WHEAT GLIADIN FRACTIONS AND OTHER CEREAL ANTIGENS REACTIVE WITH ANTIBODIES IN THE SERA OF CELIAC PATIENTS

Abstract

The mixed reverse solid phase passive antiglobulin hemadsorption test and the enzyme linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) were equally sensitive and fitted for the measurement of [human] serum IgG antibodies against alcohol soluble gliadins. Using the ELISA method, 3 celiac sera with elevated antibody titers against gliadins and 2 control sera with low titers were tested for IgG antibodies against the main groups of wheat proteins (acetic acid soluble glutenins, salt soluble albumins and globulins as well as alcohol soluble gliadins), 8 fractions of gliadin and the alcohol soluble proteins of barley, rye, oat, maize and rice, As rice contained little alcohol soluble protein, a test against acid soluble rice proteins was included. In all 3 patient sera, titers higher than or equal to that for crude gliadin were found for wheat glutenin and for gliadin fractions 7 and 8, both containing .alpha. gliadins. Similar high titers were found when these celiac sera were tested against rye, barley and oat prolamines. Maize prolamines gave only low titers and no antibodies could be detected against rice proteins, in line with the tolerance of these latter 2 cereals by patients with celiac disease. Apparently, sera from celiac patients react with more than 1 antigenic fraction of protein in wheat and other cereals. Sera from 2 normal persons appeared to have the same spectrum of reactivity against these cereal proteins as did the 3 sera from celiac patients. The titers in normal sera were much lower.