Dissociation between systemic and mucosal humoral immune responses in coeliac disease.

Abstract

We examined humora limmunity in coeliac disease as expressed in serum (systemicimmunity), and in saliva, jejunal aspirate, and whole gut lavage fluid (mucosalimmunity). The aims were to define features of the secretory immune response (IgA and IgM concentrations and antibody values to gliadin and other food proteins measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)) in active disease and remission, and to establish whether secretions obtained by relatively noninvasive techniques (saliva and gut lavage fluid) can be used for indirect measurements of events in the jejunum.