T lymphocyte responses to a synthetic peptide from the human intestinal adenovirus 12 in coeliac disease.
Mantzaris GJ., Priddle JD., Jewell DP.
Peripheral blood mononuclear cells of treated coeliac patients are known to liberate leucocyte migration inhibition factor when challenged with a synthetic dodecapeptide of the E1b protein of adenovirus 12 sharing sequence homology with A gliadin. This study has compared the response of the unfractionated peripheral blood mononuclear cells with a highly purified T cell population. Coeliac mononuclear cells and T lymphocytes showed identical leucocyte migration inhibition activity. The migration indices for the coeliac group were significantly different than for the control group irrespective of the cell population tested. This work justifies the use of the indirect leucocyte migration inhibition assay using mononuclear cell supernatants as a test of in vitro cell-mediated immunity to clearly defined antigens in coeliac disease. It also offers further evidence for the possible implication of adenovirus 12 in the pathogenesis of coeliac disease.