Efficacy of a High-Iron Dietary Intervention in Women with Celiac Disease and Iron Deficiency without Anemia : A Clinical Trial

Background and aim: Iron deficiency without anemia (IDWA) is a common finding in celiac disease (CD) and can also persist in case of good compliance and clinical response to a strict gluten-free diet (GFD). This scenario usually presents in CD women of child-bearing age in whom the imbalance between menstrual iron loss and inadequate iron intake from their diet plays the major role. A recommended approach to this condition is yet to be established. This study aimed to compare, in this subset of patients, the efficacy of a dietary approach consisting of an iron-rich diet against the traditional pharmacological oral-replacement therapy. Material and methods: Between February and December 2016, consecutive CD female patients of child-bearing age as referred to our outpatient center with evidence of IDWA (ferritin <15 ng/mL or 15-20 ng/L with transferrin saturation <15%) were enrolled. After the completion of a 7-day weighed food intake recording to assess the usual iron dietary intake, the patients were randomized in two arms to receive a 12-week iron-rich diet (iron intake >20 mg/die) versus oral iron supplementation with ferrous sulfate (FS) (105 mg/day). Blood tests and dietary assessments were repeated at the end of treatment. The degree of compliance and tolerability to the treatments were assessed every month by means of specific questionnaires and symptoms evaluation. Results: A total of 22 women were enrolled and divided in the diet group (n = 10, age 37 \ub1 8 years) and in the FS group (n = 12, age 38 \ub1 10 years). The food intake records demonstrated an inadequate daily intake of iron in all the enrolled subjects. At the end of the treatments, ferritin levels were higher in the FS group (8.5 (5) versus 34 (30.8), p = 0.002). Compliance and tolerability were similar in both treatment groups (89% versus 87%, p = ns). Conclusions: These findings did not support any equivalent efficacy of an iron-rich diet compared to a FS supplementation in non-anemic iron-deficient women affected by CD. However, the diet appeared a well-tolerated approach, and adequate dietary instructions could effectively increase the daily iron consumption, suggesting a role in the long-term management of IDWA, especially in patients who do not tolerate pharmacological supplementation

Covid-19 vaccine: A survey of hesitancy in patients with celiac disease

(1) Background: COVID-19 vaccination campaigns offer the best hope of controlling the pandemic. However, the fast production of COVID-19 vaccines has caused concern among the general public regarding their safety and efficacy. In particular, patients with chronic illnesses, such as celiac disease (CD), may be more fearful. Information on vaccine hesitancy plays a pivotal role in the development of an efficient vaccination campaign. In our study, we aimed to evaluate COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among Italian CD patients. (2) Methods: an anonymous questionnaire was sent to CD patients followed at our tertiary referral center for CD in Milan, Italy. Patients were defined as willing, hesitant and refusing. We evaluated the reasons for hesitancy/refusal and the possible determinants, calculating crude and adjusted odds ratios [AdjORs] with 95% confidence intervals [CIs]. (3) Results: the questionnaire was sent to 346 patients with a response rate of 29.8%. Twenty-six (25.2%) of the 103 respondents were hesitant, with a total refusal rate of 4.8%. The main reason was fear of adverse events related to vaccination (68.2%). Among hesitant patients, 23% declared that their opinion was influenced by their CD. The determinants positively influencing willingness to be vaccinated against COVID-19 were adherence to a GFD, perception of good knowledge about COVID-19 and its vaccines, and a positive attitude to previous vaccines (AdjOR 12.71, 95% CI 1.82–88.58, AdjOR 6.50, 95% CI 1.44–29.22, AdjOR 0.70, 95% CI 0.11–4.34, respectively). (4) Conclusions: CD patients should be vaccinated against COVID-19 and a specific campaign to address the determinants of hesitancy should be developed

Are treated celiac patients at risk for mycotoxins? An Italian case-study

Urinary biomarkers of mycotoxin exposure were evaluated in a group of celiac patients (n = 55) and in a control group of healthy subjects (n = 50) following their habitual diet. Deoxynivalenol (DON), zearalenone (ZEN), and fumonisin B1 (FB1) were monitored in 105 urinary samples collected from the two groups. Dietary habits were also recorded through compilation of a seven-day weighed dietary diary. Biomarkers of mycotoxin exposure were detected in 21 celiac patients and in 15 control subjects, corresponding to about 34% of total participants. In particular, ZEN was the most detected mycotoxin among all the studied subjects with a total of 19 positive cases. Results did not show a statistically significant difference in mycotoxin exposure between the two groups, and the presence of specific mycotoxins was not related to the intake of any particular food category. Our findings suggest little urgency of specific regulation for gluten free products, although the prevalence of exposure observed in free-living diets of both celiac and healthy subjects underlines the need of a constant surveillance on mycotoxins occurrence at large

