Please Help Me Understand My Prometheus Results

[mrsroo]

I got my Prometheus test results yesterday and need some help from someone who is more familiar with genetic "language". My results were as follows:

Alleles detected:

DQ8 Heterozygous (DQB1*03/DQB2*0302)

Ok, so I think I understand that "DQ8 Heterozygous" means I have 1 copy of the DQ8 celiac gene which I would have received from 1 of my parents. Right?

Now, what does the "DQB1*03/DQB2*0302" mean? I tried Googling that exact phrase in quotes, but got no hits. I also tried Googling just the "DQB2*0302" part and again got no hits.

From the research I've done, the DQ8 gene is normally labeled DQB1*0302, and not DQB2*0302. Can someone please explain to me what exactly "DQB1*03/DQB2*0302" means? Did Prometheus perhaps made a mistake (maybe a typo) in the way it labeled my results?

And does anyone know if having the DQ8 gene coincides with having lots of other food allergies/sensitivities? I also had a food allergy blood test and found out I have Class 2 IgE allergies to milk, corn, soy, orange, peanut, wheat and garlic, as well as IgG sensitivities to 28 different items (which included VERY high sensitivities to gluten, milk & yeast).

I'm wondering if I should have the Enterolab genetic test done as well to check for other genes that Prometheus didn't test for???

Thank you for any help!!

[mrsroo]

I was hoping someone would respond to me...maybe my questions in my first post were too detailed?? Or maybe I should have posted in a different category??

How about this...does anyone out there who has the DQ8 celiac gene have a copy of their Prometheus or Enterolab genetic results available to look at?

Can you tell me exactly how your DQ8 gene was labeled? Did it say DQB1*0302 .... or did it say DQB2*0302???

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP!!!

[Jestgar]

Maybe you could call prometheus on Monday. They should be able to explain the notation to you.

[EJR]

I got my Prometheus test results yesterday and need some help from someone who is more familiar with genetic "language". My results were as follows:

Alleles detected:

DQ8 Heterozygous (DQB1*03/DQB2*0302)

Ok, so I think I understand that "DQ8 Heterozygous" means I have 1 copy of the DQ8 celiac gene which I would have received from 1 of my parents. Right?

Now, what does the "DQB1*03/DQB2*0302" mean? I tried Googling that exact phrase in quotes, but got no hits. I also tried Googling just the "DQB2*0302" part and again got no hits.

From the research I've done, the DQ8 gene is normally labeled DQB1*0302, and not DQB2*0302. Can someone please explain to me what exactly "DQB1*03/DQB2*0302" means? Did Prometheus perhaps made a mistake (maybe a typo) in the way it labeled my results?

And does anyone know if having the DQ8 gene coincides with having lots of other food allergies/sensitivities? I also had a food allergy blood test and found out I have Class 2 IgE allergies to milk, corn, soy, orange, peanut, wheat and garlic, as well as IgG sensitivities to 28 different items (which included VERY high sensitivities to gluten, milk & yeast).

I'm wondering if I should have the Enterolab genetic test done as well to check for other genes that Prometheus didn't test for???

Thank you for any help!!

My Prometheus result show: DQ8 Heterozygous (DQB1*03/DQB2*0302)

This was done 08/10/2009

My Enterolab results show: HLA-DQB1 Molecular analysis, Allele 1: 0302 (they told me this

is equivalent to DQ8)

Also: HLA-DQB1 Molecular analysis, Allele 2: 0603 (apparently this is a gluten sensitivity gene but

not one of the main celiac genes)

It also says: Serologic equivalent: HLA-DQ 3,1 (Subtype 8,6)

The American Red Cross does the genetic work for Enterolab. I think they also look for the 'gluten sensitive' genes that Dr. Fine and other researchers are advocating/ suggesting. The best I can

understand is that DQ8 is kind of a shorthand way of writing. I don't understand the rest of it and

couldn't find clarification on the internet either.

Joyce

[mrsroo]

Thanks Joyce! Your results from Prometheus were labeled just like mine...that's exactly what I was trying to confirm!

I think I may also get the Enterolab genetic test too, since it seems they can detect the other gluten sensitivity genes that Prometheus doesn't test for.

Thanks again!!

[nora-n]

mrsroo, yes, Prometheus probably just tests for DQ2 and DQ8.

Enterolab gives you all the beta chains.

The heterozygous means it is not homozygous, which would have meant there are two excact copies of the gene.

We all have alpha and beta chains, and two sets.

Someone with DQA1 03* DQB1 0302 has a DQ8 gene, and some labs write the other gene as DQB2. Just to make it different from the first one.

Someone here phoned quest about the results, as he was a bit confused, and lo and behold they had all the alpha and beta chains at Quest, but they jsut simply did not write them in the result to the doctor....(We have seen here that doctors normally have no clues whatsoever what DQ results mean, so this would absolutely confuse them, so the labs only report postive results for DQ2 or DQ8...but eh lab has the alpha chain results and the beta chain results)

You could try asking Promehteus if they have the comple te results.

By the way, your results are DQ8, the other celiac gene.

The other person here with DQ8 and DQ6, the DQ6 is part of the old DQ1 and sometimes those peopel are very gluten sensitive.

To see the charts of the DQ genes and alpha chains and beta chains, go to www. en.wikipedia.org and type in HLA DQ and also HLA DR and maybe surf around on the different genes there.

Good charts there.

[EJR]

mrsroo, yes, Prometheus probably just tests for DQ2 and DQ8.

Enterolab gives you all the beta chains.

The heterozygous means it is not homozygous, which would have meant there are two excact copies of the gene.

We all have alpha and beta chains, and two sets.

