New Poll

[maximoo]

I went to a gluten-free expo today & was surprised to see that 95% of the people who attended were white ( and over 60!) And I would say there were about 3 000 people. I am white in my 40's but have a "cosmopolitan" family. It just got me thinking why there were hardly any other types of people in attendance. I have heard/read that it is people of European descent that are most prone to celiac. Is this true?

I love all people & this poll in no way makes any difference to me what race anybody is. Like I said its just simple curiosity & I truly hope nobody thinks of it in any other way.

[psawyer]

The genes are common among those of Caucasian European background. There is also a higher consumption of wheat-based goods in that culture. In western society, everybody eats a lot of wheat.

Your poll choices seem incomplete. You allow for Arabic, although Arabia is part of Asia, which is also an option. I suppose there are some Arabic people in North Africa. The First Nations peoples of North America seem to be excluded. Hmm--what about the aboriginal people of Australia. Maybe there should be an "other" option.

FWIW, I am Caucasian ("white") with one grandparent each with ancestry from Scotland, England, Norway and Sweden.

[rosetapper23]

I'm white, and my celiac genes originated along the Danish line of the family; however, I've met at least a dozen African-Americans and Hispanics who have been diagnosed with celiac in the past five years. Also, I've met quite a few Asians who, while not officially diagnosed with celiac, claimed to be gluten sensitive.

[maximoo]

Thx Peter I added 2 more options. I just created the poll off the top of my head, and there is certainly room for improvement And yes many Arabics are from africa. One of my very best friends is arabic born in Morocco which of course is in africa.

My own ancestry is European--irish, spanish & french.

[sa1937]

I'm Caucasian - half Norwegian and half Danish. I think my late mother (Danish) had undiagnosed celiac. She was one of the youngest of 7 children, now all deceased, so it would be interesting to know if others on that side of the family had celiac. I have no clue as to my dad's side of the family (Norwegian).

My daughter, also celiac, is half Norwegian, 1/4 Danish and 1/4 basically northern European.

[navigator]

I'm Scottish with Irish on my paternal great grandmother's side. Celtic through and through!

[IrishHeart]

From what I have read, the major nationalities with DXed celiac are European, especially Irish, Italian, the Scandinavian countries, the UK and the Mediterranean countries. North America and Australia and NZ have such large populations of celiacs because of massive immigration and marriages between different nationalities.

The DQ2 genetic information is interesting:

DQ2 is most common in Western Europe and in North and West Africa. Highest frequencies are observed in parts of Spain and Ireland.

The highest risk for coeliac disease is in Western Ireland.

(SOME joke this could be called CELTIC disease)

DQ2.2 is shorthand for the DQ α2β2 heterodimeric isoform. A small percentage of coeliac disease is associated with this haplotype, and some disease causing gliadins are presented by DQ2.2. The haplotype is found at high frequencies in the Mediterranean and West Africa. The Eurasian geographic distribution of DQ2.2 is slightly greater than DQ2.5. This includes: Iberia, where it is high, reaching a maximum frequency of ~30% in Northern Iberia, and half that in the British Isles. It extends along the Mediterranean and Africa at relatively high frequency and is found in high frequencies in some Central Asian, Mongolians, and Han Chinese.

(condensed from wiki)

I am of mixed- bag heritage, Irish, German, French Canadian, and Armenian. Having the "rare" DQ2.2 combo apparently makes me even "more special" :lol:

Navigator started a similar thread and people discussed their heritage. Just in case you want to see more

[Nadia2009]

I went to a gluten-free expo today & was surprised to see that 95% of the people who attended were white ( and over 60!) And I would say there were about 3 000 people.

They were over 60 y.o because at that age they had time to get sick, catch a few autoimmunes disease before the doctor realized "wait...maybe you are celiac after all...sorry for 25 years of misdiagnosis"

You saw mostly white people either because of the predominance of the illness among Europeans or because doctors don't suggest the test to non whites.

In Dangerous Grains, the author (a doctor) says that 1/18 Sahraoui teenager has celiac disease or gluten intolerance. Sahraoui have black africa, arab and berber origins. I don't know where he got his numbers but if that's true, it would mean younger generation of Western Morrocans or North-W Africans have more celiac than Norvegian?! (1/70 for that country according to the same book). In poorer areas people tend to eat bread or any staple food that is cheap...couscous is 100% wheat. Everywhere, people are eating more wheat today and genetically modified wheat.

