Deficiency of 6B11+ Invariant NK T-Cells in Celiac Disease

Immunoregulatory NK T-cells are deficient in certain autoimmune diseases. The purpose of this study was to investigate any deficiency of immunoregulatory NK T-cells in celiac disease. NK T-cells were identified by flow cytometry with 6B11 and Vα24 markers in blood from 18 normal and 12 celiac subjects. Blood mononuclear cells were stimulated with anti-CD3/CD28 antibodies and intracellular cytokines assessed at 4 h in seven normal and eight celiac subjects. Vα24/GAPDH mRNA was quantitated in duodenal biopsies by real time PCR in 17 control and 13 celiac subjects. NK T-cells in celiac subjects were reduced to 30% of those in normal subjects. Intracellular IL-4, IL-10 and IL-13 increased significantly by 33–41% in normal subjects, but did not change in celiac subjects. Vα24/GAPDH mRNA from celiac subjects was reduced to 5% of levels in control subjects. We conclude that immunoregulatory NK T-cells are deficient in celiac disease.