HLA and antigluten antibodies in children with celiac disease

IgG and IgA antigluten antibodies (Gab) were assayed in 83 celiac disease (CD) patients typed for HLA and Gm markers. Their titer and frequency were lower when a gluten-free diet was given than in active CD; these were significantly correlated, whereas no correlation was found between titer and serum Ig. Persistence of high titers was mainly confined to HLA-DR3 negative females (45% vs 6.7% of DR3 positive females and 19.3% of males). No association was found with any Gm allotype, in contrast with the previously reported involvement of the "fnb" haplotype with both CD susceptibility and Gab persistence in patients on a gluten-free diet. A technical and/or genetic explanation could be given for these differences.