• Grayson Seidel, Halle Kotchman, Erin Milner, and Kevin J O'Donovan.
• Department of Chemistry and Life Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY 10996, USA.
• Mil Med. 2022 Mar 28; 187 (3-4): e322-e328.

IntroductionThe purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the etiology, pathology, and treatments for celiac disease (CD), as well as to provide context as to how CD impacts the U.S. military.Materials And MethodsTo conduct this review, the authors surveyed recent epidemiology and immunology literature in order to provide a detailed summary of the current understanding of CD, its diagnosis, and the real-world impacts within the Department of Defense (DoD).ResultsWe described the gluten proteins and both the immune response in CD. We further describe the underlying genetic risk factors and diagnosis and pathogenesis of the disease and conclude the review with a discussion of how current DoD regulations impact U.S. military readiness.ConclusionCeliac disease (CD) is an autoimmune disorder that results in damage to the small intestine. Ingestion of gluten in a CD patient is usually followed by villous atrophy in the small intestine, often along with other gastrointestinal symptoms. Around 1% of patients diagnosed with CD can experience complications if gluten-free diet is not followed, including intestinal lymphoma and hyposplenism. Therefore, a patient showing possible symptoms should discuss the diagnostic process with their healthcare providers to ensure adequate understanding of serological and genetic tests along with the histological examination of intestinal biopsy. Patients should seek consults with registered dietitians to structure their diets appropriately. Considering the prevalence and incidence of CD and gluten intolerances are increasing, the military should consider providing gluten-free Meals Ready-to-Eat as an option for all service members. Given the retention of service members with CD, subsequent admission of personnel with mild CD that does not affect the duties will allow the DoD access to a growing population of fully capable service members with critical technical skills who are eager to serve the USA.Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States 2021. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.

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