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Tissue transglutaminase expression in celiac mucosa: an immunohistochemical study

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Abstract

Tissue transglutaminase (tTG) constitutes the main autoantigen in celiac disease (CD). The aim of the study was to clarify weather celiac disease is associated with changes in tTG expression in duodenal mucosa. Tissue transglutaminase was assessed immunohistochemically (clone CUB 7402) in duodenal biopsy specimens from 22 untreated CD patients, ten normal controls (NC) with unremarkable duodenal mucosa, and nine disease nonceliac controls (DC). In 15 CD patients duodenal biopsy specimens were repeatedly assessed after these patients had been prescribed gluten-free diet. Positive pixel count algorithm of ImageScope was used for quantitative evaluation of immunohistochemistry. Tissue transglutaminase expression in superficial epithelium differed significantly between the three groups (p < 0.001). It was increased in DC in relation to NC (p < 0.001) and in CD—in relation to NC (p < 0.001) and DC (p = 0.003). In CD and DC, cryptal epithelium was stained more intensively than in NC (p < 0.001), but there was no difference between CD and DC (p = 0.507). The same pattern was seen in lamina propria. A significant decrease in tTG expression in all the compartments was seen in repeatedly assessed samples. Untreated CD is associated with tTG overexpression, which is reversible. Tissue transglutaminase up-regulation does not seem to be specific for CD and can appear in other pathological conditions.

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Acknowledgments

We express our gratitude to Dr. O. Karatysh, Dr. I. Dergacheva, Dr. H. Usau, and Dr. S. Kondrashov for their collaboration and help with the clinical part of the study. The excellent technical assistance of Mrs. S. Klimovich and Mrs. M. Pavlova is also gratefully acknowledged.

Conflict of interest statement

We declare that we have no conflict of interest.

Funding

This work was supported by the Belarusian Republican Foundation for Basic Research (number 20052078).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Belarusian Medical Academy of Postgraduate Education, P Brovky st 3-3, Minsk, 220013, Belarus

    Julia Gorgun & Yuri Marakhouski

  2. Department of Pathology, Belarusian State Medical University, Dzerzhynsky Avenue 83, 220116, Minsk, Belarus

    Anna Portyanko & Eugeni Cherstvoy

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  1. Julia Gorgun
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  2. Anna Portyanko
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  4. Eugeni Cherstvoy
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Correspondence to Julia Gorgun.

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Gorgun, J., Portyanko, A., Marakhouski, Y. et al. Tissue transglutaminase expression in celiac mucosa: an immunohistochemical study. Virchows Arch 455, 363–373 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00428-009-0832-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00428-009-0832-9

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