Overview
Refractory celiac disease (RCD) is a complex autoimmune disorder much like the more common celiac disease but, unlike celiac disease, it is resistant or unresponsive to at least 12 months of treatment with a strict gluten-free diet. Gliadin, a component of the wheat storage protein gluten, together with similar proteins in barley and rye, are the villains that trigger the immune reaction in celiac disease. The diagnosis of RCD is made by exclusion, especially of any other disorder that can affect the huge number of thread-like projections that line the interior of the intestine (intestinal villi), such as intestinal lymphoma, Crohn's disease, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth or hypogammaglobulinemia.