Someone with DQA1 03* DQB1 0302 has a DQ8 gene, and some labs write the other gene as DQB2. Just to make it different from the first one.

Someone here phoned quest about the results, as he was a bit confused, and lo and behold they had all the alpha and beta chains at Quest, but they jsut simply did not write them in the result to the doctor....(We have seen here that doctors normally have no clues whatsoever what DQ results mean, so this would absolutely confuse them, so the labs only report postive results for DQ2 or DQ8...but eh lab has the alpha chain results and the beta chain results)

You could try asking Promehteus if they have the comple te results.

By the way, your results are DQ8, the other celiac gene.

The other person here with DQ8 and DQ6, the DQ6 is part of the old DQ1 and sometimes those peopel are very gluten sensitive.

To see the charts of the DQ genes and alpha chains and beta chains, go to www. en.wikipedia.org and type in HLA DQ and also HLA DR and maybe surf around on the different genes there.

Good charts there.

Hi Nora,

Thank you so much for replying to Mrs. Roo and also to myself (Joyce). You know a lot about reading these results and your words

and thoughts are very useful. Could you please tell me a little more about your comment reading the DQ6

on my Enterolab report (Serologic equivalent: HLA-DQ 3,1 (Subtype 8,6). Are these the two genes from both of my parents (one giving me DQ8 and one DQ6)? which you mentioned is part of the old DQ1. I understand

that the HLA-DQB1 Molecular analysis, Allele 2: 0603 is also a gluten sensitivity gene (but not one of the main

celiac genes). Or am I not reding this correctly at all?

Thank you so much,

Joyce

[nora-n]

yes, you got the DQ8 from one and the DQ6 from the other.

Each one of your parents also has two genes but we do not know which genes. So your siblings could have some different celiac genes, or the same.

There are several DQ1 gluten sensitive, correctly very gluten sensitive people on the gluten sensitivty forums at braintalk and neurotalk.

Dr. Hadjivassiliou found that about 20% of his gluten ataxia patients were DQ1.

[EJR]

yes, you got the DQ8 from one and the DQ6 from the other.

Each one of your parents also has two genes but we do not know which genes. So your siblings could have some different celiac genes, or the same.

There are several DQ1 gluten sensitive, correctly very gluten sensitive people on the gluten sensitivty forums at braintalk and neurotalk.

Dr. Hadjivassiliou found that about 20% of his gluten ataxia patients were DQ1.

Thank you for your reply, Nora. I will try to find the gluten sensitivity forums that you mention. I noticed when I looked up your name that you are from Norway. I am of Norwegian descent but live in Canada. My mother's parents immigrated to Canada from Norway

in the early 1900's. My mother spoke fluent Norwegian but I'm afraid my sister and I didn't learn very much as it wasn't spoken at home. My father was from England.

In some of the reading I have done, it seems that Celiac disease/ gluten sensitivity is quite common in Norway. Is this correct? Also, I understand that DQ8 is a common genetic marker there (more so than in North America). I believe that I am gluten sensitive but not full blown Celiac. My Enterolab results showed elevated fecal Anti-gliadin IgA but fecal anti-tissue transglutaminase IgA was not elevated. Unfortunately I had already been gluten free for over a year when these tests were done.

Thanks again for helping me understanding the DQ1/DQ6 relationship.

Joyce

[roxnhead]

HI ALL,

I ALSO COME FROM NORWEIGIAN ANCESTRY! MY MATERNAL GRANDMOTHER WAS 100% AND MATERNAL GRANDFATHER 50%. MY FATHER'S PARENTS IRISH/DUTCH/SWEDISH--NORTHERN EUROPEAN. MY ANTI-GLIADIN WAS THE ONLY POSITIVE BLOOD TEST. MY ENDOSCOPY'S (2) WERE NEGATIVE FOR CELIAC BUT SINCE GLUTEN-FREE DIET IS WORKING G.I. CONFIRMS LATENT CELIAC. DIAGNOSIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN SUBJECT TO QUESTIONING? I DECIDED TO HAVE GENETIC TESTING-POSITIVE FOR BOTH DQ2 & DQ8. SO MY QUESTION IS DOES THIS FINALLY CONFIRM THE CELIAC DIAGNOSIS? I WILL REMAIN gluten-free BUT MY QUESTION IS FOR MY FAMILY MEMBERS BENEFIT--SINCE I HAVE 2 MARKERS DOESN'T THIS MEAN MY CHILDREN WOULD HAVE AT LEAST 1 AND MY SIBLINGS AS WELL! I WILL GO TO THE MEDICAL LIBRARY TOMMORROW I NEED A TUTORIAL ON GENETICS!

[Jestgar]

Your genes can't confirm celiac disease, but they are suggestive. Yes, your children will have at least one of those genes, and no, your siblings may not (but there is a 75% chance that they have at least one of them).

[nora-n]

yes, there are a lot of celiacs here, but more so in Sweden and Finland. In Sweden they tested a lot of 13-year olds, or maybe they were tvelve, and 3% had tissue transglutaminase antibodies.

There are a lot of DQ2 but also a lot of DQ8 here.

They eat a lot of bread here, and it is fortified with gluten...so celiac is triggered that way. Low vitamin D from no sunshine in the winter is probably another cause.

I myself am half norwegian and I have lived here off and on in childhood and permanently for 30 years.

We even have gluten-free buns at mac Donalds here and Burger King.

I cook everything from scratch and bake at home. The store-bought gluten-free goods almost all have wheat starch so I cannot have any.

I do not have a diagnosis but I am sure I am celiac, I had the fatigue and the DH too and hashimotos and elevated liver enzymes. I just think I was tested too early. I have the neuro issues common to DQ6.

Just read up on the wikipedia pages on HL DQ and HLA DR.