A gluten-free diet has a different effect on the iron profile of celiac disease and non-celiac gluten-sensitive patients with idiopathic iron deficiency anaemia.

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to assess the impact of a six-week gluten-free diet (GFD) on the iron profiles of patients with non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) and CD.

Background: Iron-deficiency anaemia (IDA) is a significant clinical feature of gluten-related disorders, especially Celiac disease (CD).

Methods: The study included 29 CD patients (mean age 40.28 ± 15.57 years) and 29 NCGS patients (mean age 30.31 ± 7.78 years) presenting with IDA who were enrolled in the study during 2023-2024. Haemoglobin, serum iron, serum ferritin, total iron-binding capacity (TIBC), and transferrin saturation (TSAT) levels were assessed at the beginning and after six weeks of GFD. HLA typing was conducted using the Real-time PCR-based SYBR Green method.

Results: Ferritin levels significantly increased in both CD and NCGS groups after the GFD, from 43.7807 to 50.5279 ng/mL and 23.0862 to 42.9910 ng/mL, respectively. Moreover, serum iron and TSAT levels significantly increased in the NCGS group, from 64.8034 to 81.3466 μg/dL and 19.29 ± 11.70 to 23.99 ± 9.05, respectively (p = 0.003).

Conclusion: The most frequent symptoms in CD and NCGS patients were bloating/bone disease (62.1%) and bone disease (37.9%), respectively. GFD was effective in improving IDA in both CD and NCGS patients. Further research is necessary to assess the therapeutic effect of GFD in patients with gastrointestinal symptoms and IDA.