Coeliac disease: characterisation of monoclonal antibodies raised against a synthetic peptide corresponding to amino acid residues 206-217 of A-gliadin.

A dodecapeptide of A-gliadin, which shares amino acid homologies with the E1b protein of adenovirus 12, was used to produce murine monoclonal antibodies. Five monoclonal antibodies were produced and were screened by enzyme linked immunosorbant assay, immunodot assay, and immunoblotting. The antibodies were tested against whole wheat gliadin and its alpha, beta, gamma, and omega subfractions, and the prolamins of rye, barley, oats, maize, millet, rice, and sorghum. Four of the five antibodies cross reacted with one or more of the coeliac non-toxic cereals--maize, millet, sorghum, and rice. The monoclonal antibody that did not cross react with these non-toxic cereals, did not recognize Frazer's fraction III, a peptic-tryptic digest of wheat gluten which is known to be toxic. The results suggest that the A-gliadin dodecapeptide shares a region of homology with cereals that do not exacerbate coeliac disease. This study does not support the hypothesis that prior infection with adenovirus 12 is a precipitating factor in coeliac disease.