ANTIBODIES TO DIETARY ANTIGEN IN SERUM FROM PATIENTS WITH SICKLE-CELL-ANEMIA

The levels of antibodies of the IgG, IgA and IgM isotypes reacting aga inst ovoalbumin (OVA), gliadin (GL) and cow's milk proteins (CMP), wer e determined by ELISA in sera from a group of adult patients with sick le cell anemia (SCA) bearing homozygous SS hemoglobinopathy and from m atched healthy donors. Only patients with steady-state disease were in cluded in the study. Increased amounts of IgC and IgA reacting with OV A, GL and CMP were observed in the group of patients as compared with the controls. In contrast, the levels of IgM antibodies against each o f the three dietary antigens were similar in patients and controls. In creased levels of IgG and IgA antibodies against dietary antigens in S CA may result from enhanced permeability of the gut mucosa to macromol ecules of dietary origin as a consequence of microinfarctions, chronic polyclonal B cell activation and/or diminished inhibitory control of antibody synthesis.