Skip to main content
PMC home page
Clinical and Experimental Immunology logoLink to Clinical and Experimental Immunology
. 1987 Jul;69(1):123–132.

Jejunal plasma cells and in vitro immunoglobulin production in adult coeliac disease.

G M Wood 1, P D Howdle 1, L K Trejdosiewicz 1, M S Losowsky 1
PMCID: PMC1542244  PMID: 3652527

Abstract

IgA, IgE, IgG and IgM plasma cells in small bowel mucosal biopsies from 15 controls, 16 untreated and 14 treated coeliac patients and five patients with selective serum IgA deficiency (four of whom also had coeliac disease) were quantified using an indirect immunoperoxidase technique. The IgA, IgG and IgM plasma cell counts were significantly increased in the untreated coeliac patients. The cell counts were intermediate in the treated coeliac group. These changes were in parallel to production in vitro of IgA and sIgA, IgG, and IgM by cultured mucosal biopsies from the same patients. The IgA deficient patients had very few mucosal IgA cells but elevated IgG and IgM plasma cell numbers; again these changes were reflected in the production in vitro of immunoglobulins. IgE plasma cell counts were very low in all patients and there were no differences between patient groups. The changes in cell counts and mucosal immunoglobulin production were not reflected in serum IgA, IgM and IgG concentrations but serum secretory IgA was significantly elevated in the untreated coeliac patients compared with controls, with the treated coeliac patients being intermediate. The raised mucosal plasma cell counts reflect the local mucosal production of immunoglobulin but not the immunoglobulin concentrations of serum, emphasising the importance of studying the immune function of the gut itself in coeliac disease rather than immunological abnormalities in serum.

