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Can Gluten/Wheat or Other Foods be Responsible for FMF Attacks
Sponsor: University of Palermo
Summary
Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) is a chronic hereditary autoinflammatory disease caused by mutations in the MEditerranean FeVer (MEFV) gene which codes for pyrin. Dysfunction of this protein determines an inappropriate response to inflammatory stimuli. The clinical course of the disease is characterized by recurrent episodes of fever and inflammation of the serous membranes, which manifest with chest, abdominal and joint pain. Several studies suggest a possible association between acute FMF attacks and dietary triggers, including wheat. However, it is still unclear to what extent wheat is responsible for the reactivation of FMF and if, between one acute attack and another, patients with FMF experience other symptoms, both gastrointestinal and extraintestinal, characteristic of gluten/wheat sensitivity not linked to celiac disease or immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated wheat allergy (i.e. Non-Celiac Wheat Gluten/Sensitivity, NCGS/NCWS). Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the appearance of symptoms compatible with an acute attack of FMF following the ingestion of wheat or other foods, and the prevalence of self-perceived gluten/wheat sensitivity in patients with FMF.
Official title: Can Gluten/Wheat or Other Foods be Responsible for FMF Attacks: A Survey on Self-perceived Food Sensitivity in FMF Patients
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
6 Months - 80 Years
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
60
Start Date
2024-05-01
Completion Date
2026-05-01
Last Updated
2025-06-22
Healthy Volunteers
No
Interventions
Main questionnaire
Main questionnaire will evaluate the demographic and genetic characteristics, clinical manifestations, and self-perception of sensitivity to wheat or other food and the possible relationship between the intake of wheat or other foods and the flare-ups of the disease in FMF patients
Secondary questionnaire
Secondary questionnaire will investigate the possible appearance of gastrointestinal and extraintestinal symptoms linked to the ingestion of gluten/wheat, which are not identifiable, by the patient, as FMF flare-ups, but might be compatible with a NCGS/NCWS diagnosis
Locations (1)
University Hospital of Palermo
Palermo, Sicily, Italy