title: Gamma/delta T-cell receptor expression in the jejunal epithelium of patients with dermatitis herpetiformis and coeliac disease.
abstract: The density of jejunal intra-epithelial T cells expressing the gamma/delta form of the T-cell receptor is known to be increased in coeliac disease, the significance of which remains a mystery. The expression of the gamma/delta T-cell receptor in the jejunum of patients with dermatitis herpetiformis, coeliac disease, treated and untreated, and controls were studied. Expression of the gamma/delta T-cell receptor was significantly increased in patients with dermatitis hepetiformis (P < 0.0005) and in both untreated (P < 0.0005) and treated coeliac patients (P < 0.05) compared with controls. There were significant correlations between the indices of enteropathy, enterocyte height (P < 0.005) and villous height/crypt depth ratio (P < 0.0001), and expression of the gamma/delta T-cell receptor in the jejunum of all the patients. This argues against the hypothesis that gamma/delta T-cells have a fundamental role in the aetiology of gluten-sensitive enteropathy. It suggests that gamma/delta T cells may be involved in the effector arm of the mucosal immune response to cereal peptides in susceptible individuals.
authors.affiliation: Rayne Institute, St Thomas's Hospital, London, UK.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sturgess
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kontakou
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nelufer
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Ciclitira
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000276:immunology*; D003874:Dermatitis Herpetiformis / Q000276:immunology*; D004848:Epithelium; D006801:Humans; D007583:Jejunum / Q000276:immunology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta