| 摘要 |
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a test available for diagnosing coeliac disease at an early stage.SOLUTION: A method of diagnosing coeliac disease comprises: (a) contacting a sample from a host with an epitope selected from the group consisting of analogues of epitopes comprising a sequence which is (i) PQPELPY or QLQPFPQPELPYPQPQS, or an equivalent sequence from a naturally occurring homologue of gliadin, or the like, which analogues may be recognized by a T cell receptor recognizing the epitopes and are not more than 50 amino acids in length in the case of peptides, and products comprising two or more of the epitopes defined above; and (b) determining in vitro whether T cells in the sample recognize the agent, recognition by the T cells indicating that the individual has, or is susceptible to, celiac disease. The method is a test method capable of diagnosing coeliac disease at an early stage, does not require an intestinal biopsy, and is more sensitive than currently used antibody tests. |
