Inclusion Criteria:

• - All patients undergoing digestive endoscopic investigations, irrespective to the motivations of the test.

Exclusion Criteria:

- None

Self-reported food hypersensitivity is common, particularly in women, with a reported prevalence of about 20% in the UK community. A wide range of gastrointestinal and systemic symptoms may be experienced related to consumption of the intolerant food(s). In addition, patients demonstrate considerably more generalized subjective health complaints in comparison with healthy controls. In this context, it has been reported that a consistent percentage of the general population consider themselves to be suffering from problems caused by wheat and/or gluten ingestion, even though they do not have celiac disease or wheat allergy. This clinical condition has been named non-celiac gluten sensitivity' (NCGS). In a previous paper the investigators suggested the term 'non-celiac wheat sensitivity' (NCWS), since it is not known what component of wheat causes the symptoms in NCGS patients, and the investigators also showed that these patients had a high frequency of coexistent multiple food hypersensitivity. The clinical picture of NCWS is characterized by combined gastrointestinal (bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea and/or constipation, nausea, epigastric pain, gastroesophageal reflux, aphthous stomatitis) and extra-intestinal and/or systemic manifestations (headache, depression, anxiety, 'foggy mind,' tiredness, dermatitis or skin rash, fibromyalgia-like joint/muscle pain, leg or arm numbness, and anemia). To our knowledge, there are few studies which assessed the prevalence of self-reported wheat and/or gluten-related symptoms in the community and analyze diagnostic outcomes in those referred to secondary gastrointestinal care. In one of these, performed in UK, the authors shown that gluten-related symptoms are self-reported by 13% of the population, with 3.7% consuming a gluten-free diet, despite only 0.8% being aware that they have a formal diagnosis of celiac disease. In this study individuals self-reporting gluten-related symptoms were predominantly female, reported an association with IBS, and experienced both intestinal and extraintestinal symptoms on gluten ingestion. Of those patients presenting to the gastroenterology department, the majority do not have CD but NCWS. In another study, the investigators demonstrated, in a population of teenagers, a frequency of self-reported NCWS of about 12%; the frequency of GFD use was 2.9%, which was much higher than the percentage of known CD in the same population (1.26%). The aims of this study were 1) to determine the prevalence of self-perceived wheat and/or gluten-sensitivity in patients undergoing digestive endoscopy, irrespective to the motivations of the test, and 2) to evaluate the demographic and clinical differences between patients self-reporting wheat and/or gluten sensitivity and patients not reporting food hypersensitivity.

Arms

: Patients undergoing digestive endoscopy

All the patients, age ranged from 18 to 90 years, referred to Digestive Endoscopy Outpatients Clinic of the Department of Gastroenterology of the University Hospital "Paolo Giaccone" of Palermo, Italy

Interventions

Other: - Questionnaire

Enrolled patients will fill out a modified version of a previously validated written questionnaire, including two different sections. The first comprises basic demographic information, including age, sex and ethnicity, and a screening section for symptoms consistent with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in accordance with the Rome III criteria, also including their past gastrointestinal, allergic and psychiatric history. The second section enquires for self-reported gluten-related symptoms. Participants will be also asked for their use of a gluten-free diet and if they had seen a healthcare professional for their symptoms. A reported diagnosis of celiac disease and wheat allergy in the population group is defined by those who had a doctor diagnosis of celiac disease and wheat allergy and are also taking a gluten-free diet.