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Non-celiac gluten sensitivity: people without celiac disease avoiding gluten—is it due to histamine intolerance?

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Abstract

Introduction

Food intolerance/malabsorption is caused by food ingredients, carbohydrates (mainly lactose and fructose), proteins (gluten), and biogenic amines (histamine) which cause nonspecific gastrointestinal and extra-intestinal symptoms. Here we focus on possible etiologic factors of intolerance/malabsorption especially in people with non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) or the so-called people without celiac disease avoiding gluten (PWCDAG) and histamine intolerance.

Methods

Recognizing the recently described symptoms of NCGS (PWCDAG) we review correlations and parallels to histamine intolerance (HIT).

Results

We show that intestinal and extra-intestinal NCGS (PWCDAG) symptoms are very similar to those which can be found in histamine intolerance.

Conclusions

After a detailed diagnostic workup for all possible etiologic factors in every patient, a targeted dietary intervention for single or possibly combined intolerance/malabsorption might be more effective than a short-term diet low in fermentable oligo-, di- and monosaccharides and polyols (FODMAP) or the untargeted uncritical use of gluten-free diets.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Pathophysiology, Centre for Molecular Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Heinrichstrasse 31a, 8010, Graz, Austria

    Wolfgang J. Schnedl, Sonja Lackner & Sandra J. Holasek

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, Practice for General Internal Medicine, Dr. Theodor Körnerstrasse 19b, 8600, Bruck/Mur, Austria

    Wolfgang J. Schnedl

  3. Institute of Laboratory Medicine, General Hospital Steyr, Sierninger Straße 170, 4400, Steyr, Austria

    Dietmar Enko

  4. Das Kinderwunsch Institut Schenk GmbH, Am Sendergrund 11, 8143, Dobl, Austria

    Michael Schenk

  5. Clinical Institute of Medical and Chemical Laboratory Diagnosis, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 30, 8036, Graz, Austria

    Harald Mangge

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  1. Wolfgang J. Schnedl
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  2. Sonja Lackner
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  3. Dietmar Enko
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  4. Michael Schenk
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  5. Harald Mangge
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Correspondence to Wolfgang J. Schnedl.

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Conflict of interest

Wolfgang J. Schnedl received speaking honoraria from Sciotec. The other authors declare no competing interests.

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Responsible Editor: Artur Bauhofer.

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Schnedl, W.J., Lackner, S., Enko, D. et al. Non-celiac gluten sensitivity: people without celiac disease avoiding gluten—is it due to histamine intolerance?. Inflamm. Res. 67, 279–284 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00011-017-1117-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00011-017-1117-4

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