Patients with coeliac disease have a characteristic gliadin antibody pattern.
By use of an immunoblotting technique we have investigated the specificity of circulating IgG antibodies with respect to reactions with the alpha-, beta-, gamma- and omega-fractions of gliadin in patients with coeliac disease and in patients with diarrhoea of other causes. Untreated coeliac patients show a characteristic reactivity against polypeptides in the gamma-fraction, with an Mr of 35 and 45 kilodaltons, but only minor reactivity against the other fractions. One coeliac patient exclusively had antibodies to a 80 kilodalton component. Such a reaction pattern was not observed in other groups of patients with diarrhoea, as they had only weak reactions against the gamma-fraction but a stronger reaction against the other fractions. This might indicate that enterocytes of coeliac patients specifically take up distinct polypeptides of gamma-gliadin and by transcellular transport present them to immunocompetent cells. The results also suggest that there are distinct components of gliadin that provoke symptoms in different coeliac patients, indicating a heterogenecity of the disease. The study might lead to new diagnostic methods and to elucidation of the pathogenetic mechanisms behind coeliac disease.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000906:Antibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000276:immunology*; D003101:Collodion; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005903:Gliadin / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007158:Immunologic Techniques; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000276:immunology; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000276:immunology*
D000906:Antibodies; D000941:Antigens; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D010940:Plant Proteins; D003101:Collodion; D005903:Gliadin