Antibodies in celiac disease: implications beyond diagnostics

摘要

Celiac disease is a multisystemic dietary, gluten-induced autoimmune disorder characterized by the presence of transglutaminase (TG) 2 serum autoantibodies.Distinct autoantibodies targeting members of the TG family (TG2, TG3 and TG6) are found deposited in small-bowel mucosa and in extraintestinal tissues affected by the disease.Serum autoantibodies against other selfantigens also emerge in untreated celiac disease patients.Although villous atrophy and crypt hyperplasia in small-bowel biopsy samples are still the gold standards in diagnostics, celiac disease-specific antibodies are widely used as diagnostic aids.Gluten-induced smallbowel mucosal T-cell response is the cornerstone in the pathogenesis of the disorder, but humoral immunity may also play a central role.This review article is focused on the autoantibodies that occur in the context of celiac disease.The article summarizes the diagnostic utility of different celiac-related antibodies and discusses their roles in the pathogenesis of the disease.