DENSITY OF GAMMA DELTA(+) T-CELLS IN THE JEJUNAL EPITHELIUM OF PATIENTS WITH CELIAC-DISEASE AND DERMATITIS-HERPETIFORMIS IS INCREASED WITH AGE/

Increased density of gamma/delta T cell receptor (TCR)(+) intraepithel ial lymphocytes is the only characteristic in the jejunum of patients with coeliac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis which is not normali zed on a gluten-free diet. We explored the age-dependent changes in in traepithelial gamma/delta and alpha/beta TCR+ cells from 137 biopsies from patients with coeliac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis and fr om controls. Biopsy specimens from 100 patients with coeliac disease a nd dermatitis herpetiformis and from 37 controls were studied with an immunohistochemical method using MoAbs to T cell receptors and peroxid ase staining. An increase in the density of intraepithelial gamma/delt a T cells above the mean +2 s.d. of the density in controls was presen t in 97 of 100 specimens from patients with coeliac disease and dermat itis herpetiformis. The density of gamma/delta(+) cells of patients wi th coeliac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis on a normal gluten-con taining diet showed a positive correlation with age (r=0.45, P<0.001). In controls, the density of gamma/delta(+) cells remained low through out the age-range studies, from age 0.6-57 years. In controls, alpha/b eta(+) cells increased with age (r=0.57, P<0.001). The increase in den sity of intraepithelial lymphocytes with age is in agreement with thei r thymus-independent character and local proliferation.