Prevalence of Antigliadin Antibodies in Patients with Psoriasis is Not Elevated Compared with Controls

Background: Antigliadin antibodies (AGAs) are markers of celiac sprue but may have autoimmune implications in the absence of gastrointestinal disease. There is anecdotal evidence to suggest that gluten sensitivity may play a role in psoriasis, and patients with psoriasis in Europe have been reported to improve on a gluten-free diet.

Objective: To assess whether patients with psoriasis in the US have an increased prevalence of elevated AGAs.

Method: A US sample of patients with psoriasis (n=100), patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (n=100), and age-matched control individuals without any personal or family history of autoimmune disorders (n=100) were tested for IgG and IgA AGAs.

Results: No difference in the prevalence of abnormal AGAs among patients with psoriasis (14%), combined psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (18%), and control individuals (19%) was observed. No significant correlations between AGA positivity and psoriasis severity, joint involvement, or age of onset of psoriasis or arthritis were observed.

Conclusion: We found no support for the results of prior studies showing that elevated AGAs occur with increased frequency in patients with psoriasis. Furthermore, the relatively high prevalence of abnormal AGAs in our control population suggests these antibodies may not be associated with autoimmune disease.