[Antigliadin antibodies in the absence of celiac disease]

Antigliadin antibodies (AGA) mark celiac disease, but AGA are also encountered in IgA-nephritis, psoriasis, sickle-cell anemia, hepatic disorders, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune thyroidism and in persons who occupationally contact great amounts of wheat. AGA IgA and/or IgG were registered in 19 of 60 subjects (51 adults and 9 children) with various immunomediated diseases without symptoms of celiac disease: in 4 cases of chronic active hepatitis, in 2 of 4 cases of chronic persistent hepatitis, in 4 of 16 cases of rheumatoid arthritis, in 3 of 19 cases of IgA-deficiency, in 1 of 8 cases of SLE, in 2 cases of postvaccine reaction, in all the single cases of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, focal scleroderma, macroglobulinemia. IgA only occurred in in 6 patients, IgG- in 6 patients, both IgA and IgG in 7 patients. The most pronounced positive reaction to AGA was recorded in 8-year-old girl with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. The emergence of AGA in immunomediated diseases may be attributed to the response to food protein in pathological conditions and is often unrelated closely with celiac disease.