Anti-gliadin antibody in psoriasis: a case-control study

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder with a wide variety of clinical presentations. Presence of anti gliadin antibody [AGA] has been reported in 16% of psoriatic patients. This study was designed to determine the frequency of the presence of AGA in psoriatic patients. After recording the demographic data and the severity of disease according to PASI scoring system, serum of 100 psoriatic patients and 100 healthy controls were studied for the presence of AGA using indirect immunofluorescence method. AGA was present in sera of 4 [3 males and one female] psoriatic patients while all controls were negative. Three patients were from 20 to 40 years of age. All four AGA positive patients sufferred from plaque type psoriasis. The disease severity was mild in one, moderate in two, and severe in one patient. None of them sufferred from gastrointestinal problems. Although AGA may be present in the serum of some psoriatic cases, a significant relation between skin lesion and hypersensivity to gluten has not been determined yet. More studies using more specific and sensitive assessment methods and larger sample sizes are suggested