Abstract
There is evidence that not only alpha but beta, gamma and omega gliadins induce the mucosal changes of coeliac disease. There is also evidence that intreated coeliacs have high antibody titres to all these gliadins. We have used mouse T-cell lines to investigate the mnunological cross-reactivity between these gliadins. Gluten-free Balb c mice were imnunised with either alpha, beta, gamma or omega gliadin. Lymphocytes, isolated from the draining nodes, were cultured through three complete stimulation and rest cycles using the corresponding gliadins for stimulation. The specifically sensitised cell lines were tested in a stimulation assay against the other gliadins. The results show some cross-reactivity in all cases. Alpha-sensitive cell lines were most restricted, responding principally to alpha gliadin; omega cells responded equally to all gliadins. Conversely, alpha gliadin was the most effective stimulus across cell lines; omega was the least, stimulating principally omega cell lines.
We conclude that alpha gliadin is the most antigenic of the gliadins to these murine T-cells, presumably carrying the most determinants. However, the considerable cross-reactivity supports the belief that the immunological reaction in coeliac disease is against determinant(s) present in all the gliadins.
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Howdle, P., Hanson, D., Ciclitira, P. et al. MURINE T-CELL RESPONSES. TO WHEAT GLIADINS. Pediatr Res 20, 697 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198607000-00069
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198607000-00069