Immunological method for detecting antibodies directed against tissue transglutaminase (tTG), use of tTG in diagnosis and therapy control, and an oral pharmaceutical agent containing tTG

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for detecting antibodies from body fluids by means of an immune reaction with tissue transglutaminase (tTG), with tTG-containing compounds, the antigenic structures, immunoreactive sequences or analogues thereof. The method may be used in the diagnosis and therapy control of diseases associated with an immune reaction against tTG, tTG-containing compounds, the antigenic structures, immunoreactive sequences or analogues thereof. Therefore, the invention is also directed to the use of tTG and the above-mentioned substances in diagnosis and therapy control, preferably in the diagnosis and therapy control of chronically inflammatory diseases or autoimmune diseases, and more preferably, in the diagnosis and therapy control of sprue or coeliac disease.

1 . A method for immunologically identifying the celiac disease, characterized in that anti-tTG antibodies in body fluids are detected by an immunoreation with a tissue transglutaminase (tTG), with tTG-containing compounds, with antigenic structures thereof, with immunoreactive sequences or analogs thereof.  
     
     
         2 . Method according to  claim 1 , characterized in that human IgA and/or IgG antibodies are detected.  
     
     
         3 . Method according to  claim 1  or  2  characterized in that the tTG or tTG-containing compounds are of human, animal, synthetic or recombinant origin.  
     
     
         4 . The method according to one of claims  1  through  3 , characterized in that the detection is performed using a per se known immunoassay, preferably with direct or indirect coupling of one reactant to a well-detectable labelling substance.  
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , characterized in that the detection is carried out on a solid phase.  
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 4 , characterized in that the detection is carried out using an ELISA, RIA or an immunofluorescence assay.  
     
     
         7 . Use of tTG, tTG-containing compounds, the antigenic structures, immunoreactive sequences or analogues thereof in the diagnosis or therapy control of auto-immune diseases.  
     
     
         8 . The use according to one of  claim 7  for the diagnosis or therapy control of coeliac disease.  
     
     
         9 . An oral pharmaceutical agent including tTG, tTG-containing compounds, the antigenic structures, immunoreactive sequences or analogues thereof and optionally, pharmaceutically tolerable adjuvants, for the treatment of coeliac disease.  
     
     
         10 . Use of tTG-containing compounds, the antigenic structures, immunoreactive sequences or analogues thereof in the production of oral pharmaceutical agents for the treatment of coeliac disease.