T-lymphocyte activation by a gluten fraction, glyc-gli. Studies of adult coeliac patients and healthy controls.

A gluten fraction (glyc-gli) induced proliferation of T lymphocytes obtained from coeliac patients or healthy controls. Glyc-gli acted as an antigen, and T-cell activation was strongly dependent on antigen-presenting monocytes in the cultures. The lymphocyte response was similar for HLA-B8/DR3-positive and HLA-B8/DR3-negative healthy controls, and coeliac patients in remission on a gluten-free diet could not be distinguished from the controls by the degree of proliferative activity in this test. Conversely, untreated coeliac patients showed a significantly lower lymphocyte response to glyc-gli than both coeliac patients in remission and controls. This result may reflect sequestration of gluten-specific cells into the mucosal lesion or mesenteric lymph nodes in patients with active coeliac disease.