<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> 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. ---------- 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] * * * * Please remember some posters may be WHEAT-FREE, but not GLUTEN-FREE *