Lymphocyte activation by gliadin in coeliac disease and in experimentally induced enteropathy of germfree rats

Numbers of T cell receptor (TCR) alpha beta+ but not of TcR gamma delta+ intraepithelial lymphocytes correlate with the grade of villous atrophy in coeliac patients on a long term normal diet.

“…Nine had short stature, one cow's milk tolerance, three nonspecific chronic diarrhoea, one prolonged diar- Counts ofTcR c4S+ IEL were significantly higher in patients with active coeliac disease and total or subtotal atrophy than in controls, in patients with partial villous atrophy, or in those with a normal mucosa (Table V). Furthermore, all patients in whom the mucosa had returned to normal, whether on a gluten free diet (n= 5) * p<OOOl compared with controls and patients with normal mucosa, p<O0Ol compared with patients with moderate VA; t p<005 compared with adult controls, p<OOl compared with paediatric controls, not significant compared to patients with normal mucosa; t not significant compared with controls; § p<OOl compared with adult controls, p<OOOl compared with paediatric controls, p<005 compared with patients with moderate VA or normal mucosa; 7mp<0-01 compared with paediatric controls, p<002 compared with patients with normal mucosa, not significant compared with adult controls and to patients with moderate VA; ** counts performed in.8 out of the 15 adult controls. Finally our study raises the question of the enduring character of coeliac disease.…”

“…In patients left on a gluten free diet, intraduodenal challenge by gluten induces a dose dependent increase in the numbers of IEL, associated, at the highest doses of gluten, with epithelial changes.4 In a rat model of gliadin induced enteropathy, IEL from sensitised animals were able to induce epithelial changes when introduced into jejunal loops of germ free animals. 5 Several recent studies have emphasised the striking increase in IEL bearing a T cell receptor for antigen (TcR) yb+ in coeliac disease. These cells, present in small numbers in normal human gut epithelium, were much more numerous in coeliac disease patients with active disease or on a gluten free diet.…”

Occurrence of IgA and IgG Autoantibodies to Calreticulin in Coeliac Disease and Various Autoimmune Diseases

“…The endomysial antigen has recently been identified as tissue transglutaminase (tTG) [29]. We have reported the reactivity of anti-gliadin Abs with structures on rat and human enterocytes [22,30,31]. Cross-reactive enterocyte proteins were isolated by affinity chromatography (using anti-gliadin Abs), and the first enterocyte antigen was identified as calreticulin [21,22].…”

Identification of common epitopes on gliadin, enterocytes, and calreticulin recognised by antigliadin antibodies of patients with coeliac disease

“…We have found that sera and media from cultured biopsy specimens of patients with coeliac disease also contain antibodies against isolated rat and human enterocytes 18. Furthermore, it has been observed that some monoclonal antibodies to gliadin, as well as isolated patients’ antigliadin antibodies (AGA), cross react with similar epitopes on rat and human enterocytes 19.…”