There are probably less researches done on non-whites and celiac. It would be good to know where in Africa, where in Asia etc those with celiac or gluten intelerance are from. I mean which part of their continent of origin. Then, maybe we will discover there are pockets of areas where gluten is well spread outside of Europe. Right now, doctors will not think of testing some non white person even if they have strong symptoms even if they can't control their diabetes 1 and have other autoimmune diseases. They are brainwashed at their medical school learning you have to be Irish, English or Scandivian to have celiac.

My two cents of non white person with gluten intolerance on doctors and celiac.

[IrishHeart]

In Dangerous Grains, the author (a doctor) says that 1/18 Sahraoui teenager has celiac disease or gluten intolerance. Sahraoui have black africa, arab and berber origins. I don't know where he got his numbers but if that's true, it would mean younger generation of Western Morrocans or North-W Africans have more celiac than Norvegian?! (1/70 for that country according to the same book). In poorer areas people tend to eat bread or any staple food that is cheap...couscous is 100% wheat. Everywhere, people are eating more wheat today and genetically modified wheat.

There are probably less researches done on non-whites and celiac. It would be good to know where in Africa, where in Asia etc those with celiac or gluten intelerance are from. I mean which part of their continent of origin. Then, maybe we will discover there are pockets of areas where gluten is well spread outside of Europe. Right now, doctors will not think of testing some non white person even if they have strong symptoms even if they can't control their diabetes 1 and have other autoimmune diseases. They are brainwashed at their medical school learning you have to be Irish, English or Scandivian to have celiac.

My two cents of non white person with gluten intolerance on doctors and celiac.

You are spot-on about the middle age and older people who are finally DXed after a life time of illness and health problems related to UN-DXed celiac. It's a disgrace. I am one of them.

Also, Florida (and my friend lives right where the expo was held) is a state of many retirees--which may also explain- in part-- the large number of over-60 predominantly white crowd you saw at the expo?

Actually, I do not think they are brainwashed about celiac and which populations have it at all. I think they know very little, period. My doctor, a recent grad, told me they hardly even mention it. It is still a presumed "rare disease of childhood" He is appalled at the whole thing as he sees so much of it in his practice. He thinks it is the most under-diagnosed disease in the world. He said "You are a walking textbook celiac".

Yet no one saw it in me?? Good thing I figured it out or I'd be dead by now.

Dr. Fasano wrote this article in 1996 called "Where have all the American Celiacs gone?" because when he came to this country, he did not understand why there were so few of us. He saw that it was grossly under-diagnosed back then.

Open Original Shared Link

Unless someone bothers to read about the genetics of HLADQ2, they may never know the predominant countries where celiac genes are found. Likely no doctors are interested. If we are healthy, who would fill their waiting rooms? No $$$$ in that!

It is Western Ireland, in fact, but there are more, including Northern Africa.

Since North America is largely a nation of immigrants, it is dangerous for any doctor to assume which patient is more predisposed to developing celiac because we are a nation of mixed heritages.

You are so right; they symptom-treat all the various AI diseases, rather than finding the CAUSE. They do not suggest the testing for celiac to hardly anyone. It is the last thing they think of. Even when I asked for it to be done, I met with resistance. Repeatedly.

There is research ongoing that tells where these pockets of people are, but I quickly grabbed this and condensed it from wiki:

DQ2 is most common in Western Europe, North and West Africa. Highest frequencies are observed in parts of Spain and Ireland; this distribution correlates with the frequency of two of the most prevalent autoimmune diseases. There is also an increase in DQB1*0201 in Central Asia, peaking in Kazakhstan and declining slowly east to west into China and finally Southeast Asia. DQA1*0501 : DQB1*0201. DQ2.5 is one of the most predisposing factors for autoimmune disease. DQ2.5 is encoded, often, by a haplotype associated with a large number of diseases. This haplotype, HLA A1-B8-DR3-DQ2, is associated with diseases in which HLA-DQ2 has suspect involvement. Direct involvement of DQ2 is certain in coeliac disease.

DQ2.2 is shorthand for the DQ α2β2 heterodimeric isoform. The isoform is encoded almost exclusively by the DQA1*0201:DQB1*0202 haplotype. The haplotype is linked to DR7. A small percentage of coeliac disease are associated with this haplotype, and some disease causing gliadins are presented by DQ2.2. The haplotype is found at high frequencies in the Mediterranean and West Africa. The Eurasian geographic distribution of DQ2.2 is slightly greater than DQ2.5. Compared to DQ2.5, the freqeuncy in Sardinia is low, but in Iberia it is high reaching a maximum frequency of ~30% in Northern Iberia, and half that in the British Ilses. It extends along the Mediterranean and Africa at relatively high frequency and is found in high frequencies in some Central Asian, Mongolians, and Han Chinese. It does not appear to have an indigenous presence in the West Pacific Rim or the New World and DQ2.2 presence in Southeast Asia and Indonesia is likely the result of gene flow from India and China in post-neolithic times. The haplotype shows considerable diversity in Africa and this has translated to Iberia with 2 addition haplotypes, DQA1*0303:DQB1*0202 and DR7:DQA1*0201:DQB1*0303. The expansion of DQ2.2 into Europe appears to have been slightly later or biased by some constriction between Iberia and the rest of the continent.

