[The usefulness of determining antigliadin IgA antibodies for the detection and follow-up of adult celiac disease].

Antibodies to gliadin IgA (IgA-AGA) were detected by enzyme-linked-immunosorbent-technique (ELISA) in 30 healthy controls, 20 coeliac patients and 25 patients with non coeliac malabsorption. All the controls had levels of IgA-AGA in the normal range (25AV). Three of the 25 patients with non coeliac malabsorption presented high titres of IgA-AGA. Thirty six determinations of IgA-AGA were made on the coeliac patients. All but one of the determinations made during the symptomatic phase of the disease were 25AV. The highest titres corresponded either to untreated patients or patients with complications (cirrhosis, lymphoma). In our study the sensitivity and the specificity of the test for symptomatic patients were 94.4% and 94.5% respectively.