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A technique has been developed which may lead to more accurate diagnosis of
CD in borderline and asymptomatic cases by testing for anti-tTG antibodies
in the intestinal mucosa.  The full text of this very technical article is
free in the Journal of Autoimmunity.

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J Autoimmun. 2004 Feb;22(1):65-72

(Click on the "Complimentary" Volume 22, Feb. 2004 issue, and then select
the article #7 from the table of contents:)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/08968411

One-step cloning of anti tissue transglutaminase scFv from subjects with
celiac disease.

Sblattero D, Florian F, Azzoni E, Ziberna F, Tommasini A, Not T, Ventura A,
Bradbury A, Marzari R.

Department of Biology, University of Trieste, Via L. Giorgieri 10, 34127,
Trieste, Italy

Celiac disease is characterized by intestinal mucosal injury and
malabsorption precipitated by dietary exposure to gluten of some cereals
with a prominent role being played by gliadins, specific antigenic
determinants found in wheat gluten. Patients suffering from celiac disease
have serum antibodies recognizing gliadin, as well as the endomysial
autoantigen tissue transglutaminase. Phage display antibody libraries have
revealed ectopic production of anti-transglutaminase antibodies by
intestinal lymphocytes with a biased use of the VH5 antibody gene family.
Here we report a study on the pairing of VH and VL families in the
antibodies to transglutaminase. Our results led to the construction of
small phage display antibody libraries based on the amplification of the
two genes in the VH5 family from intestinal lymphocytes. This method can be
used for the rapid characterization of the anti-transglutaminase response
in a potentially large number of subjects including asymptomatic patients
whose serum antibodies may be undetectable.

PMID: 14709414 [PubMed - in process]

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* Please remember some posters may be WHEAT-FREE, but not GLUTEN-FREE *