Enterolabs, What Are My Gene Types? Malabsorption?

[Midwifemama5]

I have been reading through here and trying to figure out what my lab results mean, what my gene types are, but the more I read, the more confused I get...

Also, I have significant malabsorption according to their results, which would be in sync with my symptoms and other problems such as problems with B12 (I take shots, they just upped me) and other s/s of malabsorption.

Here is the results:

Antigliadian IgA 6

Antitissue Transglut. IgA 8

Fecal Fat Score 721 (normal <300 units)

Cows milk IgA 6

HLA-DQB1 Allele 1 0301

HLA-DQB1 Allele 2 0503

Serologic equivalent HLA-DQ 3,1 (subtype 7,5)

I don't understand what the alleles mean, what the significance of those number would be...and are my genes 3 and 1, or are they 7 and 5?

It says that I don't have the celiac genes, but the gluten sensitivity genes, but I'm interested to know what my gene types are.

And if I have normal results in everything else, why is my fecal fat score so high? Is it still possible that it's caused by gluten or is it more likely to be caused by something else?

I did have my blood IgA levels done through quest and they were normal, not low...

Thanks for the help! I hope to understand this more as I go, I looked at wikipedia, but that confused me more, and as a masters student in nursing, I don't hold much stock in wikipedia anyway...

Midwifemama5

[Midwifemama5]

Sorry I don't know why I have posted this twice...just wondering if anyone can help interpret these or point me to a good source (that's easy to understand)...

[nora-n]

Hi!

Your HLA DQ genes are BOTH 3 and 1 and 7 and 5.

The reason is that DQ1 is split into 5 and 6, and 3 is split into 7,8 and 9.

Now your fecal fat score is very very high, and you have some other tests that can point to gluten intolerance.

Enterolab does not test for the alpha chains, and DQ7 often has 05* in hte alpha chain, and this is definitely a celiac gene.

You might want to consider another gene test with any lab that tests for alpha chains or half genes.

Usually doctors say cou cannot have celiac if you are not DQ2 or 8, but 6% of celiac have this half gene only, so the labs have started testing for alpha chains too. enterolab has not started to test for the alpha chins and they say it is to keep costs down.

They also only test for ttg and antigliadin IgA and if people have low total IgA then those tests will be low or negative. Your IgA might be lowish and that might cause falsely low test results.

In that case, tissue transglutaminase IgG and antigliadin IgG blood tests might be interesting.

Something is wrong.

[Midwifemama5]

Thanks, that does help...so when I see people post DQ3,1 in their siggies, is that what numbers I would put? I wouldn't include the other ones, the 7 and 5?

Also, what significance do the alleles have? Do they have any significance for gluten sensitivity?

I did have the blood work, it was normal...my iga levels were OK too, I believe 167 or similar...and I also have allergy skin testing and some blood testing, the only thing that showed up food wise was chocolate (ouch, I was moderate, and I definitely have seen less headaches since I stopped chocolate)...

[nora-n]

Hi, the DQ7 and DQ5 would be most accurate in your case.

note that there is DQ7,5 and that does not mean that person ahs both 5 and 7, but it means that that person has the 05* alpha chain and you write it as DQ7,5.

So it would be DQ7 and DQ5.

Check out the charts at wikipedia, type in HLA DQ and there is a chart there with the beta chains (that is what was tested in your case) and the alpha chains that tend to come with them and what the corresponding DQ types are.

In the case of 0501 or 0505 alpha chains, they say that this chain contributes to the celaic risk, and not only the beta chains like 0302 for the DQ8 and 0201 for the DQ2. By the way, DQ2 has 0501 in the alpha chain.

DQ2,2 has 0202 in the beta chain but if the person also has DQ7,5, the 05* alpha chain forms DQ2,5, the celiac DQ, across the genes, and it is called trans DQ2,5.

That is a reason why they do the alpha chains too in many labs nowadays. Before they did not.

[Midwifemama5]

I did the other blood tests and they were all normal, my IGa was also normal. The IGG testing and the tTg were negative.

So not sure what to think. I know my kids will not adhere to a gluten free diet unless we get some results that are positive. My two daughters did the blood testing and they were all normal (although my 11yo had an IGA of 67, which is right at the low range for her age group so not sure if that causes the others to be low and her IGG was a bit high, normal is under 10 and hers was 17...)

I looked up more info on the Gene types 7 and 5, plus my alleles and haven't really found anything to point to celiac (although I did find the info about the possibility of a 1/2 gene on the 7 if I understand it correctly).

Since some of the info I am reading says it can take up to a year to see a difference after going gluten free, my family is very resistant to the change idea. It would be easier if we say immediate results, but we did do a month of gluten free before with really no improvement noted.

However, if anyone has more info about the gene types and alleles, that would be great. I find wikipedia hard to understand (and I'm in a masters program for nursing, so I would think it would make more sense)...and the info that enterolabs sent to me seems to be a form letter and doesn't make sense.

Are there others who are on here with those gene types, the 7 and 5? I would interested in learning more about your test results and diet results...

thanks!

[nora-n]

There ahve been several postings here from people with 7&5.

And Dr. Lewey has had some patients with negative gene tests, and the patients have positive biopsies , and he did suspect half genes.

He said he had contacted the labs about that, that they probably were missing the half genes.

And, about half a year later people started to post here with both alpha and beta chains..

Enterolab never started to test for the alpha chains, nor did they tell people that if they had DQ2,2 and DQ7, this probably makes up DQ2,5 by trans.

(Even DQ2,2 alone is a bit celiac-predisposing)

About the DQ5: This is DQ1, amda up by DQ6 and 5. There are two forums out there about gluten sensitivity and anurological problems, and several there have DQ1.

Now if you google hadjivassiliou, you see that about 20% of his glutan atacia patients have DQ1, the rest DQ2 or 8.

[Midwifemama5]

I tried doing a search for DQ7 but I can't get the search engine to really narrow it down for me...

I'm confused how DQ5 is really DQ1? I'm sorry, I feel a bit stupid but I'm not understanding that? I had read about DQ1 causing neurological problems, but havent' see it explained about DQ5 being DQ1? Can you elaborate?

thanks for much for your help Nora, I really appreciate it.

I did find a study that linked DQ7 to milk intolerance, which is interesting....I've been trying to do some internet searches, but haven't found what I am looking for.

I will try to do another search for DQ7 and 5 on here and see if I can find anything...