Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Celiac Sprue Vs Tropical Sprue Vs Whipple Disease


dogle

Recommended Posts

dogle Apprentice

The other day I was reading an article regarding these three diseases that can be confused especially celiac and tropical sprue, all of them cause malabsortion and therefore similar symptoms, this is what I understood:

Celiac sprue (disease): Positive antigladin, endomysial and transglutaminase antibodies, biopsy shows villi blunting, histology (villi) and symptoms improve with a gluten free diet.

Tropical sprue: Negative antigladin, endomysial and transglutaminase antibodies, biospy shows villi blunting, histology (villi) and symptoms don't improve with a gluten free diet. The disease is though to be cause by an infectious agent wich can be treated with some antibiotics for 6 months. Maybe this could be the reason why some people have villi blunting, negative antibodies and their symptoms don't improve with the gluten free diet, in fact, they can be cured with a antibiotics.

Whipple disease: Malbasortion syndrome caused by Tropheryma Whippleii wich obstucts lymphatics in the intestine which in turn cause malabsortion. I understand it doesn't present with villi blunting. It can be treated with antibiotics and can be cured. It doesn't improve with a gluten free diet.

I hope it helps. :D


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



shirleyujest Contributor

Thank you for sharing, that's interesting.

Lisa Mentor

Tropical Sprue is regional and treatable and not an autoimmune response.:

Open Original Shared Link

[edit] Cause

The cause of tropical sprue is not known.[1] It has been suggested that it is caused by bacterial, viral, amoebal, or parasitic infection. Folic acid deficiency and rancid fat have also been suggested as possible causes. In a condition called coeliac (also: celiac) disease (also known as coeliac sprue), which has similar symptoms to non tropical sprue, the flattening of the villi and small intestine inflammation is caused by an autoimmune disorder.

[edit] Affected Regions

The disease was first described by William Hillary[2] in 1759 in Barbados. Tropical sprue is endemic to India and southeast Asia, Central and South America, and the Caribbean.

[edit] Treatment

Once diagnosed, tropical sprue can be treated by a course of the antibiotic tetracycline(Doxycycline) or Sulfamethoxazole/Trimethoprim(Co-trimoxazole) and vitamins B12 and folic acid for at least 6 months.

[edit] Prevention

Preventive measures include drinking only bottled water, brushing teeth, washing food, avoiding fruits washed with tap water (or consuming only peeled fruits, such as bananas and oranges), and altogether avoidance of travel to the affected regions.

[edit] Prognosis

The prognosis for tropical sprue is excellent. It usually does not recur in patients who get it during travel to affected regions. The recurrence rate for natives is about 20%.

dogle Apprentice

I don't know but I have also a "gut feeling" (ironic) that one person can have celiac and tropical sprue or whipple disease at the same time, though the chances would be pretty slim, it would be worth that every and each of these disease be ruled out by the GI doctor to be completley sure, also, pancreatic deficiency can cause the same malabsortion symtoms but I have read that one has to have a trypsin digestive and a secretin blood workup. Carbohydrite malabsortion can cause GI symptoms as well. Good luck to those having problems with the correct diagnosis.

Serversymptoms Contributor

Interesting... I have seen improvements avoiding gluten but not all completely since I know there are other health problems that I have. I now also will avoid yeast, which I'm also seeing many improvements. Next doctor visit I'll see about getting my thyroids check, since I have all those symptoms plus more.... and think it's only a logical move. If results for thyroid conclude that there is something wrong I will suspect they will start checking for other health issues. Tropical and Whipple are two I will keep in mind, maybe they will come across it. Though I'm sure if I get a thyroid test with conclusion there is a health problem, a biopsy may also be done ( to thyroid and/ or intestine near stomach), maybe?

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      129,154
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    J. Nichols
    Newest Member
    J. Nichols
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.2k
    • Total Posts
      71.5k

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):




  • Who's Online (See full list)

    • There are no registered users currently online

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Dora77
      It wasnt really eye catching, but they were small stains which looked like dried out liquid. I dont know if it was normal or shouldve been just completely clean. But if someone didnt pay attention, it wouldnt be noticeable.
    • RMJ
      If there were stains or particles on a drink can in an area that would either contact the drink or my lips, I would wash that can whether or not I had celiac disease.
    • Bebygirl01
      You are on the money, but I should also add that Italian, French and other countries research shows exactly what I have said. Our FDA is behind the ball when it comes to this research and I am hopeful that Kennedy can straighten this out soon, albeit he is giving the food companies too long to just remove food dyes from our foods when in fact they have to remove all that in order to sell for example, in the UK as they aren't allowed such things. The food companies and the cola companies have also changed their formulas to have just sugar in them instead of corn gluten aka high fructose corn syrup and corn starch in them. Misinformation here in America is a very dangerous thing. I also have been grain free for a long time now and at no time can I even have the smallest amount of corn gluten -I recently got glutened from a supplement that claimed to be grain free yet upon further research I found that it had erythritol (corn sugar) in it and that is what got me sick for 7 days straight. I am not hopeful to ever be able to add back into my diet any of the grain glutens, but perhaps those who were only gluten intolerant might be able to, but for me being celiac, I have no hope in that. Thank you for the article, I will add it to my collection of research as I am collecting everything I can find on this subject and posting it on X as well as other places.  I also don't use psuedo grains i.e. quinoa as that also reacts negatively with my gut, so I am 100% a cassava/tapioca/arrow root girl and that is my go to bread replacement. There are some new items made with chicpea/green peas that are sold as rice alternatives, i bought one to try but haven't yet. So food companies are getting creative, but like you said, I am fresh whole foods and don't buy many processed foods, I make my own cheese, ketchup, pickles, jams, etc.
    • Dora77
      There were small spots (stains) on the drinking area at the top of the energy drinks can from the store that looked as the same color as milk — maybe oat milk (Hafermilch) or a wheat-based drink (Weizendrink), but I’m not sure what it was. There were also some particles that looked like either flour or dust, but not many. Could it have been a gluten-containing drink spilled onto the can or just regular small stains which I shouldn‘t worry about? Do you watch out for stuff like that or am I overthinking? Would it cause damage to a celiac?
    • Scott Adams
      This is such an important discussion! While corn gluten (zein) is structurally different from wheat gluten, emerging research suggests some celiac and gluten-sensitive individuals may still react to it, whether due to cross-reactivity, inflammation, or other factors. For those with non-responsive celiac disease or ongoing symptoms, eliminating corn—especially processed derivatives like corn syrup—might be worth exploring under medical guidance. That said, corn’s broader health impact (GMOs, digestibility, nutritional profile) is a separate but valid concern. Like you mentioned, ‘gluten-free’ doesn’t automatically mean ‘healthy,’ and whole, unprocessed foods are often the safest bet. For those sensitive to corn, alternatives like quinoa, rice, or nutrient-dense starches (e.g., sweet potatoes) can help fill the gap. Always fascinating (and frustrating) how individualized this journey is—thanks for highlighting these nuances! Many people with celiac disease, especially those who are in the 0-2 year range of their recovery, have additional food intolerance issues which could be temporary. To figure this out you may need to keep a food diary and do an elimination diet over a few months. Some common food intolerance issues are dairy/casein, eggs, corn, oats, and soy. The good news is that after your gut heals (for most people who are 100% gluten-free this will take several months to two years) you may be able to slowly add some these items back into your diet after the damaged villi heal. This article may be helpful:    
×
×
  • Create New...