Screening for coeliac disease in adults by simultaneous determination of IgA and IgG gliadin antibodies.

On a gluten-containing diet, patients with untreated coeliac disease have circulating IgA and/or IgG antibodies against the gliadin fraction of gluten. In the present study sera from 69 adults with coeliac disease, 93 adults with other gastrointestinal diseases, and 112 blood donors were tested for IgA and IgG gliadin antibodies by means of DIG-ELISA, a solid-phase immunosorbent assay. A predictive value of a positive test of 95% and a diagnostic specificity of 98% indicate that screening for gliadin antibodies can be highly recommended in suspected adult coeliac disease. It may further be used as a diagnostic test when small-bowel biopsy specimens are difficult to obtain. The results also indicate that the method is valuable for monitoring dietary treatment in outpatient control of coeliac patients.