Anyone Have A Good Understanding Of The Genetics Of Gluten Sensitivity?

[JerryK]

Anyone have a basic understanding of Gluten Intolerance/Celiac genetics? Most of the articles I find on the internet were written by someone way smarter than me.

Specifically, we know that DQ2 and DQ8 are associated with celiac disease. Are there other markers specifically for Gluten Intolerance and are they associated with specific symptoms??

Thanks!

[CarlaB]

From what I've read, there's only one gene that is NOT associated with gluten intolerance. That is the DQ4 gene found in orientals. This must be why people like my husband, who is not ill from gluten intolerance, sometimes gets stomach upset from eating an excessive amount of gluten!

[gfp]

Other than the article you posted I would defer all expertise on genetics to Jegstar

[Jestgar]

I would launch into a long diatribe about the HLA markers being indicators for one subset of symptoms of "gluten poisoning" followed by a lecture on the decline of the "one-gene:one-protein" theory and the complex interactions of differing genotypes and the ability of one polymorphism to "rescue" an animal from the detrimental effects of a different polymorphism.

Just as you were nodding off I'd start pounding my fist on the table saying that to only accept villi damage or DH as indicators of Celiac disease when it's clear that gluten causes measurable damage in multiple other systems is ludicrous and the medical definitions need to be updated so that people can stop undergoing needless medical procedures.

And my take-home message would be: It doesn't matter, it damages your body. Stop eating it.

[gfp]

I would launch into a long diatribe about the HLA markers being indicators for one subset of symptoms of "gluten poisoning" followed by a lecture on the decline of the "one-gene:one-protein" theory and the complex interactions of differing genotypes and the ability of one polymorphism to "rescue" an animal from the detrimental effects of a different polymorphism.

Just as you were nodding off I'd start pounding my fist on the table saying that to only accept villi damage or DH as indicators of Celiac disease when it's clear that gluten causes measurable damage in multiple other systems is ludicrous and the medical definitions need to be updated so that people can stop undergoing needless medical procedures.

And my take-home message would be: It doesn't matter, it damages your body. Stop eating it.

Well that top part is over my head.... whoooooshhhh

The rest of it .... I have been hammering on about that forever.... (Well quite a while now)...

Combining two of your recent posts....

Getting Dr's to think scientifically and remain practicing MD's is hard enough in itself when we need to take the illness to them to steer their diagnosis... but the whole differentiation on celiac, gluten intolerant, biopsy proven or not is just massively counter productive....

In most cases we are dealing with a person who "wants to fit the person to the disease" ... yet while they make diagnostics based on what they assume is as good a definition as any other getitng them to think scientifically and diagnostically is approaching the impossible...

So much good research is simply disguarded if the subjects were not biopsy controlled.

Regarding genetics and inheretance, of course you find familes have it when you screen the whole family .. not to say genetics doesn't play a role but direct family is massively overplayed because they are comparing that control of x biopsy diagnosed celiacs with a 1:5000 diangosed incidence. Every time they find a cluster its big news... when your control is asumed to be 1:5000 anyone will find a cluster in a caucasian population because the screening incidence is <1:200.... its not hard to test people randomly and get a cluster of >1:5000

and it doesn't stop.... I did a whole thread a while ago on why Italians have such a high rate.... they don't and their is no such thing as a genetic Italian.. if any link it is Scandanavian which is the most direct bloodline between Southern and Northern Italians but heyho... off the doctors go...

[Nantzie]

I have two copies of DQ1, subtype 6 (DQ6). When I first found out my genetics, someone here told me that it was associated with hypersensitivity to gluten and neuro/pain/mood issues in addition to GI issues.

I just met someone on here who has DQ6 and she has so many of the same symptoms as I did that it's scary.

So I guess you could call that a genetic profile.

I had negative blood tests and a negative biopsy, and since I have neither of the main celiac genes, I technically don't have celiac disease. Hopefully someday there will be more than one recognized condition that falls under the umbrella of gluten-related disorders. It scares me to think where I'd be if I hadn't found out about celiac on my own.

Nancy

[GlutenWrangler]

Jestgar,

Perfectly said, now if we could only relay that to the medical community.

[darlindeb25]

And my take-home message would be: It doesn't matter, it damages your body. Stop eating it.

Yes, Jestgar, this is the message that we all need to remember. It doesn't matter if we have a diagnosis or not--if we know gluten changes things for us, then we listen to that message alone. Why would anyone go back to gluten when they feel better without it, only because a doctor says--I didn't find celiac disease. When you think about all the times a doctor has given us false information, then why would we trust they are correct when they say we do not have celiac disease? Just a thought!