Autoimmune Diseases And Serum Anti-Nuclear Antibodies Positivity In Non-Celiac Wheat Sensitivity Patients

Non-Celiac Wheat Sensitivity Clinical Trial

Official title: Autoimmune Diseases And Serum Anti-Nuclear Antibodies Positivity In Non-Celiac Wheat Sensitivity Patients

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

Celiac disease (CD) is an immune-based reaction to dietary gluten (storage protein for wheat, barley, and rye) that primarily affects the small intestine in genetically predisposed patients and resolves with exclusion of gluten from the diet. Patients with CD show circulating autoantibodies (anti-transglutaminase, anti-tTG) and suffer from the destruction of a specific tissue cell type (the enterocytes) by CD8+ T cells. Furthermore, other autoimmune diseases have been reported in association to CD in 20-30% of the cases. In the last few year, a new clinical entity emerged, which seems include patients who consider themselves to be suffering from problems caused by wheat and/or gluten ingestion, even though they do not have CD or wheat allergy. This clinical condition has been named "Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity" (6), but, in a recent paper, the investigators suggested the term "Non-Celiac Wheat Sensitivity" (NCWS), since, to date, it is not known what component of wheat really causes the symptoms. The doubt areas about the NCWS regard also its pathogenesis as, despite some papers evidenced an intestinal immunologic activation, others excluded it. To explore the presence of autoimmunity in NCWS, the investigators evaluated: a) the frequency of autoimmune diseases and b) the frequency of serum anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) positivity in newly diagnosed NCWS, compared to CD patients.

Clinical Trial Description

Celiac disease (CD) is an immune-based reaction to dietary gluten (storage protein for wheat, barley, and rye) that primarily affects the small intestine in genetically predisposed patients and resolves with exclusion of gluten from the diet. Although CD is not surely placed among the autoimmune diseases, patients with CD show circulating autoantibodies (anti-transglutaminase, anti-tTG) and suffer from the destruction of a specific tissue cell type (the enterocytes) by CD8+ T cells. Furthermore, other autoimmune diseases have been reported in association to CD in 20-30% of the cases. In the last few year, a new clinical entity emerged, which seems include patients who consider themselves to be suffering from problems caused by wheat and/or gluten ingestion, even though they do not have CD or wheat allergy. This clinical condition has been named "Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity" (6), but, in a recent paper, the investigators suggested the term "Non-Celiac Wheat Sensitivity" (NCWS), since, to date, it is not known what component of wheat really causes the symptoms. The doubt areas about the NCWS regard also its pathogenesis as, despite some papers evidenced an intestinal immunologic activation, others linked NCWS to the dietary FODMAPs (Fermentable Oligo-di and Mono-saccharides, And Polyols) load, thus excluding an immunologic involvement in the NCWS. To explore the presence of autoimmunity in NCWS, in the present study the investigators evaluated: a) the frequency of autoimmune diseases and b) the frequency of serum anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) positivity in newly diagnosed NCWS and CD patients. ;

Study Design

Observational Model: Case Control, Time Perspective: Retrospective

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Autoimmune Diseases
• Non-Celiac Wheat Sensitivity

• NCT number: NCT02248545
• Study type: Observational
• Source: University of Palermo
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: July 2011
• Completion date: June 2014