SERUM AND SALIVARY ANTIGLIADIN ANTIBODIES AND SERUM IGA ANTI-ENDOMYSIUM ANTIBODIES AS A SCREENING-TEST FOR CELIAC-DISEASE

Serum and salivary IgA and IgG antigliadin antibodies were determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 18 children with villous at rophy and 30 children on a gluten-free diet for coeliac disease in who m normal intestinal mucosa was found. Serum IgA anti-endomysium antibo dies were also determined by an immunofluorescence method in these chi ldren. Serum IgG antigliadin and IgA anti-endomysium antibodies had th e highest sensitivity (100 and 94.4%, respectively), followed by serum IgA antibodies to gliadin (72.2%), salivary IgA antigliadin (61.2%) a nd IgG antigliadin (50%) antibodies. The highest specificity was found for serum IgA anti-endomysium (100%) and IgA antigliadin (96.6%) anti bodies and salivary IgA and IgG antigliadin antibodies (93.3%), while serum IgA antigliadin antibodies were found to be least specific (63.3 %).