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Advances in Nutrition for Autoimmune and Inflammatory Diseases
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Advances in Nutrition for Autoimmune and Inflammatory Diseases

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 February 2027 | Viewed by 2332

Editors

Dr. Carolina Ferreira Nicoletti

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Center of Lifestyle Medicine, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
2. Precision Nutrition and Cardiometabolic Health, IMDEA-Nutrition Institute (Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies), Madrid, Spain
Interests: systemic lupus erythematosus; nutrition; obesity; precision nutrition; epigenetics; biological aging; DNA methylation; genetic polymorphism
Dr. Amanda Cuevas-Sierra

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Precision Nutrition and Cardiometabolic Health, IMDEA-Nutrition Institute (Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies), Madrid, Spain
Interests: microbiota; inflammation; metagenomics; systemic lupus erythematosus; autoimmune diseases; obesity; cardiometabolic health; precision nutrition; diet; dietary patterns; adiposity; dysbiosis
Dr. Andrea Higuera-Gómez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant
1. Precision Nutrition and Cardiometabolic Health, IMDEA-Nutrition Institute (Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies), Madrid, Spain
2. Faculdad de Ciencias Biomedicas y de la Salud, Departamento de Farmacia y Nutrición, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Interests: systemic lupus erythematosus; autoimmune diseases; obesity; cardiometabolic health; inflammation; precision nutrition; diet; dietary patterns; gut microbiota; body composition; metabolic health

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Autoimmune and inflammatory diseases encompass a diverse group of chronic conditions characterized by immune dysregulation, persistent inflammation, and an increased risk of metabolic and cardiovascular complications. Growing evidence indicates that nutrition plays a central role in modulating immune responses, inflammatory pathways, disease activity, and long-term health outcomes in these disorders. Dietary patterns, nutrient intake, body composition, gut microbiota, and lifestyle-related factors have emerged as important determinants of immune and metabolic health, offering promising opportunities for prevention and adjunctive therapeutic strategies.

Recent advances in nutritional immunology, immunometabolism, microbiome research, epigenetics, and precision nutrition have improved our understanding of the complex interactions between diet and the immune system. These discoveries have opened new avenues for personalized nutritional approaches aimed at reducing inflammation, improving clinical outcomes, and enhancing quality of life in individuals affected by autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.

This Special Issue aims to provide an updated and comprehensive overview of current advances in nutrition research related to autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. We welcome original research articles, clinical trials, observational studies, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and narrative reviews addressing topics such as dietary interventions, nutritional status, body composition, obesity, immunometabolism, gut microbiota, epigenetic mechanisms, cardiometabolic health, supplementation strategies, precision nutrition, and lifestyle medicine. Studies involving autoimmune diseases, immune-mediated inflammatory disorders, chronic inflammatory conditions, obesity, metabolic diseases, cardiometabolic disorders, and other conditions characterized by immune and inflammatory dysregulation are particularly encouraged.

Dr. Carolina Ferreira Nicoletti
Dr. Amanda Cuevas-Sierra
Guest Editors

Dr. Andrea Higuera-Gómez
Guest Editor Assistant

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

  • autoimmune diseases
  • inflammatory diseases
  • chronic inflammation
  • low-grade inflammation
  • nutritional immunology
  • immunometabolism
  • precision nutrition
  • personalized nutrition
  • obesity
  • metabolic syndrome
  • type 2 diabetes
  • cardiometabolic health
  • gut microbiota
  • microbiome
  • epigenetics
  • immune regulation
  • dietary interventions
  • dietary patterns
  • supplementation
  • lifestyle medicine
  • chronic diseases
  • healthy aging

