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Nutrients
Special Issues
Nutritional and Clinical Approaches Across the Spectrum of Gluten-Related Disorders
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Nutritional and Clinical Approaches Across the Spectrum of Gluten-Related Disorders

A Special Issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643) belonging to the section "Clinical Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 August 2026) | Viewed by 3839

Editors

Prof. Dr. Maria Teresa Nestares Pleguezuelo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Biomedical Research Centre (CIBM), Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology “José MataixVerdú” (INYTA), Department of Physiology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
Interests: nutrition; celiac disease; anemia; gluten free diet
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Lara Bossini-Castillo

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor
Department of Genetics, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
Interests: celiac disease; inmune disease; genetic; male infertility; esclerosis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Gluten-related disorders, including celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity and wheat allergy, comprise a heterogeneous spectrum with distinct mechanisms, clinical phenotypes and nutritional challenges that require responses beyond the traditional gluten-free diet (GFD) paradigm. Despite widespread GFD prescription, many patients present persistent micronutrient deficiencies, suboptimal dietary patterns, altered body composition, ongoing symptoms and gut microbiota alterations, highlighting the need for more precise and clinically structured approaches.

This Special Issue aims to provide a focused and innovative platform for studies that clarify how nutritional assessment and targeted interventions can be tailored across gluten-related disorders, emphasizing mechanisms, clinically actionable biomarkers and patient-centered outcomes. We particularly welcome original research and high-quality reviews that: (i) apply advanced tools (e.g., omics-based profiling, microbiome analyses, body composition techniques and  digital dietary assessment) to refine risk stratification and follow-up; (ii) explore the interplay between nutritional status, immune and metabolic responses and symptom burden; and (iii) develop or test structured, evidence-based algorithms for monitoring and optimizing nutritional and clinical care. By prioritizing mechanistically informed and clinically translatable work, this Special Issue seeks to move beyond generic or incremental contributions to offer a distinct, up-to-date framework for improving long-term health and quality of life in individuals with gluten-related disorders.

Prof. Dr. Maria Teresa Nestares Pleguezuelo
Dr. Lara Bossini-Castillo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • gluten-free diet
  • celiac disease
  • inmune disease
  • nutritional status
  • micronutrient deficiencies
  • dietary guidelines
  • nutritional management

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 768 KB  
Article
Clinical Utility of Anti-Gliadin IgG Antibody (AGA IgG) and Characterization of Patients with Suspected Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity: Prospective, Observational Study in Japan
by Mikuni Motoyama, Hisashi Yamada, Chiho Yoshimura and Hisato Matsunaga
Nutrients 2026, 18(10), 1607; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18101607 - 18 May 2026
Viewed by 971
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) is a syndrome characterized by intestinal and extraintestinal symptoms triggered by gluten ingestion. Although anti-gliadin IgG antibody (AGA IgG) has been proposed as a potential biomarker for NCGS, its sensitivity and specificity in real-world clinical settings remain unclear. [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) is a syndrome characterized by intestinal and extraintestinal symptoms triggered by gluten ingestion. Although anti-gliadin IgG antibody (AGA IgG) has been proposed as a potential biomarker for NCGS, its sensitivity and specificity in real-world clinical settings remain unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical utility of AGA IgG in NCGS and to characterize its clinical features, including psychological distress and physical quality of life (QOL), in patients with clinically suspected NCGS attending a specialized outpatient unit in Japan, where patients reported symptoms related to the ingestion of gluten-containing grains (primarily wheat). Methods: We evaluated plasma AGA IgG levels in 45 patients with suspected NCGS based on clinical presentation and in 83 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Plasma AGA IgG was measured using ELISA. Clinical symptoms and QOL were assessed using validated scales, including the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9 and PHQ-15), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and the Japanese version of the Irritable Bowel Syndrome Quality of Life measure (IBS-QOL-J). Results: The AGA IgG positivity rate was significantly higher in the suspected NCGS group (33.3%) than in the control group (13.3%; p < 0.01). Using clinical suspicion as the reference, the sensitivity and specificity of AGA IgG were 33.3% and 86.7%, respectively. Patients with suspected NCGS exhibited significantly lower physical and mental QOL and higher scores for depressive, anxiety, and somatic symptoms compared to controls. No significant clinical differences were found between AGA IgG-positive and IgG-negative individuals within the suspected NCGS group. Conclusions: AGA IgG demonstrated a specificity of 86.7% and a sensitivity of 33.3% for suspected NCGS, indicating its limited utility as a standalone biomarker. These findings suggest that suspected NCGS involves significant somatic and psychological burdens regardless of serological status. Future studies should explore whether a multi-marker panel could improve the identification of “True NCGS” in diverse clinical populations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutritional and Clinical Approaches Across the Spectrum of Gluten-Related Disorders)
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Review

