Diarrhea-Predominant IBS May Respond to a Gluten-Free Diet

It is well known that some patients without celiac disease develop symptoms in response to gluten. This syndrome is often called gluten intolerance. Based on preliminary evidence, patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) may respond to a gluten-free diet, especially those with human leukocyte antigen (HLA) markers associated with celiac disease (HLA-DQ2 and HLA-DQ8), although the mechanism is unclear.

To investigate this issue further, researchers randomized 45 patients with IBS-D to a gluten-free diet or a gluten-containing diet for 4 weeks. Half of the patients in each group were positive for HLA-DQ2 or HLA-DQ8, and the other half were negative for these markers.

Stool frequency decreased in patients on the gluten…