Gli anticorpi anti-transglutaminasi sono più sensibili degli anticorpi anti-endomisio nella dignosi della malattia celiaca

616 patients with clinical signs compatible with a diagnosis of celiac disease, 30 parents or brothers of celiac patients and 200 control children hospitalised for surgical causes were administered an ELISA dosage of IgG and IgA antibodies against cloned htTG (human tissue transglutaminase), expressed and purified from intestinal biopsies. Then a comparison was made with EMA antibodies (anti-endomysium) tested on human umbilical cord vein. Out of these patients, 99 were positive to anti-htTG IgGs and IgAs, but only 88 were also positive to the EMA technique. All the patients which turned out to be anti-htTG positive had an intestinal biopsy positive to celiac disease. Therefore, the anti-htTG technique we conceived was at least 10% more sensible than the EMA technique.