Phenotypical characterization of the peripheral blood T cells in patients with celiac disease: does it differentiate suspicious celiac disease cases?

The present study aimed to study the immunological changes seen in the intestinal epithelium of the celiac patients could also be detected in the peripheral blood lymphocyte populations. Celiac disease [CD] is a small bowel enteropathy caused by permanent wheat gluten intolerance. One of the earliest signs of CD is an increase in the numbers of the intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes [iIEL]. In this case-control study, totally 13 untreated subjects with acceptable criteria for CD without any complication and 16 healthy subjects without any positive criteria for CD were selected. Peripheral blood T cells were analyzed by two-color flow cytometry in both groups. The mean age of patients was 33.6 +/- 3.4 years and two patients had Marsh IIIB, five patients had Marsh IIIA and six patients had Marsh II histology class. The mean percentages of the gamma delta]TCR[+] T cells in the patients were significantly higher than the controls [p=0.015]. However, the mean percentages of the [alpha beta]TCR[+] T cells were significantly lower in the untreated patients than the controls [p=0.025]. There were no significant difference between the mean percentages of lymphocytes expressing the CD3, CD4 and CD8 molecules in the patients and the controls. The change in the percentages of the peripheral blood T cells expressing the [gamma delta]TCR and [alpha beta]TCR in the celiac patients could be used in conjunction with the other serological markers to identify new CD cases

[Evaluation of the mean percentages of the peripheral blood gamma delta t lymphocytes in the healthy subjects and celiac patients in Isfahan]

An elevation in the mean percentages of the gamma delta T lymphocytes per total T cells in the epithelium of the small intestine has a diagnostic value for celiac disease. This study aimed to measure the percentages of the peripheral blood gamma delta T lymphocytes in the adults' celiac disease and healthy controls.In this case-control study the absolute numbers of the peripheral blood lymphocytes obtained from the controls [n = 21] and celiac patients [n=15] were studied, Using a cell counter. The proportions of the gamma-delta T lymphocytes were evaluated by the flow cytometer method. The results showed that there was not significant I difference in the percentages of the gamma-delta T lymphocytes between celiac patients and healthy individuals. [p value= 0.84] Collectively, the data show that the percentages of the peripheral blood gamma delta T lymphocytes could not be helpful for celiac disease diagnosis