Coeliac Disease, Microscopic Colitis and Exclusion Diets—a Commemorative Issue in Honour of Dr. Fernando Fernández-Bañares

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is made in honour of Dr. Fernando Fernández-Bañares, who passed away on June 13, 2023, at the age of 64. He became a world-renowned expert for his work on celiac disease and microscopic colitis. He also had profound knowledge of the mechanisms of maldigestion and malabsorption of carbohydrates and wrote an excellent critical analysis about the diagnostic test for these entities. In 1999, he described the first cohort of patients with microscopic colitis in the population of Terrassa (Spain), and thanks to his continuous research in this field, he published data on the evolution of the prevalence of this disease over three decades. He was the coordinator of the Spanish group of microscopic colitis and a very recognized member of the European microscopic colitis group (EMCG). In recent years, he developed a research line that demonstrated the usefulness of duodenal lymphocyte subpopulation pattern assessed via flow cytometry for the diagnosis of celiac disease, especially in difficult cases.

Intestinal homeostasis is the result of a delicate interrelation between food, the microbiota and mucosa-associated immune system. The dysregulation of this complex interplay leads to different forms of intestinal inflammation, such as celiac disease or inflammatory bowel disease, including microscopic colitis. The differential diagnosis with functional disorders of the intestine is not always easy due to the overlap of various entities with poorly defined limits. An example may be of the overlap between the so-called "low-grade celiac disease" or “celiac lite”, which is often confused with non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Exclusion diets and microbiota modulation have been proposed as the therapies for many of these entities.

This issue provides a good opportunity to publish the results of research work developed by some of the colleagues of Dr. Fernando Fernández-Bañares in the field of nutrition, restrictive diets (lactose, fructose–sorbitol, gluten-free, FODMAPS, etc.), coeliac disease, intestinal inflammation and functional disorders. This is surely one of the best tributes that can be offered to him.

Dr. Maria Esteve
Guest Editor

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