[Parallel morphological, enzyme and immunological research on the jejunal mucosa in patients with gluten enteropathy, chronic nonspecific enteritis and ulcerative colitis].

The results are reported from the study on 120 patients, 30 of them with gluten enteropathy, 50--with chronic unspecified enteritis and 40--with chronic ulcerous colitis. Small intestinal aspiration biopsy was performed to all patients with histomorphological, electron microscopic, enzymatic and immune-fluorescent study. The secretory immunoglobulins in the jejunal juice were studied in 40 patients. Morphological changes, various degrees, were established, that correlate with the increased number of IgG and IgM secretory cells. The exclusion of gluten from the diet in case of gluten enteropathy was followed by normalization of the number and percentage ratio of IgSC and of secretory immunoglobulins. The enzymatic and immune disorders, in chronic unspecific enteritis correlate with the electron microscopic and precede the histologic ones. The role of immune system of small intestine in the etiology and pathogenesis of the various intestinal diseases is discussed.