R. Troncone et al., MAJORITY OF GLIADIN-SPECIFIC T-CELL CLONES FROM CELIAC SMALL-INTESTINAL MUCOSA PRODUCE INTERFERON-GAMMA AND INTERLEUKIN-4, Digestive diseases and sciences, 43(1), 1998, pp. 156-161
An abnormal mucosal cell-mediated immune response plays a fundamental
role in the pathogenesis of celiac disease. To characterize locally in
filtrating T cells, gliadin-specific T-cell clones were isolated from
two treated celiac patients. Mucosal biopsies were cultured in vitro f
or 24 hr with a peptic-tryptic digest (PT) of-gliadin. T-cell clones (
TCC) were then isolated by limiting dilution. The production of interf
eron-gamma (IFN-gamma) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) was evaluated by ELISA
in culture supernatants obtained after a short incubation with anti-C
D3 and PMA, or with antigen. Twenty-two TCC were specific for gliadin
and/or PT. All were CD3(+), CD4(+), CD8(-), TCR alpha beta(+). Ln one
such clone the PT-specific response was inhibited by an anti-DO, but n
ot by an anti-DR antibody. Of the five gliadin-specific TCC examined,
four produced IL-4 and high levels of IFN-gamma; the remaining one ini
tially produced only IL-4, but subsequently also IFN-gamma. All clones
obtained from the celiac mucosa, including the gliadin-specific ones,
produced high levels of IFN-gamma, in most cases with IL-4. This cyto
kine profile could explain most of the immunological features of the c
eliac mucosa.