CELL-MEDIATED-IMMUNITY TO GLUTEN FRACTION-3 IN ADULT CELIAC-DISEASE

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  • 1 January 1976
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 24  (2) , 259-265
Abstract
Peripheral blood lymphocytes were obtained from 27 healthy control subjects, 21 celiac patients on a gluten-free diet and 14 patients on a normal diet. When the cells were cultured in vitro in the presence of 2 and 4 mg of gluten fraction III, there were significant increases in the mean ratios of response for lymphocytes from gluten-free celiacs compared to healthy controls after 4, 5 and 6 days of culture, but for those on a normal diet, significant increases were found only when using 4 mg of gluten on the 4th and 5th days of culture. When 3 further patients were changed from a normal to a gluten-free diet, the ratios of response for their lymphocytes increased. Certain celiacs may exhibit a weak delayed hypersensitivity reaction to gluten. Its more ready demonstration in patients on a gluten-free diet could be explained on the release of sensitized lymphocytes from the intestinal mucosa into the peripheral circulation after gluten withdrawal.