'Japanese Society for Biological Sciences in Space'
Abstract
Celiac disease has gained much attention in the medical field due to its highly variable symptoms that are known to affect people of various ages and at different stages of their lives. It was thought to mainly be a pediatric disease, until recently. The onset and pathogenesis of the disease itself is a complex process involving many components of both the innate and adaptive immune system of the individual. Along with an individual possessing the genes for susceptibility, it also involves environmental factors that have yet to be confirmed. It has proven difficult for researchers to pinpoint these various environmental factors since it affects individuals differently and to different extremities. This research focuses on analyzing the common patterns of potential environmental triggers around the time of onset amongst individuals in the celiac disease population. Data were collected via an anonymous survey that was posted to personal social media accounts and sent out in an email blast to the students in the University Honors Program and Biological Sciences department of California State University Long Beach. The data conclude that many of the potential environmental triggers exhibit a common theme of extreme stress, both physical and emotional, which provides a basis for further study
