NCT03017274

Abdominal Ultrasound Examination in Non-celiac Wheat Sensitivity

Abdominal Ultrasound Examination in Patients Affected With Non-celiac Wheat Sensitivity

• Status: Completed
• Phase: —
• Study type: Observational
• Enrollment: 100 (actual)
• Sponsor: University of Palermo · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 65 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Recently it has been reported that a consistent percentage of the general population 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' (NCGS). In a previous paper the investigators suggested the term 'Non-Celiac Wheat Sensitivity' (NCWS), since it is not known what component of wheat causes the symptoms in NCGS patients, and the investigators also showed that these patients had a high frequency of coexistent multiple food hypersensitivity. The clinical picture of NCWS is characterized by combined gastrointestinal (bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea and/or constipation, nausea, epigastric pain, gastroesophageal reflux, aphthous stomatitis) and extra-intestinal and/or systemic manifestations (headache, depression, anxiety, 'foggy mind,' tiredness, dermatitis or skin rash, fibromyalgia-like joint/muscle pain, leg or arm numbness, and anemia). Nowadays no data are available on the abdominal ultrasonographic features of NCWS patients. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to evaluate the abdominal ultrasonographic features of NCWS patients in comparison with patients affected with celiac disease.

Detailed description

Recently it has been reported that a consistent percentage of the general population 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' (NCGS). In a previous paper the investigators suggested the term 'Non-Celiac Wheat Sensitivity' (NCWS), since it is not known what component of wheat causes the symptoms in NCGS patients, and the investigators also showed that these patients had a high frequency of coexistent multiple food hypersensitivity. The clinical picture of NCWS is characterized by combined gastrointestinal (bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea and/or constipation, nausea, epigastric pain, gastroesophageal reflux, aphthous stomatitis) and extra-intestinal and/or systemic manifestations (headache, depression, anxiety, 'foggy mind,' tiredness, dermatitis or skin rash, fibromyalgia-like joint/muscle pain, leg or arm numbness, and anemia). The researchers have just demonstrated in patients affected with seronegative celiac disease that the presence of dilated bowel loops and a thickened small bowel wall had a sensitivity of 83% and a negative predictive value of 95% in CD diagnosis. Considering the presence of one of these two signs, abdominal US sensitivity increased to 92% and negative predictive value to 98%. Nowadays no data are available on the abdominal ultrasonographic features of NCWS patients. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to evaluate the abdominal ultrasonographic features of NCWS patients in comparison with patients affected with celiac disease.

Conditions

• Non-celiac Wheat Sensitivity

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Abdominal ultrasound examination	All subjects undergone abdominal ultrasonography at the Outpatient of Ultrasonography of the Department of Internal Medicine at the University Hospital of Palermo, Italy.

Timeline

• Start date: 2015-01-01
• Primary completion: 2016-01-01
• Completion: 2016-11-01
• First posted: 2017-01-11
• Last updated: 2017-01-11

Locations

2 sites across 1 country: Italy