Do You Have To Get The Gene From Both Parents?

[anerissara]

Hi, all--

Just wondering if anyone can shed some light on the celiac disease gene(s). I was not officially dx'ed but had improvement with the diet, now I've been gluten-free for about a year and I just can't face the idea of going back on gluten for long enough to get tested. My dad got the gene tests for celiac disease and they all came back negative...I'm wondering if the gene has to come from both parents or could it be passed down from just one? My mother has some pretty bad celiac disease symptoms and does better on a "low carb" diet, but refuses to find out if she has celiac disease or the genes for it, so I'm not sure if we'll ever know if it came from that side of the family. I guess I should just shell out the money and get the gene tests myself, but right now money is so tight that even co-pays are too much (not that my insurance would cover it anyway!). Can Enterolab detect celiac disease if you've been gluten-free for a year? Anyone know what's up with the genes? Thanks!

[gf4life]

You only need one gene to get the disease. It could be that you got it from your mom.

Also I am curious at which lab your dad got tested? Some labs only test for Celiac genes DQ2 & DQ8. Enterolab also tests for gluten intolerance genes that are not yet considered to cause celiac disease, but they do cause gluten intolerance...you can see the gene breakdown for my kids and I in my signature. Based on these my as yet untested husband should carry two different gluten intolerance genes. Only my daughter and I have one celiac disease gene each. That would mean that of my parents one had a celiac disease gene and one had a gluten intolerance gene, and both my husbands parents have gluten intolerance genes! None of them have been tested either...

[debbiewil]

1. Yes, you only need to inherit one copy of the gene, from one parent, in order to have it.

2. The DNA tests from enterolab do not require you to be eating gluten - the DNA is the same gluten-free or on gluten. Some of the other tests, like the antibody tests, might need you to be consuming gluten.

Debbie