Wheat-related conditions: celiac disease, allergy and sensitivity
What it found
Three main wheat-related conditions exist: celiac disease, wheat allergy and non-celiac wheat sensitivity.
Non-celiac wheat sensitivity is the most recently recognized and has the highest reported prevalence, but remains poorly characterized.
What they found
Studies in people
Celiac disease
Celiac disease is a well-characterized immune-mediated disease caused by an immune reaction against specific gliadin epitopes, the main protein in wheat. Screening studies of samples collected over time show a true increase in prevalence, not only from more testing. It has diverse clinical presentation and increased risk of autoimmune co-morbidities.
Wheat allergy
Wheat allergy consists of IgE- and non-IgE-mediated reactions, driven by Th2-cells directing eosinophil and basophil responses. Rapid IgE-mediated reactions involve specific IgE antibodies with symptoms especially from the respiratory and gastrointestinal tract. There is an increased risk of other allergies and the majority recover during adolescence.
Non-IgE wheat allergy
Non-IgE-mediated wheat allergy is less well defined and often diagnostically challenging due to a longer interval between exposure and symptoms and lack of non-invasive biomarkers. Wheat as a trigger needs to be established by exclusion followed by dietary challenge.
Non-celiac wheat sensitivity
Non-celiac wheat sensitivity is the most recently recognized but has the highest reported prevalence among the three wheat-related entities. It remains particularly poorly characterized due to unclear pathophysiology and lack of diagnostic markers.
What the authors conclude
- They will scrutinize the shared and distinct clinical features of the three wheat-related conditions, focusing on epidemiology, clinical presentation, co-morbidities, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis.
How it was done
Wheat- and gluten-free diets have increased in demand due to reported increases in various conditions reported to be driven by ingredients of these food products.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This is a review of existing research, not a new study. It cannot provide new data on causes or treatments.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- University of Oslo, Norway; Oslo University Hospital, Norway; Tampere University, Finland
The paper
- Title
- Celiac disease, non-celiac wheat sensitivity, wheat allergy - clinical and diagnostic aspects
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Størdal K, Kurppa K (2025). Celiac disease, non-celiac wheat sensitivity, wheat allergy - clinical and diagnostic aspects. Seminars in immunology. doi:10.1016/j.smim.2025.101930PubMed 39793259DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error