ABSTRACT
In 1971 Seah et al. detected antireticulin antibodies (ARA) in the sera of patients with dermatitis herpetiformis and celiac disease. In preliminary studies the frequency of ARA was rather low in dermatitis herpetiformis and it varied from 12 to 47%. It is now well established that the occurrence of ARA in dermatitis herpetiformis depends on the degree of mucosal damage in the small intestine. A gluten-free diet is widely used to treat dermatitis herpetiformis in Europe; it heals both the rash and the small intestinal damage. The diet is not easy to follow, but its strict observance allows many patients to stop using dapsone and the signs and symptoms of malabsorption disappear. Comparisons of IgA-class ARA with IgA-Endomysial Antibodies in dermatitis herpetiformis and celiac disease, as seen in different laboratories.
