Mast cell‐nerve interactions correlate with bloating and abdominal pain severity in patients with non‐celiac gluten / wheat sensitivity

• DOI: 10.1111/nmo.13814
• Publication Date: 2020-02-05T13:26:55Z
• Authors: Fiorella Giancola; Umberto Volta; Roberta Repossi; Rocco Latorre; Dorien Beeckmans; Florencia Carbone; Karen Van den Houte; Francesca Bianco; Elena Bonora; Alessandra Gori; Anna Costanzini; Elisa Boschetti; Giacomo Caio; Tim Vanuytsel; Vincenzo Stanghel...; Jan Tack; Roberto De Giorgio
• Keywords: Bloating; Submucosa

Abstract Background Gastrointestinal (GI) and extra‐GI symptoms/manifestations represent key clinical features of patients with non‐celiac gluten/wheat sensitivity (NCG/WS). This study aimed to investigate neuro‐immune (focusing on mast cells, MCs) interactions in the duodenal submucosa NCG/WS. Methods Submucosal whole mounts from biopsies 34 self‐reported NCG/WS, 28 celiac disease (CD), 13 functional dyspepsia (FD), 24 healthy controls (HC) were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Quantitative data neuronal MCs density percentage close vicinity nerves obtained, correlations among neurons, MC MC‐nerve distance (D), symptoms assessed three groups. Key Results The number submucosal neurons was not different In HC, while it slightly increased vs. CD ( P = .07) significantly decreased FD < .05). D 15 µm) similarly all pathological groups HC .001). infiltration correlated bloating .001) abdominal pain severity .03) proximity GI (D 5 µm; .05), 15um; .01). Conclusions Inferences (within MC‐to‐nerve duodenum NCG/WS are providing a histopathological basis better understand this condition.