CD39 and Gene Variant Linked to Crohn's

Saw an article posted yesterday via WebMD about another potential genetic link found to Crohn's Disease. The gene variant, common in white people and those with European descent, causes a lower amount of the enzyme CD39 to be created in the gut. The enzyme dampens inflammation. Here's an excerpt:

All humans have a CD39 gene. But some have a version of the gene linked to lower CD39 levels. Friedman and colleagues identified a genetic marker for low CD39 production. They then looked for this marker in 1,748 patients with Crohn's disease and in 2,936 people without IBD.

They found that the genetic marker was significantly more common in people with Crohn's disease. Moreover, people without IBD were more likely to carry two copies of the high-CD39 gene, while those with Crohn's disease were more likely to carry two copies of the low-CD39 gene.

Genetics are not destiny. Not everyone with the low-CD39 gene has or will have IBD. Even having two copies of the gene only increases a person's risk of Crohn's disease by 27%.

But since about 40% of whites of European ancestry carry at least one copy of the gene, its effects across the entire population should be quite large.

It seems there may be many contributing factors to Crohn's. Perhaps that means it's an umbrella disorder with many possible causes (rather than one single cause).

Just Say No To Antibacterial Burgers

Read a good Washington Post article about the extreme use of antibiotics in our livestock and food supply. An astonishing 70% of antibiotics used in the US are used for the raising of livestock (primarily in disease prevention rather than treatment). That means were are steadily getting small doses of antibiotics through our food supply our entire lives. But those antibiotics lets us keep our food cheap and accessible for the masses, right? How could we eliminate it? I thought this excerpt was good:

There's also the argument that the pennies we're saving on each burger are being spent in our hospitals. A 2005 study out of Tufts University estimated that antibiotic-resistant infections add $50 billion to the annual cost of American health care. On the other side of the coin, a National Academy of Sciences study found that eliminating non-therapeutic antibiotics from animals would cost only about $5 to $10 per person per year. I'd pay that for a lower risk of super-staphylococcus.

That's very reasonable.

50% of Type 1 Diabetics Show Adverse Immune Response to Wheat

Saw this post on Celiac.com about a recent study in Ottawa that found that nearly half of people with Type 1 Diabetes showed an abnormal response to wheat proteins. Here's an excerpt:

Dr. Scott’s results offer the first suggestions that T cells

Small lymph cells created in the thymus which orchestrate the immune system\'s response to infected or malignant cells. Also known as T lymphocytes. T cells in the immune systems of type 1 diabetics are also more likely to have adverse immune reactions to wheat. His results also suggest that such over-reaction is tied to genes associated with type 1 diabetes.

According to Dr. Scott, the research suggests that "people with certain genes may be more likely to develop an over-reaction to wheat and possibly other foods in the gut and this may tip the balance with the immune system and make the body more likely to develop other immune problems, such as type 1 diabetes.”

Dr. Scott adds that the immune system has to find "the perfect balance to defend the body against foreign invaders without hurting itself or over-reacting to the environment and this can be particularly challenging in the gut, where there is an abundance of food and bacteria.”

In side comments that accompany the paper, diabetes expert Dr. Mikael Knip of Finland suggest that the team's results "add to the accumulating concept that the gut is an active player in the diabetes disease process.”

Nothing ultra-new here relative to previous studies that led to the SCD diet, but interesting to see this applied to Type 1 Diabetes.

Contamination of food products with Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis: a systematic review

A study published back in March 2009 conducted a systematic review of previous studies of the potential threats to exposure to the MAP bacteria. Here's the abstract from the research:

Although a causal link between Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) and Crohn's disease has not been proved, previous studies suggest that the potential routes of human exposure to MAP should be investigated. We conducted a systematic review of literature concerning the likelihood of contamination of food products with MAP and the likely changes in the quantity of MAP in dairy and meat products along their respective production chains. Relevant data were extracted from 65 research papers and synthesized qualitatively. Although estimates of the prevalence of Johne's disease are scarce, particularly for non-dairy herds, the available data suggest that the likelihood of contamination of raw milk with MAP in most studied regions is substantial. The presence of MAP in raw and pasteurized milk has been the subject of several studies which show that pasteurized milk is not always MAP-free and that the effectiveness of pasteurization in inactivating MAP depends on the initial concentration of the agent in raw milk. The most recent studies indicated that beef can be contaminated with MAP via dissemination of the pathogen in the tissues of infected animals. Currently available data suggests that the likelihood of dairy and meat products being contaminated with MAP on retail sale should not be ignored.

One of the tables that summarizes the rates of infection of MAP in livestock was pretty telling. In the US, rates of infection in herds ranged from 2% to 74%. Main take-away is that there is substantial risk to exposure to MAP in the US (and in most other countries - regardless of how developed they are).

Faces of Low Dose Naltrexone: New Book Explores Cutting-Edge Autoimmune Disease Treatment

I saw this blog post on About.com regarding an e-book that someone published summarizing many of the findings related to low-dose naltrexone (LDN). I haven't read through it yet, but just bookmarking it to review later.

This slide caught my eye while I was skimming through the document. It's a summary of the mechanism of how LDN works:

Urban Cluster of Crohn's Potentially Explained by MAP

I just came across a new research report published Sept 23, 2009 (Possible Transmission of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis through Potable Water: Lessons from an Urban Cluster of Crohn's Disease) that found a geographical cluster of people that developed Crohn's Disease.

Here's an excerpt that describes the clustering they found (only three people, but still warrants further research):

Despite the documented presence of MAP in tap water and its probable growth on tap water pipes, clusters of Crohn's disease have not previously been described in relationship to tap water pipes supplying patients' homes. This report describes three unrelated individuals who lived on the same block along a street in a midwestern American city and developed Crohn's disease within four years of each other in the 1960's. A common tap water pipe supplied their homes. This is the first reported cluster of Crohn's disease possibly linked to fully treated drinking water, and is consistent with previously reported clusters of Crohn's disease linked to an infectious microorganism in water.

The full article can be found here.

Foods For Healthy Weight Gain

Just read this post about how to gain weight when dealing with diseases like Crohn's. Obviously everything about eating pasta, rice, potatoes, and such won't quite work on the SCD diet. But I thought the calorie counts were very interesting. Here's the excerpt:

Plan to eat about 6 meals daily, and eat about 500 calories a day more than usual. Sugary products like milkshakes (which could be made with skim milk and low-fat ice cream), jellies, jams, cakes and cookies can accomplish that goal easily, short-term.

Eating a balanced diet and managing weight long-term should be done thoughtfully. You don’t want to only gain fat and no muscle. Any kind of SAFE dieting program suggests eating healthy foods while exercising, to keep the body at an ideal weight while building muscle.

Know your recommended weight for your height and body type. The average 165-pound man, between 19 to 24 years old, needs 3000 calories a day to maintain his weight. But, as we age, we need fewer calories, so that same man will only require 2700 calories daily from the age of 25 to 49. And even less beyond that.

An average woman, ages 19 to 24, will need 2100 calories daily to maintain a weight of 127 pounds. As she ages, up to 49, she will only need 1900 calories.

Good guidance. The article also mentions to work with a nutritionist along side your doctor. It's tough to get 3000 to 3500 calories a day on the SCD, but I suppose I'll have to find a way.