between gluten and villous atrophy. Her work showed both the improvement when gluten was excluded from the diet. And the return of coeliac disease symptoms when it was reintroduced.

Genetic links and antigens

It’s only in recent years that the specific genetic components of coeliac disease have been isolated. In 1970, the gene HLA-DQ2 was first linked with the disease. And the condition was accepted as an auto-immune disease by the medical community in the 1990s.

Alongside this work, a number of antigens and antibodies associated with coeliac disease have been identified. These include anti endomysium in 1984, and tissue transglutaminase in 1997. These discoveries have led to the creation of blood tests to help identify coeliac disease.

The future

At present, the only treatment for coeliac disease symptoms is to stick to a strict gluten free diet. However, there are many researchers across the world looking at advancing the diagnosis, treatment and management of coeliac disease.  This research relies on clinical trials and the participation of patients with coeliac disease, if you are interested in being involved in a clinical trial, you can find out more from Coeliac UK here.

With an estimated one in a hundred people affected by coeliac disease symptoms. There is significant interest and investment in research to find a cure. For now though, you can count on Glutafin to help you manage your coeliac disease symptoms. With a delicious range of gluten free products on prescription.

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