IGA ANTIBODIES AGAINST RETICULIN AND ENDOMYSIUM IN THE SERUM AND GASTROINTESTINAL SECRETIONS OF PATIENTS WITH DERMATITIS-HERPETIFORMIS

Although IgA is present in the skin of patients with dermatitis herpet iformis (DH), the relationship of that IgA to the mucosal immune respo nse is not known. The purpose of this study was to determine if IgA an tibodies directed against tissue antigens, which are present in the se rum of patients with DH, are also present in the gut secretions of the se patients. Serum and gut secretions from 8 patients with DH and 5 co ntrol subjects were analyzed by indirect immunofluorescence for the pr esence of IgA antireticulin and antiendomysium antibodies. IgA antibod ies against reticulin (3 of 8 patients) and endomysium (4 of 8 patient s) were found in the serum of patients with DH. IgA antibodies were al so present in the gut secretions of all of these patients, but not in subjects (patients with DH and controls) that did not have serum IgA a ntireticulin or antiendomysium antibodies. The presence of IgA antiret iculin and antiendomysium in both the serum and gut secretions of DH p atients suggests that these antibodies arise as a result of the mucosa l immune response and that IgA of mucosal origin can persist in the se rum of patients with DH.