Tag Archives: Disease

One small fragment to bind a protein, one leap for celiacs!

In cities such as our own, gluten-free products are becoming increasingly available throughout grocery stores and restaurants. With exception of the health-conscious members of society, who is the primary consumer of these products? One such group is the portion of the population affected by the disorder known as celiac disease.

Rather eating gluten-free for health benefits, celiacs depend on these foods daily to avoid painful illness. In the United States, researchers estimated a prevalence of 1 in 141 peoples affected by celiac disease. Among the people affected many had been undiagnosed leading the researchers to conclude that celiac disease is not as rare as believed in previous years.

What is celiac disease?

What is celiac disease? Celiac disease is a disorder that inhibits those affected from consuming foods with gluten-containing ingredients such as wheat, barley, and rye. Celiac disease harms the small intestine making it incapable of absorbing nutrients during the digestion process which leads to illness. Celiac disease means an abnormal self-defence response is triggered within the body when gluten is consumed causing damage to the small intestine. If celiac disease is left undetected or untreated, common adverse health effects associated include anaemia (iron deficiency caused by iron loss) and osteoporosis (reduced density of bone material that increases chance of fracture). For example, anaemia as an adverse health effect from celiac disease can result because anaemia can be caused by a Vitamin B12 and iron deficiency. Because Vitamin B12 and iron are absorbed in the small intestine, this poses a problem for celiacs whose small intestines are damaged, leading to anaemia that will cause fatigue, weakness, and additional categorical anaemic symptoms.

Figure 1. Image outlining the causes of celiac disease. Source: Kim Moss Electronic Publishing Services Inc. 

Figure 2. Simplified diagram outlining the pathway of inflammation (swelling) for celiac disease caused by gluten antigens (foreign substance that induces a reaction). Source: Nature Genetics

Video: Celiac disease – causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and pathologyOsmosis YouTube channel.

Why is gluten triggering this disease and how is this discovery a leap forward for the celiac community?

Why is gluten causing these symptoms in people around North America? Gluten is composed of proteins called prolamins that are storage proteins (store key survival components for cells such as amino acids or metals). Prolamins are found in wheat, rye, barley, and corn which are common food ingredients. In a recent study conducted in Austria, a research team has discovered a method that provides the possibility of future treatments for celiac patients. The researchers utilized antibodies (proteins that neutralize invaders such as bacteria) to create fragments that bind and neutralize prolamins. Celiac disease currently requires a gluten-free diet that is expectedly followed religiously. The fragments created bind grains containing prolamin in everyday ingredients and has provided future studies the potential to revolutionize clinical treatments that improve quality of life. Discovered treatments can eventually be used to mask the prolamin, preventing it from being displayed to immune cells so an autoimmune response (self-immune response) is not triggered.

Before believing that you are affected by celiac disease, please be aware that irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and intolerances to foods such as dairy are similar in symptoms. No need to panic yet, but always be sure to check with a physician if you are experiencing symptoms! With the prevalence of celiac disease in the United States being 1 in 141 people, a treatment to reduce gluten sensitivity or inhibit it completely would improve many lives. The production of the antibody fragment that targets prolamin is a leap for the celiac community.

– Vanessa Niedzielski

Stress Not…

Nowadays, it is very common to hear phrases like “I’m stressed out ” or “I don’t know if I can handle the stress”. However, the prevalence of stress in our society should not be accepted due to the negative impact that stress can have on people’s health.

Stress  is an organism’s response to any environmental or physical factor that is perceived as threatening harm ,

Pathway for Cortisol release in response to stress. Source: Top 10 Home Remedies

where the body experiences biochemical changes such as the release of hormones to prepare the system to confront danger or avoid it . Although, some amount of stress can be expected in any healthy individual, prolonged  stress has become a damaging condition in modern environment.  

According to Statistics Canada, in 2014 about 73% of adults between 20 and 64-years-old suffer from some level of stress. These findings, are indicative of increasing stress levels that could have long-term consequences on people’s health.