Safety of occasional ingestion of gluten in patients with celiac disease: a real-life study

Background Gluten-free diet (GFD) decreases the quality of life of celiac disease (CD) patients, who frequently ask to occasionally ingest gluten-containing food. We evaluated CD patients reporting voluntary and occasional transgressions to their GFD. Methods From October 2017 to September 2018, the patients reporting occasional and voluntary gluten ingestion (GFD-noncompliant) were prospectively enrolled. These patients underwent clinical examination, blood tests, duodenal biopsy, capsule enteroscopy (CE), and a validated food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) assessing the frequency and quantity of gluten intake. Mortality was calculated and compared to the general population. A group of patients on strict GFD (GFD-adherent) acted as controls. Results One thousand three hundred seventy-eight CD patients were evaluated during the study period. One hundred nine (8%) reported occasional (weekly or monthly) voluntary ingestion of gluten. The mean gluten intake was 185.2 +/- 336.9 g/year, and the duration of their incorrect GFD was 8.6 +/- 6.9 years. Among the noncompliant patients, 57% did not present any histological alteration; furthermore, the Marsh score profile was not different between compliant and noncompliant patients. Seventy percent did not present any alteration at CE. Seventy-five percent of patients reported no gastrointestinal symptoms after gluten ingestion. Twenty-three percent of patients in the GFD-noncompliant group presented positive tTG-IgA. No association was found between gluten intake, clinical symptoms, and biomarkers. Mortality was not different between the groups and the general population. Conclusions Our results are that in a real-life scenario, a group of CD patients on long-term gluten intake showed no significant clinical symptoms or small bowel damage, thus suggesting that a degree of tolerance towards gluten consumption can be reached

Drogas utilizadas por jovens de Brasília

In the present paper, the responses to some openquestions included in a survey about the Knowledge and use ofsubstances among students in Brasilia, conducted during 1986, areanalysed. The inhalant substances are reported as the more frequentlyconsumed products, followed by use of substances in group ofpsychotropic agents. As more easily obtained drugs, marinuana, "loló","glue" and cocaine ar considered. The discrepancies between their useand the opinions regarding the easiness in obtaining them are explainedwith reference to the stereotype of social representation, which considersas "drugs" only the illicit or illegal products, it is concluded that any stepswhich are to be taken to affect the "drug problem" have to take into account the overall socio-economic situation in which it occurs, thepersonal motivations and the incentives to the user's aptitudes by society,instead of focusing only on the availability of the product, in a model ofrepessive approach.RESUMO - No presente trabalho são analisadas as respostas a algumas questões abertas, inseridas em um levantamento sobre conhecimentos e uso de drogas entre alunos de Brasília, feito em 1986. Os inalantes são citados como os produtos mais consumidos, seguidos peto grupo dos medicamentos. Como drogas mais fáceis de serem obtidas, são consideradas a maconha, a loló, as colas e a cocaína. A discrepância entre o uso e as opiniões sobre a facilidade de aquisição é explicada com referência ao estereótipo da representação social, que considera como drogas apenas os produtos ilegais. Conclui-se que qualquer medida que queira intervir no problema de drogas, tem que levar em conta o contexto sócio-econômico, as motivações pessoais e as estimulações sociais, ao invés de focalizar apenas a presença do produto, em uma abordagem repressiva

Sucrosomial Iron Supplementation in Anemic Patients with Celiac Disease Not Tolerating Oral Ferrous Sulfate: A Prospective Study

Patients with celiac disease (CD) frequently suffer from iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and may benefit from iron supplementation. However, intolerance to iron sulfate and duodenal atrophy could reduce the efficacy of this supplementation. This study evaluated the efficacy of a new sucrosomial iron formulation in patients with CD. Consecutive patients with CD and IDA were divided into two groups: patients with a known intolerance to iron sulfate were treated with sucrosomial iron (30 mg of iron/day), while those receiving iron supplementation for the first time were assigned to iron sulfate (105 mg of iron/day). Forty-three patients were enrolled (38 females, mean age 49 \ub1 9 years). After a follow-up of 90 days both groups showed an increase in Hb levels compared to baseline (+10.1% and +16.2% for sucrosomial and sulfate groups, respectively), and a significant improvement in all iron parameters, with no statistical difference between the two groups. Patients treated with sucrosomial iron reported a lower severity of abdominal symptoms, such as abdominal and epigastric pain, abdominal bloating, and constipation, and a higher increase in general well-being (+33% vs. +21%) compared to the iron sulfate group. Sucrosomial iron can be effective in providing iron supplementation in difficult-to-treat populations, such as patients with CD, IDA, and known intolerance to iron sulfate

