Quantitation of immunoglobulin-containing cells in the jejunal lamina propria in tropical sprue

Ten patients with tropical sprue (TS) and 10 with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) as controls were studied to characterize the immunocytes in the jejunal mucosa. IgA cells numbered 516,155 +/- 48,715 cells/mm3 in TS and 729,308 +/- 146,011/mm3 in the IBS patients. IgG cell counts were 28,885 +/- 8,081/mm3 in TS and 10,615 +/- 4,100/mm3 in IBS; IgM counts were 170,729 +/- 25,015/mm3 in TS and 169,253 +/- 45,353/mm3 in IBS. A positive correlation was present between IgM-bearing plasma cells and corresponding serum immunoglobulins (r = +0.71; p less than 0.05). No correlation was evident between the different immunocytes (IgA, IgG, and IgM) and the duration of illness, serum albumin, and tests for absorption of fat, B-12, and D-xylose (p greater than 0.05). The gut immunocytes expressed in absolute numbers were higher in our controls and TS patients than reported in Western populations.