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NCT Number: NCT04219813

Urinary Gluten Immunogenic Peptides Detection in Non-celiac Gluten/Wheat Sensitivity

Non-celiac gluten/wheat sensitivity (NCGS/NCWS) is a syndrome characterized by both intestinal (irritable bowel syndrome [IBS]-like presentation) and extraintestinal symptoms (headache, migraine, "foggy mind", depression, anxiety, fibromyalgia, joint and muscle pain, leg or arm numbness, eczema or skin rash), which occur after the ingestion of gluten/wheat in subjects in which celiac disease (CD) and wheat allergy diagnosis has been previously excluded. NCGS/NCWS symptoms generally occur after the ingestion of gluten/wheat, disappear within a few days of a gluten-free diet (GFD) and quickly reappear when gluten/wheat is reintroduced. A new assay, recently available on the Italian market, allows to ascertain the presence of immunogenic peptides of gluten (Gluten Immunogenic Peptides, GIP) in the urine and stool. The test might allow to ascertain if the NCGS/NCWS patients, on GFD, eat, even accidentally, gluten. Of the 2 available assays, the urinary one allows the patient himself to test the presence of GIP in relation to symptoms/signs appearing and/or social activities (e.g. meal in a restaurant). The aims of the present study are: 1) to test, in patients with NCGS/NCWS on GFD, the adherence to the elimination diet; 2) to evaluate the correlation between the symptoms' reappearance and the presence of GIP in the urine.

Recruiting

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Key information

Age range

18 year–75 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Internal Medicine Division of the "Cervello-Villa Sofia" Hospital, Palermo, PA, Italy

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About this study

Non-celiac gluten/wheat sensitivity (NCGS/NCWS) is a syndrome characterized by both intestinal (irritable bowel syndrome [IBS]-like presentation) and extraintestinal symptoms (headache, migraine, "foggy mind", depression, anxiety, fibromyalgia, joint and muscle pain, leg or arm numbness, eczema or skin rash), which occur after the ingestion of gluten/wheat in subjects in which celiac disease (CD) and wheat allergy diagnosis has been previously excluded. Recent data suggest that NCGS affect up to 3-6% of the general population, a higher prevalence than that reported for CD. NCGS/NCWS symptoms generally occur after the ingestion of gluten/wheat, disappear within a few days of a gluten-free diet (GFD) and quickly reappear when gluten/wheat is reintroduced. GDF is very difficult and onerous from a social (presence of gluten in many industrial food products and "contamination", both domestic and extra-domestic), psychological (e.g. for adolescents, exclusion from the "peer group", with difficulty in accepting the diagnosis) and economic point of view. A new assay, recently available on the Italian market, allows to ascertain the presence of immunogenic peptides of gluten (gluten immunogenic peptides, GIP) in the urine and stool. The test might allow to ascertain if the NCGS/NCWS patients, on GFD, eat even accidentally gluten. Of the 2 available assays, the urinary one allows the patient himself to test the presence of GIP in relation to symptoms/signs appearing and/or social activities (e.g. meal in a restaurant). The other one involves collecting a stool sample and allows to identify the gluten taken in the previous week, but it requires a laboratory, specifically equipped. To date, there are no observational studies that indicate the performance of the test in patients with NCGS/NCWS. The aims of the present study are: 1) to test, in patients with NCGS/NCWS on GFD, the adherence to the elimination diet; 2) to evaluate the correlation between the symptoms' reappearance and the presence of GIP in the urine.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • patients suffering from NCGS/NCWS on Gluten-Free Diet (GFD).

Exclusion criteria

  • celiac patients or those suffering from IgE-mediated gluten/wheat allergy.

Treatment and study plan

Urinary test

Other

Detection of the presence of gluten immunogenic peptides (GIP) in the urine of NCGS/NCWS patients, evaluated two times per week, for 5 weeks, and in the event of symptoms/signs that the patients attribute to the accidental intake of gluten, within the same 5 weeks.

Other names: Detection of the presence of gluten immunogenic peptides (GIP) in the urine

Primary outcomes

  1. Adherence to GFD of NCGS/NCWS patients

    Time frame: 24 months

    The researchers will evaluate the adherence to Gluten-Free Diet (GFD) of NCGS/NCWS patients on GFD by the absence/presence of gluten immunogenic peptides (GIP) in their urine samples.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Gastrointestinal and extraintestinal symptoms/signs reappearance

    Time frame: 24 months

    The researchers will evaluate the correlation between gastrointestinal (evaluated by the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale, GSRS) and/or extraintestinal (evaluated by an ad hoc Scale) symptoms/signs reappearance and the presence of gluten immunogenic peptides (GIP) in the urine of NCGS/NCWS patients on Gluten-Free Diet (GFD), by possible accidental intake.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Pasquale Mansueto, MD

CONTACT

[email protected]

3477279879

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Palermo

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Urinary Gluten Detection in Patients With Non-celiac Gluten/Wheat Sensitivity

Important dates

Study start
2021
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2026
First posted
Jan 7, 2020
Registry last updated
Apr 29, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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