Dermatitis Herpetiformis IMMUNOLOGIC CONCOMITANTS OF SMALL INTESTINAL DISEASE AND RELATIONSHIP TO HISTOCOMPATIBILITY ANTIGEN HL-A8

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Abstract

In the present study the relation between the gluten-sensitive intestinal lesion observed in dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) and in gluten-sensitive enteropathy (coeliac sprue) (GSE) was analyzed. Jejunal IgA synthesis in DH was estimated from the extent of incorporation of [14C]leucine into IgA in jejunal biopsy specimens during short-term in vitro culture. Patients with DH have significantly elevated incorporation values as compared to normal control individuals (18,880±13,614 vs. 5,830±3,190 cpm/mg tissue protein/ 90 min) (P < 0.02) and the degree of elevation correlates well with the degree of morphologic abnormality. Thus patients with DH are similar to patients with GSE where elevated local mucosal IgA synthesis has also been observed.

Authors

Roger L. Gebhard, Z. Myron Falchuk, Stephen I. Katz, Clementine Sessoms, G. N. Rogentine, Warren Strober