Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Immunofluorescent serum gliadin antibodies in children with coeliac disease and various malabsorptive disorders

I. Technique, clinical evaluation and diagnostic use of a gliadin antibody assay using pyruvic aldehyde-treated human red cells

  • Original Investigations
  • Published:
European Journal of Pediatrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

An immunofluorescent gliadin antibody assay is described using pyruvic aldehyde-stabilized human erythrocytes coated with gliadin. Fifty coeliac children all had high serum IgG-antigliadin titres during a normal diet or a challenge with gluten. On a gluten-free diet (30 children), titres were much lower. In patients followed-up for one year on a gluten-free diet, an initial rise in titres was followed by a slow decline. On challenge, IgG-antigliadin titres showed a slow rise or persistence at the same level in most patients. Fifty-two percent of control children with malabsorptive disorders, but without the typical “flat” mucosal lesion on jejunal biopsy, were shown to have positive titres in their sera, as were 6% of normal children and 4% of adult blood donors. The fluorescent antibody technique was compared with methods commonly used to detect wheat-protein antibodies, and was found to be superior to all of them. The immunofluorescent gliadin antibody assay appears to be useful in following-up children with coeliac disease, and in selecting patients for jejunal biopsy, although it does not replace biopsy.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Alarcon-Segovia, D., Herskovic, T., Wakim, K. G., Green, P. A., Scudamore, H. H.: Presence of circulating antibodies to gluten and milk fractions in patients with non-tropical spure. Am. J. Med. 36, 485–499 (1964)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Asquith, P.: Coeliac disease Immunology. Clin. Gastroenterol. 3, 213–234 (1974)

    Google Scholar 

  3. Baker, P. G., Barry, R. E., Read, A. E.: Detection of continuing gluten ingestion in treated coeliac patients. Br. Med. J. 1975 I, 486–488

    Google Scholar 

  4. Baudon, J. J., Mougenot, J. F., Desquilbet, N.: The value of serum antibodies and lymphoblast transformation studies as diagnostic tools in gluten sensitive coeliac disease and in cow's milk intolerance. Z. Kinderheilkd. 113, 239–240 (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  5. Berger, E.: Coeliakie und Antikörper gegen Nahrungsmittel-Antigene. Ann. Paediatr. 188, 297–300 (1957)

    Google Scholar 

  6. Berger, E.: Zur allergischen Pathogenese der Coeliakie. Mit Versuchen über die Spaltung pathogener Antigene durch Fermente. Bibl. Paediatr. 67, 1–55 (1958)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Berger, E., Bürgin-Wolff, A., Freudenberg, E.: Diagnostische Bewertung des Nachweises von Gliadin-Antikörpern bei Coeliakie. Klin. Wochenschr. 42, 788–790 (1964)

    Google Scholar 

  8. Bürgin-Wolff, A., Hernandez, R., Just, M.: A rapid fluorescent solid-phase method for detecting antibodies against milk proteins and gliadin in different immunoglobulin classes. Experientia 28, 119–120 (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  9. Bürgin-Wolff, A., Hernandez, R., Just, M., Signer, E.: Immunofluorescent antibodies against gliadin: a screening test for coeliac disease. Helv. Paediatr. Acta 31, 375–380 (1976)

    Google Scholar 

  10. Carswell, F., Ferguson, A.: Plasma food antibodies during withdrawal and reintroduction of dietary gluten in coeliac disease. Arch. Dis. Child. 48, 583–586 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  11. Cornell, H. J.: Circulating antibodies to wheat gliadin fractions in coeliac disease. Arch. Dis. Child. 49, 454–458 (1974)

    Google Scholar 

  12. Crowle, A. J.: Immunodiffusion. 2nd edition. New York 1973

  13. Douglas, A. P.: The immunological basis of coeliac disease. Front. Gastrointest. Res. 1, 49–73 (1975)

    Google Scholar 

  14. Eterman, K. P., Hekkens, W. T. J. M., Pena, A. S., Lems-van Kan, P. H., Feltkamp, T. E. W.: Wheat grains: a substrate for the determination of gluten antibodies in serum of glutensensitive patients. J. immunol. Meth. 14, 85–92 (1977)

    Google Scholar 

  15. Eterman, K. P., Feltkamp, T. E. W.: Antibodies to gluten and reticulin in gastrointestinal diseases. Clin. Exp. Immunol. 31, 92–99 (1978)

    Google Scholar 

  16. Fischer, K., Dorszewski, E.: Ein Beitrag zum Nachweis cellulärfixierter Antikörper. Monatsschr. Kinderheilkd. 113, 175–176 (1965)

    Google Scholar 

  17. Fischer, K., Stege, N.: On the pathogenesis of ABO-erythroblastosis: Demonstration of quantitative variations in the power of neonatal erythrocytes to combine with antibody, using the immunofluorescent technique. Vox Sang. 12, 145–150 (1967)

    Google Scholar 

  18. Frazer, A. C., Flecher, R. F., Ross, C. A. C., Shaw, B., Sammons, H. G., Schneider, R.: Gluten-induced enteropathy—The effect of partially digested gluten. Lancet 1959 II, 252–255

  19. Freudenberg, E., Bürgin-Wolff, A.: Kritische Bemerkungen zur Technik der Bestimmung von Antikörpern gegen Gliadin. Z. Kinderheilkd. 93, 46–54 (1965)

