Adaptation of a Cell-Based High Content Screening System for the In-Depth Analysis of Celiac Biopsy Tissue

The IN Cell Analyzer 1000 possesses several distinguishing features that make it a valuable tool in research today. This fully automated high content screening (HCS) system introduced quantitative fluorescent microscopy with computerized image analysis for use in cell-based analysis. Previous studies have focused on live cell assays, where it has proven to be a powerful and robust method capable of providing reproducible, quantitative data. Using HCS as a tool to investigate antigen expression in duodenal biopsies, we developed a novel approach to tissue positioning and mapping. We adapted IN Cell Analyzer 1000's image acquisition and analysis software for the investigation of tissue transglutaminase (tTG) and smooth muscle alpha-actin (SM α-actin) staining in paraffin-embedded duodenal tissue sections from celiac patients and healthy controls. These innovations allowed a quantitative analysis of cellular structure and protein expression. The results from routine biopsy material indicated the intensity of protein expression was altered in celiac disease compared to normal biopsy material.

Twenty-Four Hour Ex Vivo Culture of Celiac Duodenal Biopsies

Organ culture is a valuable technique in celiac disease research. It provides the opportunity to examine interactions between different cell types during the disease process without the need for invasive in vivo studies. Biopsies are maintained in an oxygen-rich environment, in contact with, but not submerged in, culture medium. A very straightforward and successful method of organ culture is described here.

Immunological indicators of coeliac disease activity are not altered by long-term oats challenge

Coeliac disease is a gluten-sensitive enteropathy that develops in genetically susceptible individuals. The disease exhibits many features of an autoimmune disorder. These include the production of highly specific anti-endomysial autoantibodies directed against the enzyme tissue transglutaminase. It is well accepted that wheat-, barley- and rye-based foods should be excluded in the gluten-free diet. Although several studies report that oats ingestion is safe in this diet, the potential toxicity of oats remains controversial. In the current study, 46 coeliac patients ingested oats for 1 year and were investigated for a potential immunogenic or toxic effect. Stringent clinical monitoring of these patients was performed and none experienced adverse effects, despite ingestion of a mean of 286 g of oats each week. Routine histological analysis of intestinal biopsies showed improvement or no change in 95% of the samples examined. Furthermore, tissue transglutaminase expression in biopsy samples, determined quantitatively using the IN Cell Analyzer, was unchanged. Employing immunohistochemistry, oats ingestion was not associated with changes in intraepithelial lymphocyte numbers or with enterocyte proliferation as assessed by Ki-67 staining. Finally, despite the potential for tissue transglutaminase to interact with oats, neither endomysial nor tissue transglutaminase antibodies were generated in any of the patients throughout the study. To conclude, this study reaffirms the lack of oats immunogenicity and toxicity to coeliac patients. It also suggests that the antigenic stimulus caused by wheat exposure differs fundamentally from that caused by oats.