title: Co-occurrence of IgA antibodies against ethanol metabolites and tissue transglutaminase in alcohol consumers: correlation with proinflammatory cytokines and markers of fibrogenesis.
abstract: IgA antibodies to tissue transglutaminase have been suggested to be specific indicators of celiac disease. However, no studies have addressed the relationships between such antibodies and alcohol abuse, which is also a common cause of IgA-isotype immune responses and tissue injury in the gastrointestinal tract and liver. Here, measurements of specific IgAs against tissue transglutaminase and proteins modified by acetaldehyde, the first metabolite of ethanol, showed significantly higher levels of both antibodies in alcoholic liver disease patients than in healthy controls or heavy drinkers without liver disease. These antibodies also significantly co-occurred in heavy drinkers without liver disease, moderate drinkers, and abstainers, and correlated with biomarkers of alcohol consumption, proinflammatory cytokines and markers of fibrogenesis. The data suggests a link between such immune responses, perturbations in cytokine profiles and fibrogenesis, which should be implicated in studies on the pathogenesis and diagnosis of ethanol-induced tissue injury and celiac disease.
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Unit and Department of Laboratory Medicine, Seinäjoki Central Hospital, Seinajoki 60220, Finland.
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Koivisto
authors.forename: Johanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hietala
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Anttila
authors.forename: Onni
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Niemelä
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000276:immunology*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000276:immunology; D018928:Immunity, Mucosal; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000276:immunology*; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000276:immunology; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000091345:Protein Glutamine gamma Glutamyltransferase 2; D011503:Transglutaminases / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D000431:Ethanol; D000091345:Protein Glutamine gamma Glutamyltransferase 2; D011503:Transglutaminases; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins