IMMUNOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF SERUM FOR BUCKWHEAT FED CELIAC PATIENTS

Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum, Moench), a herbaceous plant of the Po lygonaceae family, does not have any affinity for the Gramineae family . It is commercially rated as a cereal, which has led to some misunder standing concerning its use in gluten induced enteropathy or celiac di sease. The effect of buckwheat flour ingestion by celiac patients was evaluated through the indirect immunofluorescence technique. Samples o f serum were collected 30 days after the flour ingestion. Cryostat per formed cuts of wheat and buckwheat grains were accomplished in order t o compare the reactivity of their proteins and serum of celiac and nor mal patients. The assay revealed that the buckwheat flour presents no toxicity for the celiac patient and no anti-protein antibodies formati on in the grain was observed for serum dilations of 1:2 up to 1:32 wit h 0.15 M NaCl solution in 0.01 M phosphate buffer, pH 7.2 throughout t he 30 day assay period. The results of the immunological assays showed that the buckwheat flour does not present toxic prolamines to celiac disease patients.