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 305 KB  
Article
Associations of Dietary Inflammatory Potential, Dietary Diversity, and Micronutrient Adequacy with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Case–Control Study from India
by Hemant Mahajan, Sailaja Pothana, Phani Kumar Devarasetti, Janhavi Pawar, Ranga Sreenivasa Reddy Kypa, Aditi Abhay Deshpande, Nikhita B. R. R. Boda, Venkat Raji Reddy Garlapatti, Srikanthbabu Perugu, Jag Jeevan Babu Geddam, Liza Rajasekhar and Devraj J. Parasannanavar
Nutrients 2026, 18(19), 3170; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18193170 - 26 Sep 2026
Viewed by 717
Abstract
Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease influenced by genetic and environmental factors, including diet. We examined the associations of dietary inflammatory potential, dietary diversity, and micronutrient adequacy with RA and RA-related autoantibodies in an urban Indian population. Methods: In this [...] Read more.
Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease influenced by genetic and environmental factors, including diet. We examined the associations of dietary inflammatory potential, dietary diversity, and micronutrient adequacy with RA and RA-related autoantibodies in an urban Indian population. Methods: In this unmatched case–control study, 301 newly diagnosed RA cases and 314 healthy controls from Hyderabad, India, were enrolled. Dietary intake was assessed using a validated 131-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Dietary inflammatory potential was estimated using the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII), while dietary quality was assessed using the dietary diversity score (DDS) and mean probability of micronutrient adequacy (MPA). Rheumatoid factor (RF) and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibodies were measured by ELISA. Multivariable regression models adjusted for age, sex, and BMI were used to assess associations. Population attributable fractions (PAFs) were estimated under a theoretical causal framework. Results: Compared with controls, RA cases had lower micronutrient adequacy, lower dietary diversity, and higher dietary inflammatory potential. Each one-unit increase in DII was associated with higher odds of RA (AOR 1.17; 95% CI: 1.10, 1.24), whereas each one-unit increase in DDS (AOR 0.73; 95% CI: 0.66, 0.81) and each 10-percentage-point increase in MPA (AOR 0.88; 95% CI: 0.83, 0.94) were associated with lower odds of RA. Associations with autoantibody concentrations were limited. Higher DDS, when analyzed as a continuous variable, was associated with lower anti-CCP concentrations, but not with RF. Continuous DII and MPA were not significantly associated with either anti-CCP or RF, and associations across categorical analyses were inconsistent. Conclusions: Poorer dietary diversity, lower micronutrient adequacy and a greater dietary inflammatory potential were associated with higher odds of RA. Associations with RA-related autoantibody concentrations were limited and inconsistent, and no significant associations with RF were observed. Given the case–control design, these findings should be interpreted as associations and require confirmation in prospective studies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nutrition for Autoimmune and Inflammatory Diseases)
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20 pages, 1287 KB  
Article
Baseline Ferritin and Body Composition as Correlates of Longitudinal Metabolic Changes During an Energy-Restricted Mediterranean-Style Intervention Across Three Overweight Phlogistic-Related Clinical Conditions
by Begoña de Cuevillas, Amanda Cuevas-Sierra, Andrea Higuera-Gómez, Victor Moreno-Torres, Susana Mellor-Pita, María Martínez-Urbistondo, Raquel Castejón, Daniel De Luis-Román and J. Alfredo Martínez
Nutrients 2026, 18(18), 3044; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18183044 - 17 Sep 2026
Viewed by 617
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Chronic inflammation accompanies obesity, but correlations of longitudinal changes during dietary follow-up remain unclear. We described inflammatory profiles and examined associations of baseline ferritin and body composition with changes during a 32-week energy-restricted Mediterranean-style intervention. Methods: This prospective cohort included 190 adults [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Chronic inflammation accompanies obesity, but correlations of longitudinal changes during dietary follow-up remain unclear. We described inflammatory profiles and examined associations of baseline ferritin and body composition with changes during a 32-week energy-restricted Mediterranean-style intervention. Methods: This prospective cohort included 190 adults classified as healthy overweight (n = 49), long COVID