Celiac disease and gyneco-obstetrics complications: can serum antibodies modulate tissue transglutaminase functions and contribute to clinical pattern?

ABSTRACT

PROBLEM: Untreated celiac disease (CD) is often associated with early miscarriages, infertility, and alterations in menstrual cycle. Tissue transglutaminase (tTG) antibodies could be involved by interfering with tTG transamidating activity and/or biological functions mediated by its interaction with fibronectin (FN). METHOD OF STUDY The correlation between the presence of extra-digestive disorders and the reactivity of sera against tTG-FN and its effects on tTG transamidating activity was analyzed in a group or 50 women with recently diagnosed CD. RESULTS: Heterogeneous behavior was observed among serum samples derived from patients with different complaints, suggesting that differences in fine specificity patterns could condition clinical outcome. Sera from women with gynecological and/or obstetric problems induced significant inhibition of in vitro enzymatic activity in comparison with those without these kinds of disorders. CONCLUSIONS: The significant correlation observed between serum effects and clinical profile suggests a putative involvement of tTG-specific antibodies in gynecological and/or obstetric disorders during active CD.