Skin test for coeliac disease using a subfraction of gluten.

Gluten and various of its fractions and subfractions have been used for intradermal testing in 10 patients with coeliac disease and in 20 healthy control subjects. All the coeliac patients gave positive Arthus-type reactions (type III) to the subfractions of gluten, whereas all the control subjects were negative. The subfraction B2 evoked strong reactions in almost all the coeliac subjects. If tests with larger series confirm the present results, skin testing with B2 may prove to be a useful screening test for coeliac disease. As B2 has already been found to stimulate the lymphocytes of coeliac patients, the present findings are also of interest in relation to the pathogenesis of coeliac disease.