Celiac Disease and Drug-Based Therapies: Inquiry into Patients Demands

Medical research is looking for alternative drug-based options to the gluten-free diet (GFD) for celiac disease. We aimed at evaluating the need for alternative therapies perceived by celiac patients.

During the 2013 meeting of the Lombardy section of the Italian Celiac Patients Association, adult subjects were invited to fill in a questionnaire investigating their clinical profile in relation to compliance to the diet, quality of life (QOL) as well as their opinion on alternative therapies.

Three hundred and seventy two patients (76 m, mean age 41.7 ± 13.9 years) completed the questionnaire. Patients reported a significant improvement in health status (HS) and QOL after the diet was started (p < 0.001). The GFD was accepted by 88% patients, but the need for alternative therapies was reported by 65%. Subjects expressing the need for a drug-based therapy showed a lower increase in QOL (p = 0.003) and HS (p = 0.005) on GFD. The preferred option for an alternative therapy was the use of enzymes (145 subjects), followed by a vaccine (111 subjects).

The GFD is favorably accepted by most celiac patients. Nevertheless, a proportion of patients pronounce themselves in favor of the development of alternative drugs.