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. 1980 Aug;66(2):227–233. doi: 10.1172/JCI109848

Gluten-sensitive Enteropathy

INFLUENCE OF HISTOCOMPATIBILITY TYPE ON GLUTEN SENSITIVITY IN VITRO

Z M Falchuk 1,2,3,4,5, D L Nelson 1,2,3,4,5, A J Katz 1,2,3,4,5, J E Bernardin 1,2,3,4,5, D D Kasarda 1,2,3,4,5, N E Hague 1,2,3,4,5, W Strober 1,2,3,4,5
PMCID: PMC371702  PMID: 7400313

Abstract

We previously developed an in vitro organ culture system in which gluten exerts a toxic effect on intestinal mucosa of patients with active gluten-sensitive enteropathy. Gluten generally inhibits the epithelial cell maturation of intestinal biopsy specimens that otherwise occurs if the tissue is cultured for 24-48 h in a gluten-free medium. However, small intestinal mucosa from 15-20% of patients with proven gluten-sensitive enteropathy fails to manifest the expected gluten-induced damage in vitro. In the present study, we explored the relation between in vitro gluten-induced intestinal damage and the presence of HLA-B8. We determined whether the patients' histocompatibility type (HLA-B8 positive or negative) influenced the ability of gluten protein to inhibit epithelial cell maturation of cultured intestinal biopsy specimens from patients with gluten-sensitive enteropathy.

Intestinal biopsies from 21 of 24 patients with gluten-sensitive enteropathy and HLA-B8 showed gluten-induced damage in vitro. On the other hand, intestinal biopsies from only 4 of 16 patients with gluten-sensitive enteropathy but without HLA-B8 showed gluten-induced damage in vitro. The difference in the effect of gluten in vitro between these two groups was statistically significant (P < 0.01). The data show a dichotomy between gluten-induced tissue damage in vivo and in vitro in HLA-B8 negative patients, suggesting that HLA-B8 is important for gluten to manifest a cytotoxic influence in organ culture.

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Selected References

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

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