Gluten-free diet can ameliorate the symptoms of non-celiac autoimmune diseases

Aaron Lerner; Jozélio Freire de Carvalho; Anna Kotrova; Yehuda Shoenfeld

doi:10.1093/nutrit/nuab039

Gluten-free diet can ameliorate the symptoms of non-celiac autoimmune diseases

Nutr Rev. 2022 Feb 10;80(3):525-543. doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuab039.

Authors

Aaron Lerner¹, Jozélio Freire de Carvalho², Anna Kotrova³, Yehuda Shoenfeld^{1

3

4

5}

Affiliations

¹ The Zabludowicz Research Center for Autoimmune Diseases, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel.
² Department of Rheumatology, Institute for Health Sciences of the Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
³ Department of Autoimmune research, Saint Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia.
⁴ Department of Administration, Ariel University, Israel.
⁵ Department of Autoimmune research, I.M Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia.

PMID: 34338776
DOI: 10.1093/nutrit/nuab039

Abstract

Context: A gluten-free diet (GFD) is the recommended treatment for gluten-dependent disease. In addition, gluten withdrawal is popular and occasionally is suggested as a treatment for other autoimmune diseases (ADs).

Objective: The current systematic review summarizes those entities and discusses the logic behind using a GFD in classical non-gluten-dependentADs.

Data sources: A search for medical articles in PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Sciences, LILACS, and Scielo published between 1960 and 2020 was conducted, using the key words for various ADs and GFDs.

Data exxtraction: Eight-three articles were included in the systematic review (using PRISMA guidelines).

Data analysis: Reduction in symptoms of ADs after observance of a GFD was observed in 911 out of 1408 patients (64.7%) and in 66 out of the 83 selected studies (79.5%). The age of the patients ranged from 9 months to 69 years. The duration of the GFD varied from 1 month to 9 years. A GFD can suppress several harmful intraluminal intestinal events. Potential mechanisms and pathways for the action of GFD in the gut - remote organs' axis have been suggested.

Conclusion: A GFD might represent a novel nutritional therapeutic strategy for classical non-gluten-dependent autoimmune conditions.

Keywords: autoimmune disease; gluten withdrawal; gluten-free diet; gut –peripheral organs axes; gut–brain axes; microbiome/dysbiome ratio; non-celiac autoimmune disease.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Systematic Review

MeSH terms

Autoimmune Diseases*
Celiac Disease* / diagnosis
Diet, Gluten-Free
Glutens
Humans
Infant

Substances

Glutens