Gluten Sensitivity Genes?

[chrissy]

how has it been determined by enterolab that certain genes are gluten sensitivity genes? i have read plenty of articles that talk about non-celiac gluten sensitivity, but not a single article that talks about gluten sensitivity genes. why does no one else have this information? or is it out there and i just haven't found it?

[CarlaB]

Google the specific genes you are wondering about and all kinds of information will come up about them.

I "met" a double DQ1,6 on here yesterday. That's a gluten sensitive gene, the same as I have, and she was a biopsy-proven celiac without a celiac gene. Their still learning so much about this. I think we're still at the point where there is more we don't know than what we do know!

[CantEvenEatRice]

Google the specific genes you are wondering about and all kinds of information will come up about them.

I "met" a double DQ1,6 on here yesterday. That's a gluten sensitive gene, the same as I have, and she was a biopsy-proven celiac without a celiac gene. Their still learning so much about this. I think we're still at the point where there is more we don't know than what we do know!

That is really interesting Carla! I was curious about gluten sensitivity genes also and whether they can lead to biopsy proven Celiac. I think the gluten sensitivity genes are the same as Celiac genes, they just haven't been labeled that yet by the medical community.

[chrissy]

my family is involved in the celiac study being done through the university of california, irvine. the information we got on the study said that they know that there are more genes involved than the DQ2 & 8----they just don't know what they are yet.

[jerseyangel]

This is interesting. I just ordered the Enterolab Gene Test yesterday--I want to see which genes I actually have. I also think that seeing the results will make some of my family members consider being tested.

[AndreaB]

From what I understand, the gluten sensitive genes are not the recognized celiac genes but people with active sensitivities still respond favorably to the gluten free diet and they still cause damage in various ways.

[Yenni]

But even if you have any of the genes (both the non one and the celiac one) do they have to be active? I mean do you have celiac if you have the gene or can it be "sleeping" sort of speak?

[chrissy]

you can have the gene and not have the disease. one of my kids has the celiac gene but the disease has not been activated in him. hopefully it never will.

[CarlaB]

But even if you have any of the genes (both the non one and the celiac one) do they have to be active? I mean do you have celiac if you have the gene or can it be "sleeping" sort of speak?

You can carry the gene and not have an active disease.

[Yenni]

Thanks!

[AndreaB]

But even if you have any of the genes (both the non one and the celiac one) do they have to be active? I mean do you have celiac if you have the gene or can it be "sleeping" sort of speak?

Yes. My husband has 2 celiac genes are they are not active (or they are sleeping).

He was tested through enterolab just like the rest of us were.

[Helena]

From what I've read, the genetic tests are used to rule out celiac. i.e. if someone *doesn't* have those genes, there is a 99% chance (or something like that--it isn't 100% but close) that that person does not have celiac. But there are a lot of people walking around with those genes who do not have celiac and will never have it because there are other genes involved with celiac disease as well. (i.e. the suspicion is that people with celiac have other genetic markers for the disease as well which currently haven't been identified.) By the way, genetic testing is not yet available in Canada--I checked.

[CantEvenEatRice]

Does everyone have the gluten sensitivity genes? It seems that way through Enterolab. Maybe everyone has them, but not all have active celiac/gluten sensitivity. My son has 2 of the gluten sensitivity genes which means that both my husband and I both have at least 1. I have Celiac, but do not know my gene makeup. My husband does not have Celiac or gluten sensitivity so I am wondering about the gluten sensitivity genes. It makes sense to me, but it seems like everyone who gets tested through Enterolab has at least the gluten sensitivity genes.

[happygirl]

Both my sister and I were tested (gene) through enterolab this summer (2 years after my diagnosis through bloodwork). We both have the same Celiac gene (DQ8) and gluten sensitivity gene. The next step is to test my parents to see if one of them has both the celiac/gluten sensitive or if one has one/one has the other.

I believe one of CarlaB's daughters tested negative, if I remember correctly.

akjenny: about 30-40% of the american population has either DQ2, DQ8, or both. So "just" having the gene is not sufficient to have Celiac. But, among diagnosed Celiacs, I think the number is like 95% or 98% have one or both of these genes. So, researchers are still looking for other links that might explain so much more. On the other hand are gluten sensitive genes, which I do not know nearly as much about.

[CarlaB]

I believe one of CarlaB's daughters tested negative, if I remember correctly.

Yes, one of my daughters tested negative, but I have two DQ1 genes, so I didn't have her tested genetically because I know she carries at least one gluten sensitive gene.

The other thing about DQ1, there is a biopsy-proven celiac on here who has two DQ1's and no "celiac" genes. They are still learning a lot about this disease.