Irritable Bowel Syndrome-Like Disorders in Endometriosis: Prevalence of Nickel Sensitivity and Effects of a Low-Nickel Diet. An Open-Label Pilot Study.

Alimentary nickel (Ni) may result in allergic contact mucositis (ACM), whose prevalence is >30% and may present with IBS-like and extra-intestinal symptoms. These symptoms are also frequent in endometriosis, and Ni allergic contact dermatitis has already been observed in endometriosis. Therefore, intestinal and extra-intestinal symptoms in endometriosis may depend on a Ni ACM, and a low-Ni diet could improve symptoms. We studied the prevalence of Ni ACM in endometriosis and focused on the effects of a low-Ni diet on gastrointestinal, extra-intestinal, and gynecological symptoms. We recruited 84 women with endometriosis, symptomatic for gastrointestinal disorders. Thirty-one out of 84 patients completed the study. They underwent Ni oral mucosa patch test (omPT), questionnaire for intestinal/extra-intestinal/gynecological symptoms, and a low-Ni diet. Clinical evaluation was performed at baseline (T0) and after three months (T1). Twenty-eight out 31 (90.3%) patients showed Ni omPT positive results, with Ni ACM diagnosis, whereas three out of 31 (9.7%) patients showed negative Ni omPT. After three months of low-Ni diet, all gastrointestinal, extra-intestinal and gynecological symptoms showed a statistically significant reduction. Ni ACM has a high prevalence in endometriosis and a low-Ni diet may be recommended in this condition to reduce gastrointestinal, extra-intestinal and gynecological symptoms.

One-step immunochromatographic visual assay for anti-transglutaminase detection in organ culture system: An easy and prompt method to simplify the in vitro diagnosis of celiac disease.

BACKGROUND: Anti-tissue transglutaminase (anti-tTG) and endomysium antibodies (EMA) are detectable in duodenal culture media of celiac disease (CD) patients. To improve the management of this organ culture system, we evaluated the anti-tTG occurrence by immunochromatographic assay (ICA). METHODS: A total of 103 CD patients and 41 disease controls underwent duodenal biopsy for the organ culture. In culture supernatants, IgA anti-tTG were tested by both enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and ICA, IgA EMA were searched by indirect immunofluorescence analysis (iIFA). RESULTS: Endomysium antibodies and anti-tTG measured by ELISA were positive in culture media of all CD patients, while anti-tTG detected by ICA were positive in culture media of 87/103 CD patients. Anti-tTG ICA scores significantly correlated with anti-tTG ELISA values (r=.71, P<.0001). Sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy of anti-tTG detected by ICA were 84.5%, 100% and 88.9%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Using ICA, anti-tTG are detectable in duodenal culture media of most CD patients and the intensity of indicative lines depends on the anti-tTG concentration. Sensitivity and diagnostic accuracy achieved with ICA are lower than those obtained with ELISA but, given that the first is a more easy and prompt method, data suggest the possibility of utilizing it in the in vitro diagnosis of CD.

The effects of modified versus unmodified wheat gluten administration in patients with celiac disease.

Celiac disease (CD) treatment requires a gluten-free diet (GFD), although alternative approaches have been proposed. Modification of gliadin peptides using microbial transglutaminase (mTG) inhibits their ability to induce immune response in vitro. Our aim was to evaluate the safety of mTG-modified wheat flour ingestion in CD patients. Twenty-one CD patients in remission were randomized to receive mTG-modified (n=11) or unmodified (n=10) wheat flour rusks, in double-blind fashion. Monthly, patients completed a symptom questionnaire. Serum anti-tTG, EMA and creatinine levels were monitored. At baseline and after 90days, serum anti-actin antibodies (AAA) were measured and upper endoscopy was performed. Data were analyzed by non-parametric tests. 7/11 patients eating modified rusks and 7/10 patients receiving unmodified rusks completed the study. At baseline, all patients showed negative serum anti-tTG and EMA results. At the end, 2/7 (28.6%) patients ingesting modified and 4/7 (57.1%) patients taking unmodified rusks presented positive serum anti-tTG and EMA results. Creatinine results were unmodified. Moreover, 1/7 (14.3%) patients ingesting modified and 4/7 (57.1%) patients taking unmodified rusks presented villous atrophy. In patients who received unmodified rusks, the AAA levels increased significantly and duodenal anti-tTG levels appeared higher than those measured in patients who ate modified rusks. Abdominal swelling, bloating and nausea were more severe in patients ingesting unmodified rusks than those taking modified rusks. Our results may support larger clinical trials to confirm the enzymatic treatment of wheat flour as an alternative to GFD. Clinicaltrials.gov registration no: NCT02472119.

