Response to Different Wheat Genotypes in Not-celiac Wheat Sensitivity

NCT ID: NCT03024775

Last Updated: 2025-06-22

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

50 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2017-01-01

Study Completion Date

2026-12-01

Brief Summary

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Non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) is a condition where intestinal and extraintestinal symptoms are triggered by gluten ingestion in the absence of celiac disease and wheat allergy. Despite the great interest in NCGS, much remains unknown about the pathogenesis. Some studies seem to suggest that wheat components other than gluten (i.e. amylase/trypsine inhibitors, ATIs) can cause the symptoms, and therefore the term "non-celiac wheat sensitivity" (NCWS) has been proposed instead of NCGS. It is believed that this condition is worldwide increasing, due to the evolution of wheat breeding (i.e. consumption of wheats with high gluten content), and that ancient wheats are better tolerated by NCWS patients than the modern ones. Therefore, the aim of the study is to determine whether the common belief regarding the fact that ancient wheats are better tolerated by NCWS patients than the modern ones is confirmed by scientific data, and to identify the wheat kernel components triggering this pathology. The availability of wheat materials with opposite characteristics, such as the period of development (ancient vs. modern), or the technological properties (cultivars with weak glutens vs. strong gluten), or the presence/absence of specific ATIs polypeptides, will allow to define the role played by these factors. Therefore, the study has two objectives: 1) extraction and testing of total kernel proteins, in order to evaluate the inflammatory response to gluten and non-gluten proteins by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and immunocytes extracted by the rectal mucosa of NCWS patients and healthy control subjects, and 2) clinically testing two wheat genotypes, selected on the basis of the previous in vitro studies, showing the highest and the lowest in vitro inflammatory response, in order to verify their effect in triggering NCWS symptoms.

Detailed Description

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Non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) is a condition where intestinal and extraintestinal symptoms are triggered by gluten ingestion in the absence of celiac disease and wheat allergy. Despite the great interest in NCGS, much remains unknown about the pathogenesis. Some studies seem to suggest that wheat components other than gluten (i.e. amylase/trypsine inhibitors, ATIs) can cause the symptoms, and therefore the term "non-celiac wheat sensitivity" (NCWS) has been proposed instead of NCGS. NCWS pathogenesis has been attributed to very different mechanisms: innate or adaptive immunity, incomplete digestion and/or absorption of fermentable oligosaccharides and disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols, and, finally, psychological effect. In addition, it is believed that this condition is worldwide increasing, due to the evolution of wheat breeding (i.e. consumption of wheats with high gluten content), and that ancient wheats are better tolerated by NCWS patients than the modern ones. Therefore, the aim of the study is to determine whether the common belief regarding the fact that ancient wheats are better tolerated by NCWS patients than the modern ones is confirmed by scientific data, and to identify the wheat kernel components triggering this pathology. The availability of wheat materials with opposite characteristics, such as the period of development (ancient vs. modern), or the technological properties (cultivars with weak glutens vs. strong gluten), or the presence/absence of specific ATIs polypeptides, will allow to define the role played by these factors. The researchers take into consideration different tetraploid wheat genotypes derived from the Italian breeding activity carried out during the 20th century in comparison with landraces, primitive and old wheat cultivars previously cultivated and used mostly in Southern Italy for pasta and bread production, together with an experimental genetically modified (GM) wheat line expressing a lower amount of ATIs. For the purpose of the study, the collection has been subdivided into 5 groups, according to the breeding period. Wheat genotypes will be also evaluated for several parameters: protein content, gluten index, quantitative analysis of ATIs proteins by Mass Spectrometry, etc. The project has two objectives, related to the influence of wheat consumption on health: 1) extraction and testing of total kernel proteins, in order to evaluate the inflammatory response to gluten and non-gluten proteins by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and immunocytes extracted by the rectal mucosa of NCWS patients and healthy control subjects, and 2) clinically testing two wheat genotypes, selected on the basis of the previous in vitro studies, showing the highest and the lowest in vitro inflammatory response, in order to verify their effect in triggering NCWS symptoms.

Conditions

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Non-celiac Wheat Sensitivity

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

CROSSOVER

Primary Study Purpose

OTHER

Blinding Strategy

QUADRUPLE

Participants Caregivers Investigators Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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Active Comparator 1

Wheat flour with high inflammatory response will be administered blindly versus placebo for 15 days in NCWS patients.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Wheat flour

Intervention Type DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Wheat flour will be administered three times per day for 15 days.

Active Comparator 2

Wheat flour with low inflammatory response will be administered blindly versus placebo for 15 days in NCWS patients.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Wheat flour

Intervention Type DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Wheat flour will be administered three times per day for 15 days.

Placebo 1

Placebo (xylose) will be administered blindly versus wheat flour with high inflammatory response for 15 days in NCWS patients.

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Placebo

Intervention Type DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Placebo (xylose) will be administered three times per day for 15 days.

