[Incidence of intestinal gamma/delta T cells in children with celiac disease and ulcerative colitis].

Authors studied the numbers of T-cell receptor-alpha/beta, gamma/delta positive lymphocytes and the proportion of gamma/delta positive cells with a non-disulfide linked form of gamma/delta receptor in jejunal mucosa from 19 coeliatic children, in rectal specimens from 14 children with ulcerative colitis, as well as in specimens of 23 healthy controls. Monoclonal antibodies and a sensitive indirect peroxidase method were used. In the lamina propria and epithelium of a normal jejunum and rectum, as well as in the rectal and colonic mucosae of patients with ulcerative colitis only low numbers of gamma/delta positive cells were seen. In the lamina propria, in the surface epithelium, as well as, in the epithelium of the Lieberkühn crypts the number of gamma/delta positive cells were significantly higher than in the controls before treatment, during gluten free diet and after the gluten challenge. In the epithelium the absolute numbers of these cells remained constant during gluten elimination and provocation. The constantly elevated population of gamma/delta positive T-cells in coeliac disease might show their primary pathogenetic role in this disorder. The detection of elevated number of intraepithelial gamma/delta T-cells may have significance in the diagnosis of coeliac disease.