Jejunal Biopsy and Lymphocyte Co-Culture in Coeliac Disease

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Abstract
Jejunal biopsies from 13 patients with treated celiac disease were maintained in organ culture for 24 h with and without the addition of gluten fraction III, in each case with and without autologous peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Biopsies cultured with gluten alone or with lymphocytes alone showed no significant reduction in mean enterocyte height compared with those cultured in control medium, but those cultured with both gluten and lymphocytes had significantly lower enterocyte height than control biopsies, than those cultured with gluten alone, and than those cultured with lymphocytes alone. The combination of gluten and lymphocytes is more toxic to treated celiac mucosa in vitro than either one alone. Immune reactions to gluten may be important in the pathogenesis of the mucosal lesion of celiac disease.