Intestinal TG3- and TG2-Specific Plasma Cell Responses in Dermatitis Herpetiformis Patients Undergoing a Gluten Challenge

Nutrients. 2020 Feb 13;12(2):467. doi: 10.3390/nu12020467.

Abstract

Dermatitis herpetiformis (DH), a cutaneous manifestation of coeliac disease, is characterized by transglutaminase (TG) 3-targeted dermal immunoglobulin A (IgA) deposits. The treatment for DH is the same as for coeliac disease, namely a life-long gluten-free diet. DH patients typically have gluten-dependent circulating autoantibodies targeting TG3 and TG2, and plasma cells secreting such autoantibodies have been detected in the small intestinal mucosa. This study investigates the gluten-responsiveness of intestinal TG3 and TG2 antibody-secreting plasma cells in 16 treated DH patients undergoing a gluten challenge. The frequency of both plasma cell populations increased significantly during the challenge, and their frequency correlated with the corresponding serum autoantibody levels at post-challenge. TG3-specific plasma cells were absent in all 18 untreated coeliac disease patients and seven non-coeliac control subjects on gluten-containing diets. These findings indicate that, in DH, both intestinal TG3- and TG2-antibody secreting plasma cells are gluten-dependent, and that TG3-antibody secreting plasma cells are DH-specific.

Keywords: autoantibody; coeliac disease; dermatitis herpetiformis; plasma cell; transglutaminase.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Autoantibodies / blood*
  • Celiac Disease / complications
  • Celiac Disease / immunology
  • Dermatitis Herpetiformis / immunology*
  • Diet, Gluten-Free
  • Female
  • GTP-Binding Proteins / immunology*
  • Glutens / adverse effects*
  • Glutens / immunology
  • Humans
  • Intestinal Mucosa / immunology
  • Intestine, Small / immunology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Plasma Cells / immunology*
  • Protein Glutamine gamma Glutamyltransferase 2
  • Transglutaminases / immunology*

Substances

  • Autoantibodies
  • Glutens
  • Protein Glutamine gamma Glutamyltransferase 2
  • TGM3 protein, human
  • Transglutaminases
  • GTP-Binding Proteins