Placebo 2

Placebo (xylose) will be administered blindly versus wheat flour with low inflammatory response for 15 days in NCWS patients.

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Placebo

Intervention Type DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Placebo (xylose) will be administered three times per day for 15 days.

Interventions

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Wheat flour

Wheat flour will be administered three times per day for 15 days.

Intervention Type DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Placebo

Placebo (xylose) will be administered three times per day for 15 days.

Intervention Type DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

All the patients will meet the recently proposed criteria:

* negative serum anti-tissue transglutaminase and antiendomysium (EmA) immunoglobulin (Ig)A and IgG antibodies
* absence of intestinal villous atrophy
* IgE-mediated immunoallergic tests negative to wheat (skin prick tests and/or serum specific IgE detection)
* follow-up duration \>12 months after the initial diagnosis
* at least two outpatient visits during the follow-up period.

Adjunctive criteria adopted in our patients will be:

* resolution of the gastrointestinal symptoms on a standard elimination diet, without wheat, cow's milk, egg, tomato, chocolate, or other food(s) causing self-reported symptoms
* symptom reappearance on DBPC wheat challenge, performed as described previously. As in previous studies, DBPC cow's milk protein challenge and other "open" food challenges will be also performed.

Exclusion Criteria

* age \<18 years
* positive EmA in the culture medium of the duodenal biopsies, even if the villi to crypts ratio in the duodenal mucosa was normal
* self-exclusion of wheat from the diet and refusal to reintroduce it before entering the study
* other organic gastrointestinal diseases (i.e. careful exclusion of Crohn's disease)
* concomitant treatment with steroids and/or antihistamines.
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

65 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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University of Palermo

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Pasquale Mansueto

MD

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Antonio Carroccio, PhD

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

University of Palermo

Locations

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Department of Internal Medicine, Giovanni Paolo II Hospital of Sciacca

Sciacca, Agrigento, Italy

Site Status RECRUITING

Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Palermo

Palermo, Palermo, Italy

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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Italy

Central Contacts

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Antonio Carroccio, PhD

Role: CONTACT

+390916552884

Pasquale Mansueto, MD

Role: CONTACT

+390916552884

Facility Contacts

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Antonio Carroccio, MD, PhD

Role: primary

+390916554347

Pasquale Mansueto, MD

Role: primary

+390916554347

References

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Carroccio A, Mansueto P, Iacono G, Soresi M, D'Alcamo A, Cavataio F, Brusca I, Florena AM, Ambrosiano G, Seidita A, Pirrone G, Rini GB. Non-celiac wheat sensitivity diagnosed by double-blind placebo-controlled challenge: exploring a new clinical entity. Am J Gastroenterol. 2012 Dec;107(12):1898-906; quiz 1907. doi: 10.1038/ajg.2012.236. Epub 2012 Jul 24.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 22825366 (View on PubMed)

Carroccio A, Rini G, Mansueto P. Non-celiac wheat sensitivity is a more appropriate label than non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Gastroenterology. 2014 Jan;146(1):320-1. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2013.08.061. Epub 2013 Nov 22. No abstract available.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 24275240 (View on PubMed)

Carroccio A, D'Alcamo A, Mansueto P. Nonceliac wheat sensitivity in the context of multiple food hypersensitivity: new data from confocal endomicroscopy. Gastroenterology. 2015 Mar;148(3):666-7. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2014.11.047. Epub 2015 Jan 24. No abstract available.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 25625764 (View on PubMed)

Carroccio A, Soresi M, D'Alcamo A, Sciume C, Iacono G, Geraci G, Brusca I, Seidita A, Adragna F, Carta M, Mansueto P. Risk of low bone mineral density and low body mass index in patients with non-celiac wheat-sensitivity: a prospective observation study. BMC Med. 2014 Nov 28;12:230. doi: 10.1186/s12916-014-0230-2.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 25430806 (View on PubMed)

Mansueto P, Seidita A, D'Alcamo A, Carroccio A. Role of FODMAPs in Patients With Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Nutr Clin Pract. 2015 Oct;30(5):665-82. doi: 10.1177/0884533615569886. Epub 2015 Feb 18.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 25694210 (View on PubMed)

Spits H, Cupedo T. Innate lymphoid cells: emerging insights in development, lineage relationships, and function. Annu Rev Immunol. 2012;30:647-75. doi: 10.1146/annurev-immunol-020711-075053. Epub 2012 Jan 6.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 22224763 (View on PubMed)

Spits H, Di Santo JP. The expanding family of innate lymphoid cells: regulators and effectors of immunity and tissue remodeling. Nat Immunol. 2011 Jan;12(1):21-7. doi: 10.1038/ni.1962. Epub 2010 Nov 28.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 21113163 (View on PubMed)

Veldhoen M, Withers DR. Immunology. Innate lymphoid cell relations. Science. 2010 Oct 29;330(6004):594-5. doi: 10.1126/science.1198298. No abstract available.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 21030634 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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ACPM16

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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