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23 pages, 4412 KB  
Review
Psychiatric Symptoms Associated with Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity: A Focused Narrative Review
by Dragica Pavlovic, Marina Gazdic Jankovic, Dragana Papic, Nikolina Kastratovic, Nikola Jovic, Simona Protrka, Vladimir Janjic and Biljana Ljujic
Nutrients 2026, 18(14), 2272; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18142272 - 11 Jul 2026
Viewed by 805
Abstract
Non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS), even though it is a term defined for more than four decades, is still an enigmatic clinical entity. This is primarily due to the absence of specific diagnostic criteria, with most reports relying on patients’ self-diagnosis. Individuals with NCGS [...] Read more.
Non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS), even though it is a term defined for more than four decades, is still an enigmatic clinical entity. This is primarily due to the absence of specific diagnostic criteria, with most reports relying on patients’ self-diagnosis. Individuals with NCGS experience intestinal (abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, or constipation) and extraintestinal symptoms (“foggy mind,” depression, anxiety, and deterioration of psychiatric conditions) after gluten consumption. Frequent disregard and oversight of extraintestinal manifestations, such as psychiatric symptoms, further complicates NCGS. The lack of understanding about NCGS causes individuals living with this condition to experience distress, frustration, and stigmatization. An impaired intestinal barrier, gut dysbiosis, and alterations in the gut–brain axis are proposed as key factors in the NCGS and psychiatric symptoms associated with NCGS. None of these links are yet definitive, and the methodological limitations of existing studies—small samples, self-reported diagnoses, and insufficient blinding—demand that conclusions be drawn with appropriate restraint. The purpose of this review is to provide an up-to-date understanding of the pathophysiology of NCGS and psychiatric symptoms associated with NCGS. Future studies should focus on development of reliable, objective diagnostic markers for NCGS and on the design of adequately powered, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials that incorporate validated psychiatric outcome measures alongside intestinal indices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutritional and Clinical Approaches Across the Spectrum of Gluten-Related Disorders)
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Other

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21 pages, 1023 KB  
Systematic Review
Physical Activity in Patients with Celiac Disease: A Systematic Review
by Irene Zapata-Martínez, Marta Herrador-López, Víctor Manuel Navas-López, Lara Bossini-Castillo, Teresa Nestares and Rafael Martín-Masot
Nutrients 2026, 18(14), 2400; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18142400 - 22 Jul 2026
Viewed by 1217
Abstract
Objectives: Celiac disease (CD) is an immune-mediated disorder triggered by gluten ingestion. Although a gluten-free diet (GFD) is the only effective treatment, patients may still experience inflammation, nutritional imbalances, and reduced quality of life. Physical activity (PA) has demonstrated anti-inflammatory benefits; however, [...] Read more.
Objectives: Celiac disease (CD) is an immune-mediated disorder triggered by gluten ingestion. Although a gluten-free diet (GFD) is the only effective treatment, patients may still experience inflammation, nutritional imbalances, and reduced quality of life. Physical activity (PA) has demonstrated anti-inflammatory benefits; however, its role in CD management remains unclear. This systematic review aimed to synthesize evidence on the associations of PA and the outcomes of exercise interventions in individuals with CD, focusing on metabolic, nutritional, clinical, and functional outcomes. Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, we included peer-reviewed observational and experimental studies assessing PA in individuals with CD across all age groups, without language or date restrictions. Searches were conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, EMBASE, and SPORTDiscus. The risk of bias was evaluated using JBI and Cochrane RoB 2 tools. Results: Fourteen studies (17 publications) were included, the vast majority of which were cross-sectional, along with one quasi-experimental study and two randomized controlled trial cohorts reported across five publications. Data from these predominantly observational studies suggested possible, yet inconsistent, links between higher PA levels and better profiles in body composition, inflammatory and oxidative markers, quality of life, and psychological outcomes. Positive associations were also observed in some studies regarding gastrointestinal symptoms and adherence to the GFD. However, findings on metabolic markers and bone mineral density were inconsistent and linked to dietary factors. Conclusions: While PA represents a potential adjunct in the comprehensive management of CD, particularly in relation to functional and inflammatory outcomes. However, the current evidence remains highly preliminary, limited, and inconsistent, which restricts the strength of any definitive conclusions. Therefore, high-quality, longitudinal studies and well-designed clinical trials are needed to confirm its long-term benefits, especially in the pediatric population, and to establish specific recommendations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutritional and Clinical Approaches Across the Spectrum of Gluten-Related Disorders)
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