Source: Canadian Community Health Survey, 2014.
In 2014, 23% of Canadians reported that most days were “quite a bit” or “extremely stressful”. Additionally, females were more likely to report that most days were “quite a bit” or “extremely stressful”

According to the review Human behaviour: A cooperative instinct , stress in small doses enables people to adapt faster to unexpected changes in environmental conditions. Likewise, the presence of danger triggers a response called “fight-or-flight” where the body defenses increases: adrenalin secretion increases, blood flow to the brain and muscles increases. Nevertheless, the experience of being overwhelmed and in constant stress causes damage to health, decrease in productivity and life quality. 

What is the link between stress and the immune system?

According to the article published by GM Lewitus and M Schwartz, cells from the immune and nervous system interact together during stress episodes to secrete memory cells that will help people cope with stress-situations in the future. In other words, this mechanism is used by your body to protect you from possible danger. 

What are the causes of stress? 

When encountering a stressful situation, cortisol is released, it maintains bodily functions consistent. However, when stress is present for an extended period of time, high levels of cortisol inhibit some immune responses causing more susceptibility to infections and does not control properly inflammatory responses.

What are the effects of stress?

Some of the effects include: problems with the digestive and reproductive systems, increase the risk of heart attack  and stroke. In addition, a review article shows that stress can even rewire the brain, leaving people more vulnerable to anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems.

 The skin condition know as psoriasis appears to be linked to constant stress periods rather than medication or diet reasons. Researchers suggest that psoriasis is caused by the regulation of cortisol becoming dysfunctional leading to poor control of inflammatory responses causing this condition.

Therefore, being aware of the negative consequences that stress has on people’s health, will allow to reduce its prevalence in society.  

Effects of stress on the body Source: Live Love Fruit.

Mariana Paspuel

Zombie Amoebas: Your Brain is at Risk

What would you say if I told you that there are brain-eating amoebas lurking in warm bodies of water, capable of entering your body through your nose? Would you ask what an amoeba is? Would you ask why it wants to eat your brain? Would you decide to boycott outdoor water parks for the rest of your life?

Naegleria fowleri
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. This image is part of the public domain.

Not to worry, these amoebas do not intentionally set out to eat your brain. However, they are capable of causing a fatal infection upon entering a human body, so it is important to be aware of their existence as well as practices that can help prevent disease.

First, some background information. An amoeba is a single-celled organism that is capable of moving around by projecting pseudopodia or “false feet”. It can use its cell membrane to engulf food particles through a process called phagocytosis.

More specifically, the “zombie amoeba” itself is a species called Naegleria fowleri. It was first discovered in Australia in 1965.

Naegleria fowleri thrives in warm waters – it can survive in temperatures of 45 degrees Celsius! Areas in which the organism is commonly found include warm lakes or ponds, mud puddles, slowly moving rivers, pools or spas that are not chemically treated, hot springs, aquariums and soil. Some good news, however: Naegleria fowleri cannot survive in salt water or in swimming pools that are correctly chemically treated, so you don’t have to stop frequenting your local swimming pools or the beach.

Click on the video below for more information about Naegleria fowleri

YouTube Preview Image

Credit: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Wikimedia Commons. This work is in the public domain.

As stated previously, the term “zombie amoeba” is actually slightly misleading, as the organism does not actively seek out human brains as a food source. According to the Centers for Disease Control and PreventionNaegleria fowleri normally feeds on bacteria. The organism may enter the nose during activities such as swimming and diving. Once it has entered, the amoeba travels to the brain where it feeds on brain tissue, causing swelling and ultimately, death.

These infections occur most frequently in the southern United States during warmer months. The name of the infection itself is primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), the symptoms of which are: headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, neck stiffness, confusion, balance problems and seizures or hallucinations. Rapid progression of the disease can lead to death within an average of 5 days.

Changes observed in body tissue as a result of PAM. Source: Wikimedia Commons. This Image is part of the public domain.

However, according to the CDC:

“Naegleria fowleri infections are rare. In the 10 years from 2008 to 2017, 34 infections were reported in the U.S. Of those cases, 30 people were infected by recreational water, 3 people were infected after performing nasal irrigation using contaminated tap water, and 1 person was infected by contaminated tap water used on a backyard slip-n-slide.”

To prevent infection, the CDC recommends focusing on keeping water from entering your nose by abstaining from diving headfirst into water or submerging your head. As well, it is a good idea to avoid stagnant bodies of water. There is no effective treatment for PAM at the moment, so more research needs to be done so that this disease can be stopped from claiming more lives.

Maya Liepert