Monoclonal antibody ELISA to quantitate wheat gliadin contamination of gluten-free foods.

A sensitive reproducible monoclonal antibody-based sandwich ELISA has been developed to measure the gliadin content of foods. Using the assay we have confirmed that nominally gluten-free products based on wheat starch contain trace amounts of gliadin. The level of gliadin contamination in these foods is sufficient to cause relapse of coeliac disease in specific patients. We have also examined the cross-reactivity of different cereal proteins in the assay and found good correlation with their known toxicity to patients with coeliac disease.