A novel method for detecting IgA endomysial antibodies by using human umbilical vein endothelial cells

Although tissue transglutaminase was recently identified as the main autoantigen recognized by endomysial antibodies in coeliac patients, anti-endomysium antibody detection still persists as the gold standard for coeliac disease screening and diagnosis.

(1) To evaluate human umbilical vein cells (HUVEC) as an alternative source of endomysial antigen and to assess their suitability in the diagnosis of coeliac disease. (2) To verify whether tissue transglutaminase is one target antigen eliciting the endomysial antibody fraction of coeliac serum IgA.

University teaching hospital.

Sera from 123 untreated adults with biopsy-proven coeliac disease and 84 controls (40 healthy and 44 diseased) were assessed by indirect immunofluorescence, using HUVEC on glass slides prepared by cytocentrifugation and permeabilized by using Triton X (0.5%). Indirect immunofluorescence was performed: (1) using coeliac disease serum samples on HUVEC with or without prior incubation with tissue transglutaminase; and (2) incubating both HUVEC and monkey oesophagus with goat anti-guinea pig tissue transglutaminase antibody.

All the coeliac patients, who were also positive on monkey oesophagus, showed the typical fluorescent homogeneous cytoplasmic stain on HUVEC. All control sera were negative both on HUVEC and on monkey oesophagus. IgA antibodies did not react with non-permeabilized cells, with intact membrane. Preincubation of coeliac sera with tissue transglutaminase abolished the typical fluorescent pattern. The incubation of anti-tissue transglutaminase antibody with monkey oesophagus and HUVEC resulted in an immunofluorescence staining pattern identical to that obtained with positive coeliac sera.

(1) As a substrate for anti-endomysial antibody, HUVEC may provide the same diagnostic accuracy as monkey oesophagus, thus bypassing economical and ethical problems. The HUVEC antigen reacting with IgA from coeliac disease sera is an intracellular rather than a cell-surface antigen, as IgA antibodies reacted only with permeabilized cells. (2) Pretreatment of untreated coeliac sera with tissue transglutaminase abolished almost completely the specific staining; incubation with anti-tissue transglutaminase antibody elicited the characteristic fluorescent pattern, thus confirming that tissue transglutaminase represents the prominent autoantigen in coeliac disease.