Genetics

[watchthestars]

From my personal observations, it seems that the gene for celiac/gluten intol. is passed on from parent to child more often than not. Has anyone read any studies on the chances of passing down the gene?

I am curious because I don't know if I should ask my brother to get tested. I was never tested, but my health has improved greatly since going gluten-free. A few years ago my dad figured out that he was gluten intolerant from a blood test. (he was never really sick, but he says he feels better when he doesn't eat gluten). Here's his side of the family at a glance:

mother - colon cancer

brother - colon cancer

other brother - schizophrenia

my guess is that they all have the gene.

My brother (17) doesn't show any signs of a gluten intolerence. but i'm curious if he even has a chance of NOT having the gene! Maybe he's asymptomatic like the majority of my family? Or maybe gluten is fine for him?

he already has a problem with dairy (but eats it anyway ) sooo i don't want to go preaching to him about gluten intolerence until i get some more facts.

[trents]

I have read the chances are somethng like one in ten or one in twenty (depending on the expert) that you will be a Celiac if you have a "close relative" who is one. I think "close relative" was defined as someone in your immediate family, like a parent or a sibling. If your brother has lactose intolerance, you may already know that this is very common with Celiacs. It is often a "pseudo lactose intolerance" that disappears when you go on a gluten free diet and the gut has a chance to heal.

[psawyer]

The statistic I have heard is that about 1 in 22 children of a celiac will develop celiac disease.

Assuming one parent with celiac, who has one copy of the genetic factor, there is a 50% chance of inheriting the the trait. If both parents carry the factor, then the probability increases to 75% (25% chance of both parents NOT passing the factor).

Of those people with the genetic factor, the latest numbers I have seen suggest that one in eleven will develop celiac disease. It is necessary but not sufficient to have the genes. The disease must also be triggered by something such as surgery, infectious disease, or another factor causing stress in the immune system.

One in 22 is about 4.5%. While that is much higher than the estimates of 1 in 132 (or 1 in 100) for the general population, it is still a relatively low rate. Put another way, over 95% of children of celiacs will never develop celiac disease themselves, even though they may carry (and potentially pass on) the genetic factor.

[chrissy]

a sibling of a celiac is more likely to have celiac than a child of a celiac. not sure why that is.

[prinsessa]

I read somewhere that children of Celiacs have a 10% chance of developing the disease. I don't think anyone really knows how commen gluten intolerance really is. Some people think 1% of the population has it. I don't know how we would know for sure since none of the tests are 100%. I wouldn't have known that I was gluten intolerant if I didn't do my own research and decide to go on the diet even though my blood test was negative.

[Super Bellybutton]

Not sure if I remember correctly, but I think if both parents have the gene then the child is UNLIKELY to get it.

It's better to be heterozygous for the celiac disease (one active, one non-active) as opposed to homozygous for no celiac (one non-active, one non-active). I don't rmemeber the science of it, but this is so no environmental triggers can activate it.

[Guest Robbin]

  chrissy said:

a sibling of a celiac is more likely to have celiac than a child of a celiac. not sure why that is.

It is because a sibling has the same gene pool. Both parents are the same for each. A child of a celiac has the other parent's genes too. (I hope I didn't confuse anyone! It is a little confusing sometimes isn't it?)

[kbtoyssni]

It is recommended that all immediate family members of a celiac get tested, and I've heard that now they recommend extended family should also get tested. They could be asymptomatic right now but still damaging their body. My brother just got tested even though he showed no symptoms because if he did have it, I don't want him damaging his body for years and then getting really sick later in life. (Turns out he doesn't have it). It can't hurt to get tested, especially if you know celiac is in your gene pool.

[watchthestars]

thanks for the answers everyone! I think i'll talk to him about getting tested sometime in the near future.