So I Test Positive For The Celiac Gene

 Testing positive for either HLA-DQ2 or HLA-DQ8 does not mean you have to change your eating habits unless you have symptoms of the disease (including damage to the villi that line the small intestines). The test will simply tell you that you have a propensity for the disease, nothing more.

With that being said, most celiac specialists will advise you and your family to be regularly monitored in the event one or more of you eventually become symptomatic. This is because the HLA mutations are passed from parent to child, with some children inheriting two copies of the mutation (one from each parent) while others only inheriting one. Those inheriting two are at greatest risk.

If you have symptoms and all other test results are negative, a positive HLA test may justify a trial period during which you stop gluten to see if your symptoms improve.

Identifying The Celiac Gene

 

Identifying the Celiac Genes

Two chromosomal mutations, known as HLA-DQ2 and HLA-DQ8, are commonly associated with celiac disease.

By definition, HLA (human leukocyte antigen) is a cellular protein which triggers an immune response. With celiac disease, aberrations in the HLA coding can cause the immune system to go haywire in the presence of gluten and attack cells of the small intestine.

Despite the fact that HLA-DQ2 and HLA-DQ8 are both linked to this effect, having the mutation doesn't necessarily mean that you'll get the disease. In fact, as many as 40 percent of the U.S. population have these mutations, mostly in people of European descent. Of those who do carry the mutation, only around 1 to 4 percent will go on to develop the disease in their adult.

Prevalence Of Celiac Disease

 Inheritance. Celiac disease tends to cluster in families. Parents, siblings, or children (first-degree relatives ) of people with celiac disease have between a 4 and 15 percent chance of developing the disorder. However, the inheritance pattern is unknown.

It is estimated to affect 1 in 100 people worldwide. Two and one-half million Americans are undiagnosed and are at risk for long-term health complications. When people with celiac disease eat gluten (a protein found in wheat, rye and barley), their body mounts an immune response that attacks the small intestine

What Foods Trigger Celiac Disease??

 Gluten — a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye — triggers its symptoms. There's currently no cure for celiac disease. A strict gluten-free diet — also known as the celiac disease diet — must be followed to allow your body to heal.