Full text

PDF
123

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Asquith P., Thompson R. A., Cooke W. T. Serum-immunoglobulins in adult coeliac disease. Lancet. 1969 Jul 19;2(7612):129–131. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(69)92440-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Brandtzaeg P., Baklien K. Inconclusive immunohistochemistry of human IgE in mucosal pathology. Lancet. 1976 Jun 12;1(7972):1297–1298. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(76)91767-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Brandtzaeg P., Fjellanger I., Gjeruldsen S. T. Immunoglobulin M: local synthesis and selective secretion in patients with immunoglobulin A deficiency. Science. 1968 May 17;160(3829):789–791. doi: 10.1126/science.160.3829.789. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Brandtzaeg P. Human secretory immunoglobulins. II. Salivary secretions from individuals with selectively excessive or defective synthesis of serum immunoglobulins. Clin Exp Immunol. 1971 Jan;8(1):69–85. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Burns J. Background staining and sensitivity of the unlabelled antibody-enzyme (PAP) method. Comparison with the peroxidase labelled antibody sandwich method using formalin fixed paraffin embedded material. Histochemistry. 1975 Jun 5;43(3):291–294. doi: 10.1007/BF00499711. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Ciclitira P. J., Ellis H. J., Wood G. M., Howdle P. D., Losowsky M. S. Secretion of gliadin antibody by coeliac jejunal mucosal biopsies cultured in vitro. Clin Exp Immunol. 1986 Apr;64(1):119–124. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Curran R. C., Gregory J. The unmasking of antigens in paraffin sections of tissue by trypsin. Experientia. 1977 Oct 15;33(10):1400–1401. doi: 10.1007/BF01920206. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Douglas A. P., Crabbé P. A., Hobbs J. R. Immunochemical studies on the serum, intestinal secretions and intestinal mucosa in patients with adult celiac disease and other forms of the celiac syndrome. Gastroenterology. 1970 Sep;59(3):414–425. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Falchuk Z. M., Strober W. Gluten-sensitive enteropathy: synthesis of antigliadin antibody in vitro. Gut. 1974 Dec;15(12):947–952. doi: 10.1136/gut.15.12.947. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Ferguson R., Asquith P., Cooke W. T. The jejunal cellular infiltrate in coeliac disease complicated by lymphoma. Gut. 1974 Jun;15(6):458–461. doi: 10.1136/gut.15.6.458. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Girard J. P., de Kalbermatten A. Dosage et propriétés anticorps des immunoglobulines des sécrétions duodénales de la maladie coeliaque. Ann Immunol (Paris) 1973 Nov;124(4):555–565. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Heyderman E. Immunoperoxidase technique in histopathology: applications, methods, and controls. J Clin Pathol. 1979 Oct;32(10):971–978. doi: 10.1136/jcp.32.10.971. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Hobbs J. R., Hepner G. W., Douglas A. P., Crabbé P. A., Johansson S. G. Immunological mystery of coeliac disease. Lancet. 1969 Sep 20;2(7621):649–650. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(69)90362-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Holmes G. K., Asquith P., Stokes P. L., Cooke W. T. Cellular infiltrate of jejunal biopsies in adult coeliac disease in relation to gluten withdrawal. Gut. 1974 Apr;15(4):278–283. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Howdle P. D., Bullen A. W., Losowsky M. S. Cell-mediated immunity to gluten within the small intestinal mucosa in coeliac disease. Gut. 1982 Feb;23(2):115–122. doi: 10.1136/gut.23.2.115. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Howdle P. D., Corazza G. R., Bullen A. W., Losowsky M. S. Gluten sensitivity of small intestinal mucosa in vitro: quantitative assessment of histologic change. Gastroenterology. 1981 Mar;80(3):442–450. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Immonen P. Levels of the serum immunoglobulins gamma-A, gamma-G and gamma-M in the malabsorption syndrome in children. Ann Paediatr Fenn. 1967;13(4):115–153. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Kagnoff M. F., Donaldson R. M., Jr, Trier J. S. Organ culture of rabbit small intestine: prolonged in vitro steady state protein synthesis and secretion and secretory IgA secretion. Gastroenterology. 1972 Oct;63(4):541–551. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Kutteh W. H., Prince S. J., Mestecky J. Tissue origins of human polymeric and monomeric IgA. J Immunol. 1982 Feb;128(2):990–995. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Lancaster-Smith M., Kumar P., Marks R., Clark M. L., Dawson A. M. Jejunal mucosal immunoglobulin-containing cells and jejunal fluid immunoglobulins in adult coeliac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis. Gut. 1974 May;15(5):371–376. doi: 10.1136/gut.15.5.371. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Malizia G., Trejdosiewicz L. K., Wood G. M., Howdle P. D., Janossy G., Losowsky M. S. The microenvironment of coeliac disease: T cell phenotypes and expression of the T2 'T blast' antigen by small bowel lymphocytes. Clin Exp Immunol. 1985 May;60(2):437–446. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Pettingale K. W. Immunoglobulin-containing cells in the coeliac syndrome. Gut. 1971 Apr;12(4):291–296. doi: 10.1136/gut.12.4.291. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. QUINTON W. E., FLICK A. L., RUBIN C. E. The design of a hydraulic suction tube for peroral biopsy of the human gastrointestinal tract. Gastroenterology. 1962 Mar;42:281–284. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Savilahti E. Intestinal immunoglobulins in children with coeliac disease. Gut. 1972 Dec;13(12):958–964. doi: 10.1136/gut.13.12.958. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Scott B. B., Goodall A., Stephenson P., Jenkins D. Small intestinal plasma cells in coeliac disease. Gut. 1984 Jan;25(1):41–46. doi: 10.1136/gut.25.1.41. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Scott B. B., Scott D. G., Losowsky M. S. Jejunal mucosal immunoglobulins and complement in untreated coeliac disease. J Pathol. 1977 Apr;121(4):219–223. doi: 10.1002/path.1711210405. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Scott H., Ek J., Baklien K., Brandtzaeg P. Immunoglobulin-producing cells in jejunal mucosa of children with coeliac disease on a gluten-free diet and after gluten challenge. Scand J Gastroenterol. 1980;15(1):81–88. doi: 10.3109/00365528009181436. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Strobel S., Busuttil A., Ferguson A. Human intestinal mucosal mast cells: expanded population in untreated coeliac disease. Gut. 1983 Mar;24(3):222–227. doi: 10.1136/gut.24.3.222. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Webster A. D., Slavin G., Shiner M., Platts-Mills T. A., Asherson G. L. Coeliac disease with severe hypogammaglobulinaemia. Gut. 1981 Feb;22(2):153–157. doi: 10.1136/gut.22.2.153. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Wood G. M., Shires S., Howdle P. D., Losowsky M. S. Immunoglobulin production by coeliac biopsies in organ culture. Gut. 1986 Oct;27(10):1151–1160. doi: 10.1136/gut.27.10.1151. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Wood G. M., Trejdosiewicz L. K., Losowsky M. S. ELISA for measurement of secretory IgA distinct from monomeric IgA. J Immunol Methods. 1987 Mar 12;97(2):269–274. doi: 10.1016/0022-1759(87)90470-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Clinical and Experimental Immunology are provided here courtesy of British Society for Immunology

RESOURCES