IgG and IgA antigluten antibodies (Gab) were assayed in 83 celiac disease (CD) patients typed for HLA and Gm markers. Their titer and frequency were lower when a gluten-free diet was given than in active CD; these were significantly correlated, whereas no correlation was found between titer and serum Ig. Persistence of high titers was mainly confined to HLA-DR3 negative females (45% vs 6.7% of DR3 positive females and 19.3% of males). No association was found with any Gm allotype, in contrast with the previously reported involvement of the "fnb" haplotype with both CD susceptibility and Gab persistence in patients on a gluten-free diet. A technical and/or genetic explanation could be given for these differences.