OBJECTIVE To study the spectrum of clinical presentation of coeliac disease and the role of IgA anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies titer in the diagnosis and effect of gluten-free diet on such titers in children. METHODS The prospective study was conducted in the paediatric department of Combined Military Hospital, Kharian from Sep 2011 to Sep 2012. Children of 1-12 years of age presenti...

Gluten sensitivity typically presents as celiac disease, a common chronic small intestinal disorder. However, in certain individuals it is associated with dermatitis herpetiformis, a blistering skin disease characterized by granular IgA deposits in the papillary dermis. While tissue transglutaminase has been implicated as the major autoantigen of gluten sensitive disease, there has been no expl...

BACKGROUND Patients diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome may have coeliac disease. AIM To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of coeliac disease testing in suspected irritable bowel syndrome. METHODS We used decision analysis to estimate the number of coeliac disease cases detected, quality-adjusted life-years gained, and costs resulting from testing suspected irritable bowel syndrome patien...

BACKGROUND The conventional coeliac disease antibody tests require patient's sera, and are laborious and time-consuming. AIM To evaluate a newly developed rapid whole blood test in coeliac disease antibody detection, and its suitability for office use. METHODS Endogenous tissue transglutaminase found in red blood cells in a whole blood fingertip or venous sample is liberated upon haemolysis...

The levels and activity of tissue transglutaminase were studied in human peripheral blood monocytes during differentiation into macrophages in vitro. The enzyme was present at low levels in freshly isolated monocytes (less than 20 ng/mg cell protein) but increased 50-fold during 10 d of adherent culture in autologous serum, reaching levels of 0.1% of total cellular protein. The rate of appearan...

The protein cross-linking enzyme tissue transglutaminase binds in vitro with high affinity to fibronectin via its 42-kD gelatin-binding domain. Here we report that cell surface transglutaminase mediates adhesion and spreading of cells on the 42-kD fibronectin fragment, which lacks integrin-binding motifs. Overexpression of tissue transglutaminase increases its amount on the cell surface, enhanc...

Transglutaminases catalyze the cross-linking and amine incorporation of proteins, and are implicated in various biological phenomena. Previously, we found a high molecular mass transglutaminase-inhibitory substance produced by Streptomyces lavendulae Y-200 that appeared to be a melanin substance. Here, we report that synthetic tyrosine melanin inhibited various types of transglutaminases. Tyros...

Transglutaminases are a class of enzymes capable of covalently cross-linking both intracellular and extracellular proteins. The activity of tissue transglutaminase is known to decrease precipitously following neoplastic transformation, and it has been hypothesized that transglutaminase may be involved in growth regulation. We have found that the differentiation promoter sodium butyrate is able ...