with overweight (n = 108), or metabolic syndrome (MS) with overweight (n = 33); 61 healthy normal-weight participants without long COVID or metabolic syndrome contributed to baseline comparisons only. The program prescribed a 30% energy deficit using a Mediterranean-style food-exchange system. Anthropometric, biochemical, inflammatory, lifestyle, and hepatic markers were assessed. MANOVA and multivariable regression examined inflammatory profiles and ferritin-change correlates. Results: Participants with overweight/obesity had a less favorable metabolic and inflammatory profile than normal-weight participants. Baseline ferritin was 100.5 (53.5–178.5), 76.0 (34.0–137.0), and 149.5 (102.0–245.0) ng/mL in the healthy overweight, long-COVID, and MS groups, respectively (omnibus p < 0.001). Mean changes were 8.0 ± 36.4, 3.3 ± 32.6, and −22.0 ± 58.8 ng/mL, respectively (omnibus p = 0.039), with the MS group showing greater decreases. Sex and muscle mass were associated with the multivariate inflammatory profile (both p < 0.001). Clinical group, baseline ferritin, muscle-mass change, MEDAS change, and Fatty Liver Index change were associated with ferritin change, although explanatory performance was limited (adjusted R2 = 0.16). Conclusions: Baseline ferritin and body composition were correlates of heterogeneous inflammatory-metabolic profiles and ferritin changes. These hypothesis-generating associations do not establish causal or mechanistic effects and require controlled confirmation with comprehensive iron-status assessment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nutrition for Autoimmune and Inflammatory Diseases)
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14 pages, 410 KB  
Article
Are Selenium Status and Inflammation Linked to Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Inborn Errors of Immunity?
by Rosana Gomes de Torres Rossi, Lucila Pereira, Fabíola Isabel Suano-Souza, Itana Gomes Alves Andrade, Rogério do Prado, Carolina Sanchez Aranda, Agatha Nogueira Previdelli, Roseli Oselka Saccardo Sarni and Maria Teresa Terreri
Nutrients 2026, 18(18), 3030; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18183030 - 16 Sep 2026
Viewed by 286
Abstract
Background/Objective: Patients with Inborn Errors of Immunity (IEI) are at increased cardiometabolic risk due to inflammation, immune dysfunction, and oxidative stress. Given selenium’s essential role in antioxidant defense, this study evaluated plasma selenium concentration in individuals with IEI and its associations with inflammatory [...] Read more.
Background/Objective: Patients with Inborn Errors of Immunity (IEI) are at increased cardiometabolic risk due to inflammation, immune dysfunction, and oxidative stress. Given selenium’s essential role in antioxidant defense, this study evaluated plasma selenium concentration in individuals with IEI and its associations with inflammatory and metabolic biomarkers and body mass index (BMI). Methods: A controlled cross-sectional study involved 85 patients, 22 with ataxia–telangiectasia (A-T), 32 with common variable immunodeficiency (CVI) and 31 with juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (jSLE). The control group comprised 72 age- and sex-matched healthy individuals. Anthropometric, inflammatory, metabolic, and oxidative stress parameters were assessed, including BMI, ultrasensitive C-reactive protein (usCRP), lipid profile, fasting glucose, insulin, plasma Se concentrations, erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity, and malondialdehyde levels. Results: Selenium concentrations below the reference value (46 µg/L) were observed in all groups, A-T (41%), CVI (50%), jSLE (48%) and the control group (33%). Low weight was more frequent in the A-T group (41%), whereas excess weight predominated in the CVI (47%) and jSLE (19%) groups. Multiple linear regression showed lower selenium concentrations in the jSLE (β = −10.1 ug/L) and CVI (β = −12.8 µg) groups compared with the controls (p < 0.05). Selenium concentrations were associated with age (β = 0.3 µg/L) and usCRP (p < 0.05). The GPx values were lower among all patient groups (jSLE: β = 3228 U/L, A-T: β = −2030 U/L, and CVI: β = −2060 U/L) (p < 0.05) compared with the controls. The GPx was also influenced by age (β = 56 U/L; p = 0.010). Conclusion: The present findings suggest alterations in the endogenous antioxidant defense system in patients with IEI, characterized by reduced erythrocyte GPx activity and lower plasma selenium concentrations. The inverse association between selenium and usCRP concentrations suggests a potential link between selenium status and systemic inflammation. However, these findings should be interpreted cautiously, as inflammation may influence circulating selenium concentrations, and the cross-sectional design does not establish causal inferences. Further longitudinal studies are warranted to clarify the relationship between selenium status, inflammation, and antioxidant defense in IEI. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nutrition for Autoimmune and Inflammatory Diseases)
