IgA Class Endomysium Antibodies in Dermatitis Herpetiformis and Coeliac Disease

Dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) is a vesicular skin disorder with characteristic histologic features (PMNs, microabscesses in dermal papillae adjacent to the vesicles) and disease-specific immunopathological findings (granular of fibrillar IgA deposits most commonly found in dermal papillae) usually associated with gluten-sensitive enteropathy. This report sets forth the first findings on IgA class antibody reacting with endomysium IgA-EmA of smooth muscle, particularly of monkey esophagus. The authors have found these IgA-EmA in a significant proportion of patients with DH, coeliac disease, and other gut diseases. Both IgA-EmA and IgG-AGA anti-gliadin antibodies can be detected on monkey esophagus in the same serum sample by the indirect IF test.