Identification of a serum transglutaminase threshold value for the noninvasive diagnosis of symptomatic adult celiac disease patients: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: A celiac disease (CD) diagnosis is based on duodenal histology, with the exception of children showing anti-tissue transglutaminase (anti-tTG) serum levels exceeding ten times the cut-off. Our aim was to reproduce this simplified approach in adults, identifying an anti-tTG threshold value useful to diagnose CD without endoscopic procedures. METHODS: A total of 671 adult CD patients were subjected to blood sampling to determine anti-tTG serum levels, as well as to endoscopy with biopsy to perform duodenal histology. The anti-tTG serum levels/cut-off ratio was compared with the degree of duodenal lesions. RESULTS: Anti-tTG serum levels/cut-off ratio determined in patients with type IIIc was significantly higher than that measured in patients with type IIIb (p < 0.001), IIIa (p < 0.001), II (p < 0.05) and 0 (p < 0.001) of Marsh-Oberhuber histological classification. A significant correlation (r = 0.297, p < 0.0001) was found between the anti-tTG serum levels/cut-off ratio and the degree of duodenal lesions. The anti-tTG serum levels/cut-off ratio was classified as an accurate parameter (AUC = 0.715, p < 0.0001), with the best diagnostic performance obtained considering the threshold value >3.6 (sensitivity = 76.8 %, PPV = 97.2 %). CONCLUSIONS: The anti-tTG serum levels/cut-off ratio correlates with the degree of duodenal lesions and, if used with the threshold value >3.6, could avoid endoscopy with biopsy in about 75 % of seropositive adults waiting for CD diagnosis. However, since this procedure could also imply CD diagnosis in almost 3 % of seropositive patients with normal villous architecture, a consensus opinion is needed to suggest its use in the diagnosis of adult CD.

Extension of the celiac intestinal antibody (CIA) pattern through eight antibody assessments in fecal supernatants from patients with celiac disease.

BACKGROUND: Detection of anti-transglutaminase, anti-endomysium and anti-gliadin antibodies is commonly used to screen celiac disease patients. Besides that in serum, these antibodies are detectable in culture supernatants of oral, duodenal and colonic biopsy samples, saliva, gut lavage fluid samples, and fecal supernatants. Our aim was to extend the intestinal antibody pattern in fecal supernatants from patients with celiac disease. METHODS: The fecal supernatants obtained from 25 celiac disease patients and 12 healthy volunteers were used to determine IgA and IgG1 anti-endomysium by immunofluorescence analysis, IgA and IgG anti-transglutaminase, IgA and IgG anti-deamidated gliadin peptides, IgA/IgG anti-transglutaminase/deamidated gliadin peptides and IgA anti-actin by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: IgA anti-endomysium were found in 11 of 25 (44.0%) celiac disease patients and in none of healthy volunteers (p=0.0066). The levels of IgA anti-transglutaminase, IgA anti-deamidated gliadin peptides, IgA/IgG anti-transglutaminase/deamidated gliadin peptides and IgA anti-actin determined in celiac disease patients were significantly higher (p=0.0005, p=0.0018, p=0.0061 and p=0.0477, respectively) than those measured in healthy volunteers. The ROC curve analysis showed a diagnostic significance in IgA anti-transglutaminase (AUC=0.862, p<0.0001), IgA anti-deamidated gliadin peptides (AUC=0.822, p<0.0001) and IgA/IgG anti-transglutaminase/deamidated gliadin peptides (AUC=0.783, p=0.0003) fecal tests. CONCLUSIONS: Our data extend the intestinal antibody pattern detectable in fecal supernatants, thus increasing the knowledge in the humoral immunity of celiac disease. Further studies are needed to better evaluate the role of fecal antibody tests in identifying celiac disease patients.

Peripheral blood lymphocyte typing as a useful tool to objectify the oral mucosa patch test in the diagnosis of allergic contact mucositis to nickel.