    Google Scholar 

  20. Governa, M., Francini, I., Della Cella, G., Durand, P.: Serum antireticulin antibody as further evidence of the increased immune response to dietary antigens in coeliac children. Helv. Paediatr. Acta 28, 267–273 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  21. Granditsch, G., Wick, G.: Immunologische Studien an Kindern mit Coeliakie. Klin. Paediatr. 188, 408–417 (1976)

    Google Scholar 

  22. Heiner, D. C., Lahey, M. E., Wilson, J. F., Gerrard, J. W., Shwachman, H., Khaw, K. T.: Precipitins to antigens of wheat and cow's milk in coeliac disease. J. Pediatr. 61, 813–830 (1962)

    Google Scholar 

  23. Immonen, P.: Precipitins to cow's milk and wheat proteins in gastrointestinal disorders. Acta Paediatr. Scand. Suppl. 159, 104–105 (1965)

    Google Scholar 

  24. Kenrick, K. G., Walker-Smith, J. A.: Immunoglobulins and dietary protein antibodies in childhood coeliac disease. Gut 11, 635–640 (1970)

    Google Scholar 

  25. Kivel, R. M., Kearns, D. H., Liebowitz, D.: Significance of antibodies to dietary proteins in the serum of patients with nontropical sprue. N. Engl. J. Med. 271, 769–772 (1964)

    Google Scholar 

  26. Kowlessar, O. D., Warren, R. E., Bronstein, H. D.: Coeliac disease: Enzyme defect or immune mechanism. Prog. Gastroenterol. II, 409–429 (1970)

    Google Scholar 

  27. Kumar, P. J., Ferguson, A., Lancaster-Smith, M., Clark, M. L.: Food antibodies in patients with dermatitis herpetiformis and adult coeliac disease—relationship to jejunal morphology. Scand. J. Gastroenterol. 11, 5–9 (1976)

    Google Scholar 

  28. Lalande, J. A., Frézal, J., Rey, J., Lamy, M., Halpern, B. N., Ky, N. T.: Etude immunologique de la maladie coeliaque et de l'intolérance au lait de vache chez l'enfant. Méd. Hyg. 24, 51–54 (1966)

    Google Scholar 

  29. Ling, N. R.: The attachment of proteins to aldehyde-tanned cells. Br. J. Haematol. 7, 299–302 (1961)

    Google Scholar 

  30. McNicholl, B., Egan-Mitchell, B., Stevens, F., Keane, R., Baker, S., McCarthy, C. F., Fottrell, P. F.: Mucosal recovery in treated childhood coeliac disease. J. Pediatr. 89, 418–424 (1976)

    Google Scholar 

  31. Mietens, C.: Immunologische Aspekte der Coeliakie. Paediatr. Paedol. 8, 68–79 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  32. Nowotny, A.: Basic exercises in immunochemistry. Berlin-Heidelberg-New York 1969

  33. Outchterlony, Ö.: Diffusion-in-gel methodes for immunological analysis. Prog. Allergy 5, 1–78 (1958)

    Google Scholar 

  34. Pokorna, M., Sourek, J., Svejcar, J.: Die Bedeutung der Präzipitine gegenüber Gliadin im Serum von Kindern mit Coeliakie. Helv. Paediatr. Acta 18, 393–397 (1963)

    Google Scholar 

  35. Rossipal, E.: Nachweis von präzipitierenden Antikörpern gegen wässrige Mehlextrakte bei Coeliakie. Z. Kinderheilkd. 110, 188–199 (1971)

    Google Scholar 

  36. Rotthauwe, H. W., Sennekamp, J., Emons, D., Becker, M.: Antiretikulin-Antikörper und präzipitierende Antikörper gegen Nahrungsmittelproteine im Serum von Kindern mit Coeliakie. Eur. J. Pediatr. 121, 215–226 (1976)

    Google Scholar 

  37. Scheidegger, J. J.: Une microméthode de l'immunoélectrophorèse. Int. Arch. Allergy 2, 103–110 (1955)

    Google Scholar 

  38. Stern, M.: Immunfluoreszenztest zum Nachweis von Gliadin-Antikörpern. Ein Beitrag zur Immunologie und Diagnostik der Coeliakie. Thesis Hamburg 1977

  39. Taylor, K. B., Truelove, S. C., Thomson, D. L., Wright, R.: An immunological study of coeliac disease and idiopathic steatorrhea. Serological reactions togluten and milk proteins. Br. Med. J. 1961 II, 1727–1731

    Google Scholar 

  40. Walker, W. A.: Antigen absorption from the small intestine and gastrointestinal disease. Pediatr. Clin. North Am. 22, 731–746 (1975)

    Google Scholar 

  41. Zareba, J.: Antibodies to gliadin in children with coeliac disease. Pol. Tyg. Lek. 23, 1844–1846 (1968)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universitäts-Kinderklinik und Poliklinik, Hamburg, Germany

    M. Stern, K. Fischer & R. Grüttner

Authors
  1. M. Stern
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. K. Fischer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. R. Grüttner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Supported in part by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Stern, M., Fischer, K. & Grüttner, R. Immunofluorescent serum gliadin antibodies in children with coeliac disease and various malabsorptive disorders. Eur J Pediatr 130, 155–164 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00455261

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00455261

Key words

Search

Navigation