title: Circulating IgA- and IgG-class antigliadin antibodies in dermatitis herpetiformis detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
abstract: A sensitive and technically simple enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed to demonstrate circulating IgA- and IgG-class antibodies to gliadin, a component of wheat gluten. Serum samples from 24 patients with dermatitis herpetiformis (DH), 5 with coeliac disease (CD) and 75 normal controls were analysed. Antigliadin antibodies (AGA) of the IgA class were detected in 71% of DH patients, all of the CD patients and 19% of the controls. IgG-AGA was found in over 90% of DH patients and controls and in all of the CD patients. The mean ELISA values of both IgA- and IgG-class AGA were significantly higher in DH patients than in the controls. The occurrence of circulating IgA-class AGA is compatible with the hypothesis that these antibodies can be deposited in the skin, e.g. as immune complexes, or due to cross-reactivity of gliadin and dermal reticulin.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000917:Antibody Formation; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003874:Dermatitis Herpetiformis / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005903:Gliadin / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000276:immunology*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology*; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D012867:Skin / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D010940:Plant Proteins; D005903:Gliadin