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27 pages, 4191 KB  
Review
Gluten-Free and Gluten-Restricted Diets in Multiple Sclerosis: A Systematic Review of Disease Activity and Patient-Reported Outcomes
by Rakan Alromayan, Reema Alshihri, Nora Aljohani, Dana Alyahya, Najeeb Qadi and Eslam Shosha
Nutrients 2026, 18(19), 3190; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18193190 - 27 Sep 2026
Viewed by 368
Abstract
Background: Dietary modification is widely used by people with multiple sclerosis (MS), and gluten avoidance is a common self-directed strategy. Biological plausibility has been proposed through gut-barrier and immune mechanisms, but whether gluten restriction improves clinical outcomes or objective disease activity remains uncertain. [...] Read more.
Background: Dietary modification is widely used by people with multiple sclerosis (MS), and gluten avoidance is a common self-directed strategy. Biological plausibility has been proposed through gut-barrier and immune mechanisms, but whether gluten restriction improves clinical outcomes or objective disease activity remains uncertain. Objective: To systematically identify, appraise, and synthesise evidence on gluten-free and gluten-restricted diets in MS, with particular attention to whether observed effects can be attributed specifically to gluten. Methods: The protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD420261459657). MEDLINE (via PubMed), Embase, Scopus, the Web of Science Core Collection, and the Cochrane Library were searched from 1 July from the inception of each database to 22 July 2026, supplemented by backward and forward citation searching. Eligible studies enrolled adults with MS and evaluated a gluten-free diet, a clearly defined gluten-restriction component, or habitual gluten exposure. Screening, extraction, and appraisal were performed independently in duplicate. RoB 2, ROBINS-I, and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale were applied according to design, and certainty was assessed with GRADE. Clinical and methodological heterogeneity precluded meta-analysis; results were synthesised narratively following SWiM guidance. Results: Of 694 records identified, 392 duplicates were removed and 302 records were screened by title and abstract, of which 292 were excluded; ten reports were sought for full-text retrieval and one could not be obtained; nine full texts were assessed, three were excluded (one non-English publication and two ineligible study designs), and six studies were included. Two parallel-group controlled trials were reported as randomised, one was a randomised crossover trial, two were non-randomised interventional studies, and one was observational. Only six studies were eligible, and they were small and clinically and methodologically heterogeneous; no randomised comparison isolated gluten restriction as the sole dietary change. Clinical outcomes (fatigue, quality of life, disability) are reported separately from biological or disease-activity outcomes (relapse, magnetic resonance imaging activity, and biomarkers). Fatigue and quality of life improved most consistently in multi-component dietary trials that did not isolate gluten. Evidence specifically isolating gluten restriction was much weaker, and these results should not be read as showing that a gluten-free diet itself confers clinical benefit. The two studies reporting improved disability used adherence-based, non-randomised comparisons. By contrast, the randomised crossover trial of marked wheat/gluten reduction found no disability benefit and had a negative primary immunological endpoint. This contrast reflects substantial uncertainty and does not support a causal benefit of gluten elimination on disability. Adherence was a recurrent limitation. GRADE certainty was very low for all seven outcome domains, including fatigue and quality of life, and most of the evidence was indirect with respect to gluten elimination. Conclusions: In six small and heterogeneous studies, fatigue and quality of life improved mainly with multi-component dietary interventions; current evidence does not establish that gluten elimination itself confers clinical benefit, is responsible for these improvements, or modifies MS disease activity. Adequately powered randomised trials that isolate gluten elimination, objectively verify adherence, and use clinically meaningful outcomes with longer follow-up are required. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nutrition for Autoimmune and Inflammatory Diseases)
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