To discover whether antibodies for celiac disease could be found in the blood of those with psoriasis researchers at the Medical University of Silesia in Poland took blood serum samples from 67 patients with psoriasis as well as serum from healthy people without the disease.

They looked for antibodies against transglutaminase enzyme and against gliadin. They found that patients with psoriasis had higher antibody levels of both transglutaminase and gliadin. This confirmed what they already knew – that psoriasis was seen in some patients who had celiac disease without symptoms (gluten sensitivity).

For these patients their psoriasis improved on a gluten-free diet even when they had suffered from psoriasis for years.

Serologic markers of celiac disease in psoriatic patients.
Damasiewicz-Bodzek A, Wielkoszyski T. Medical University of Silesia, Department of Chemistry, Zabrze, Jordana, Poland. olabodzek@interia.pl

Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Aetiopathogenesis of psoriasis is complex and not yet well known. In recent years, it has been observed that psoriasis can coexist with clinically asymptomatic celiac disease and a gluten-free diet helps to obtain remission, even in patients with very chronic lesions.

OBJECTIVE:
The aim of our work was to investigate how often the positive titres of antibodies characteristic for celiac disease occur in psoriatics' serum in exacerbation in comparison with controls.

PATIENTS/METHODS:
Serum samples from 67 patients with intensified psoriatic lesions were investigated. Serum from healthy people at a comparable age and with no familial predisposition to psoriasis and celiac disease was the control material. Antibodies against human tissue transglutaminase (recombinant antigen), against tissue transglutaminase isolated from guinea pig's liver and against gliadin were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique. Anti-endomysial antibodies were determined by indirect immunofluorescence method.

RESULTS:
Patients with psoriasis have significantly higher mean concentrations of antibodies against tissue transglutaminase (human recombinant and guinea pig-derived antigen) and against gliadin for IgA. IgA antibodies against tissue transglutaminase (both antigens) and gliadin positively correlate with psoriasis activity. No anti-endomysial antibodies for IgA were found in any serum.

CONCLUSIONS:
Our results seem to imply an association between psoriasis and asymptomatic celiac disease/gluten intolerance. High percentage of positive results to guinea pig-derived tTG could be due to cellular activity of tissue transglutaminase in psoriasis.

J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2008 Sep;22(9):1055-61. Epub 2008 Apr 1.

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