Non-celiac wheat sensitivity and ANA positivity: is there any association with autoimmune disease?

Introduction: In the last decade non-celiac wheat sensitivity (NCWS) has raised great interest but unfortunately little is known about the risks linked to this condition. Our study aimed to evaluate the frequency of autoimmune diseases (AIDs) and of serum anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) in these patients. Materials and Methods: We recruited 131 NCWS patients (121 F, mean age 39.1 years), belonging to a historical cohort retrospectively evaluated, at two Internal Medicine Institutes. Two groups of age- and sex-matched controls, respectively composed of celiac (CD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients, were also chosen. Co-existent of AIDs was recorded by a pre-structured questionnaire. …