Table 2.
Results of available evidence in support or against GFD in PCD asymptomatic patients.
| Study | About GFD | Study population | Conclusions | Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tosco et al. [25] | Against GFD | 106 children | 33% of incidence of villous atrophy after 3 years in with PCD | Unknown number of patients lost at follow-up |
| Lionetti et al. [44] | Against GFD | 24 asymptomatic children | CD markers disappear in most young children with potential CD despite a regular diet | Small sample size |
| Silvester et al. [45] | Against GFD | Review paper | In the absence of symptoms or villous atrophy, treatment with a GFD does not appear to be necessary in most cases | N/A |
| Mandile et al. [41] | Against GFD | 47 children | Association between CD and irritable bowel syndrome may be a significant confounding factor | Irritable bowel syndrome is overlapping with CD |
| Lionetti et al. [43] | Against GFD | 23 asymptomatic children | Risk of progression to overt CD while on a gluten-containing diet is very low in the long-term. | Age of the study group and study design |
| Kurppa et al. [38] | Supports GFD | 23 adults | Patients with endomysial antibodies benefit from a GFD regardless of the degree of enteropathy. | Marsh II included in study population |
| Kurppa et al. [39] | Supports GFD | 17 children | Children benefit from early treatment despite normal mucosal structure | Small sample size |