Nickel (Ni) exposure through the intestinal mucosa may cause a hypersensitivity reaction recently defined as allergic contact mucositis (ACM). This condition is identifiable by the oral mucosa patch test (omPT), a qualitative and subjective examination that requires clinical expertise. Our aim was to evaluate if a peripheral blood lymphocyte typing performed before and after the omPT for Ni may be able to objectify this examination for diagnostic purposes. Thirty patients with symptoms referable to the ingestion of Ni-rich foods were subjected to omPT for Ni. Before and after the omPT, each patient underwent blood sampling for the typing of total lymphocytes and their subsets (T, T helper or Th, T cytotoxic or Tc, B, natural killer or NK). Statistical analysis was performed by Student t test and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. According to the omPT outcomes, 18 patients were defined as Ni-sensitive and the remaining 12 as controls. In Ni-sensitive patients, the number of total, T, Th, Tc, and B lymphocytes/µL whole blood increased after the omPT (p<0.0001 for the first three, p=0.0004 and p=0.0001 for the last two lymphocyte types). No omPT-dependent lymphocyte increase was observed in controls. The post/pre omPT cell ratio, especially if calculated for Th lymphocytes, appears to be an effective index for diagnostic purposes (sensitivity=100%, specificity=83.3%, Youden index=0.833, area under curve (AUC)=0.926, p<0.0001). In conclusion, the peripheral blood lymphocyte typing with calculation of post/pre omPT cell ratio has the potential to support the omPT in diagnosing ACM, with the advantage of providing quantitative and objective data.

Immunological characterization of the allergic contact mucositis related to the ingestion of nickel-rich foods.

BACKGROUND: The ingestion of nickel (Ni)-rich foods may result in allergic contact mucositis (ACM), a not yet well defined condition identifiable by oral mucosa patch test (omPT). Our aim was to characterize immunologically the ACM taking advantage from the allergen exposure that occurs during the omPT for Ni. METHODS: Thirty-seven symptomatic patients underwent to omPT for Ni. Before and after omPT, serum and urine Ni concentrations were determined by mass spectrometry, the white blood cells were counted by hemochromocytometric assay, the peripheral lymphocyte typing was carried out by flow cytometry, total IgE and cytokine serum concentrations were measured by immunoenzymatic assays. The local lymphocyte typing was performed by immunohistochemistry only after omPT. RESULTS: According to the omPT outcomes, 25 patients were defined as Ni-sensitive and the remaining 12 as controls. After omPT, serum and urine Ni concentrations increased significantly in all patients, while a significant increment of circulating lymphocytes and neutrophils was highlighted, respectively, in Ni-sensitive and control patients. Consistently, the Th and Tc circulating lymphocytes, as well as the Th/Tc ratio increased significantly in Ni-sensitive patients after omPT. No noteworthy increment in serum concentrations of total IgE and selected cytokines was observed in any patient after omPT. The presence of CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ cells was highlighted on the oral mucosa biopsy samples taken from Ni-sensitive patients after omPT. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with ACM, a local adaptive response with increased lymphocyte trafficking appears to be the most likely mechanism of reaction to Ni administered with the omPT.

Colonic involvement in celiac disease and possible implications of the sigmoid mucosa organ culture in its diagnosis.

PURPOSE: Celiac disease (CD), a systemic autoimmune disorder that typically involves duodenal mucosa, can also affect other intestinal areas. Duodenal and oral mucosa organ culture has already been demonstrated as a reliable procedure to identify CD. The present study investigated gluten-dependent immunological activation of colonic mucosa in CD patients. We took advantage of the numerous colonoscopies performed for various clinical conditions or only for defensive medicine. METHODS: Forty-four patients with gastrointestinal symptoms or in need of colorectal cancer screening were divided into patients with serum anti-endomysium (EMA) and anti-tissue transglutaminase (anti-tTG) antibody positive results (Group A), patients with serum antibody negative results (Group B), and patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (Group C). The autoantibodies EMA and anti-tTG were evaluated in supernatants of cultured sigmoid and duodenal biopsies from patients on a gluten-containing diet. RESULTS: In Group A, EMA and anti-tTG resulted positive in all duodenal culture supernatants. In sigmoid culture supernatants, EMA and anti-tTG were detected in 12/16 (75 %) and 13/16 (81.3 %) patients, respectively. In Group B, none of the 17 patients showed EMA and anti-tTG positive results in both duodenal and sigmoid cultures. In Group C, all 11 patients presented EMA negative results in sigmoid cultures. Only in one patient, anti-tTG were detectable in the sigmoid culture supernatant, as expected in cases of IBD. CONCLUSIONS: Data confirm that the gluten-dependent immunological activation affects more intestinal tracts with different degrees of involvement, suggesting that the organ culture of colonic biopsies could represent a new tool to opportunistically detect CD.