Ra. Valentini et al., IGA ENDOMYSIUM ANTIBODY - A VALUABLE TOOL IN THE SCREENING OF CELIAC-DISEASE BUT NOT ITS FOLLOW-UP, The Italian Journal of Gastroenterology, 26(6), 1994, pp. 279-282
The IgA antiendomysium antibody was found in 99 of 100 consecutive pat
ients with adult untreated coeliac disease, whereas IgA and/or IgG ant
igliadin antibodies were found in 92 of the same patients. Twenty-nine
of them, presenting with minimal, transient or apparently unrelated s
ymptoms (subclinical presentation), were antiendomysium antibody posit
ive, whereas antigliadin antibodies were present in 26. In 33 of them,
we also investigated the relationship between circulating antiendomys
ium antibody and the persistence of jejunal lesions after the institut
ion of a gluten-free diet. Although 24 treated coeliac patients turned
out to be antiendomysium antibody negative, in 17 of them jejunal les
ions persisted. The present study shows that IgA antiendomysium antibo
dy is a highly sensitive and specific marker for both subclinical and
classical coeliac disease, but that it is not a reliable test in the f
ollow up of coeliac patients.