Exposure to different amounts of dietary gluten in patients with non-celiac gluten sensitivity (Ncgs): An exploratory study

It is unclear whether patients with non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) can tolerate gluten. We have evaluated the changes of both gastrointestinal symptoms and quality of life for NCGS patients after the re-introduction of dietary gluten. Twenty-two NCGS patients reporting functional gastroenterological symptoms and on gluten-free diet (GFD) for the previous three weeks were exposed to incremental gluten-containing diets. Three groups were compared at baseline (immediately after 3-weeks on GFD) and immediately after the return of symptomatology: (i) a group tolerating a low-gluten diet (3.5 g gluten/day, week 1, n = 8), (ii) a group tolerating a mid-gluten diet (8 g gluten/day, week 2, n = 6), and (iii) a group tolerating a high-gluten diet (13 g gluten/day, week 3, n = 8). Their gastrointestinal symptoms and quality of life were assessed at baseline and post-intervention. The most common symptoms were: constipation (46%), abdominal pain (50%) and dyspepsia (38%). A decrease in several short form health survey (SF-36) sub-scores (all p < 0.03) after gluten re-introduction was only observed in the group tolerating the low-gluten diet; the same group showed a lower post-intervention role-emotional SF-36 score (p = 0.01). Most gastrointestinal symptoms remained similar after gluten re-introduction. However, a decrease in the general perception of well-being was only found after gluten re-introduction in the group tolerating a low-gluten diet (p = 0.01); the same was true when comparing the post-intervention general well-being perception among the three groups (p = 0.050). In conclusion, dissimilar responses from patients with NCGS were observed after the re-introduction of gluten, with gluten at a low dosage affecting the quality of life and general well-being of a group of patients, whereas others tolerate even higher doses of dietary gluten

Impact of FODMAP Content Restrictions on the Quality of Diet for Patients with Celiac Disease on a Gluten-Free Diet

Restrictive diets as gluten-free (GFD) or reduced in Fermentable, Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols (FODMAP) are used to improve gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms in sensitive individuals. Aiming at comparing the nutritional quality and effects of a regular GFD regimen (R-GFD) and a low-FODMAP GFD (LF-GFD), in 46 celiac patients with persistent GI symptoms we conducted a randomized, double-blind intervention-controlled study. Patients received a personalized diet, either a strict GFD (n = 21) or a LF-GFD (n = 25) for 21 days. A validated food-frequency questionnaire before intervention and a 7-day weighed-food record after the intervention assessed the diets. Patients were 41.1 \ub1 10.1 years (mean \ub1 SD), 94% women, with mean BMI 21.8 \ub1 2.9 kg/m2. On day 21, patients on R-GFD still showed poor nutritional adequacy compared to dietary recommendations, with decreased energy intake, even though an improvement in carbohydrates and folates was observed (all p &lt; 0.025). In both groups, intake of iron, calcium, vitamin D, sodium and folates did not meet daily recommendations. As expected, consumption of legumes and grains was lower and that of fruits was higher in the LF-GFD group than in the R-GFD one (all p &lt; 0.05). The nutritional quality of both diets was not different. When restrictive diets are useful to improve the persistent GI symptoms, careful nutritional surveillance and counseling is mandatory

Anti-sulfatide reactivity in patients with celiac disease

Objective: To explore a possible significance of the presence of anti-ganglioside and anti-sulfatide antibodies in sera of adult patients with celiac disease (CD) in different clinical scenario. Methods: We selected 22 adult patients with newly diagnosed CD and 20 age\u2013sex matched non-CD controls. Patients\u2019 serum was tested\u2013before and after at least 6 months on a gluten-free diet (GFD)\u2013for anti-GM1, GM2, GM3, GD1a, GD1b, GD3, GT1a, GT1b, GQ1b and sulfatide IgM, IgG and IgA auto-antibodies, by means of a dot blot technique and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: We found the presence of auto-antibodies in untreated patients. In particular, anti-sulfatide IgG antibodies were present in 8 (36%) patients independently of the presence of neurological symptoms. Anti-sulfatide IgA antibodies were present in 3 (19%) patients. During GFD, anti-sulfatide IgG disappeared in all the patients, whereas IgA were observed in 2 patients. Anti-sulfatide, anti-GM1 and anti-GM2 IgM antibodies were also observed in 2 patients on a GFD. All the other auto-antibodies were absent and no demographic or clinical parameters were associated. Non-CD controls did not present any auto-antibody. Conclusions: We found anti-sulfatide IgG antibodies in CD patients on a gluten-containing diet. Anti-sulfatide IgA antibodies persisted during GFD together with the occurrence of other IgM auto-antibodies. These data suggest a possible link between gluten and IgG auto-antibodies