Tissue transglutaminase antibodies for coeliac disease screening.

We have prospectively searched for IgA anti-transglutaminase antibodies by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test in 20 untreated coeliacs and 21 patients with small bowel diseases other than coeliac disease consecutively referred to our Malabsorption Clinic. All the untreated coeliacs and one out of 21 disease controls turned out to be positive for the presence of these antibodies. The use of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test for anti-transglutaminase antibodies could represent a new screening test for coeliac disease, in fact, this new enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test has an absolute sensitivity and a satisfactory specificity and, in comparison to antiendomysial antibodies, is less expensive and avoids the ethical problems related to the use of monkey oesophagus.