[GFinDC]

Caucasian with a little Cherokee Indian thrown in. Irish, British and German ancestry too. My cat is gray though. Poll didn't mention cats but why leave them out?

[ChristenDG]

I'm Scotch-Irish.

[Nadia2009]

You are spot-on about the middle age and older people who are finally DXed after a life time of illness and health problems related to UN-DXed celiac. It's a disgrace. I am one of them.

Also, Florida (and my friend lives right where the expo was held) is a state of many retirees--which may also explain- in part-- the large number of over-60 predominantly white crowd you saw at the expo?

Actually, I do not think they are brainwashed about celiac and which populations have it at all. I think they know very little, period. My doctor, a recent grad, told me they hardly even mention it. It is still a presumed "rare disease of childhood" He is appalled at the whole thing as he sees so much of it in his practice. He thinks it is the most under-diagnosed disease in the world. He said "You are a walking textbook celiac".

Yet no one saw it in me?? Good thing I figured it out or I'd be dead by now.

Dr. Fasano wrote this article in 1996 called "Where have all the American Celiacs gone?" because when he came to this country, he did not understand why there were so few of us. He saw that it was grossly under-diagnosed back then.

Open Original Shared Link

Unless someone bothers to read about the genetics of HLADQ2, they may never know the predominant countries where celiac genes are found. Likely no doctors are interested. If we are healthy, who would fill their waiting rooms? No $$$$ in that!

It is Western Ireland, in fact, but there are more, including Northern Africa.

Since North America is largely a nation of immigrants, it is dangerous for any doctor to assume which patient is more predisposed to developing celiac because we are a nation of mixed heritages.

You are so right; they symptom-treat all the various AI diseases, rather than finding the CAUSE. They do not suggest the testing for celiac to hardly anyone. It is the last thing they think of. Even when I asked for it to be done, I met with resistance. Repeatedly.

There is research ongoing that tells where these pockets of people are, but I quickly grabbed this and condensed it from wiki:

DQ2 is most common in Western Europe, North and West Africa. Highest frequencies are observed in parts of Spain and Ireland; this distribution correlates with the frequency of two of the most prevalent autoimmune diseases. There is also an increase in DQB1*0201 in Central Asia, peaking in Kazakhstan and declining slowly east to west into China and finally Southeast Asia. DQA1*0501 : DQB1*0201. DQ2.5 is one of the most predisposing factors for autoimmune disease. DQ2.5 is encoded, often, by a haplotype associated with a large number of diseases. This haplotype, HLA A1-B8-DR3-DQ2, is associated with diseases in which HLA-DQ2 has suspect involvement. Direct involvement of DQ2 is certain in coeliac disease.

DQ2.2 is shorthand for the DQ α2β2 heterodimeric isoform. The isoform is encoded almost exclusively by the DQA1*0201:DQB1*0202 haplotype. The haplotype is linked to DR7. A small percentage of coeliac disease are associated with this haplotype, and some disease causing gliadins are presented by DQ2.2. The haplotype is found at high frequencies in the Mediterranean and West Africa. The Eurasian geographic distribution of DQ2.2 is slightly greater than DQ2.5. Compared to DQ2.5, the freqeuncy in Sardinia is low, but in Iberia it is high reaching a maximum frequency of ~30% in Northern Iberia, and half that in the British Ilses. It extends along the Mediterranean and Africa at relatively high frequency and is found in high frequencies in some Central Asian, Mongolians, and Han Chinese. It does not appear to have an indigenous presence in the West Pacific Rim or the New World and DQ2.2 presence in Southeast Asia and Indonesia is likely the result of gene flow from India and China in post-neolithic times. The haplotype shows considerable diversity in Africa and this has translated to Iberia with 2 addition haplotypes, DQA1*0303:DQB1*0202 and DR7:DQA1*0201:DQB1*0303. The expansion of DQ2.2 into Europe appears to have been slightly later or biased by some constriction between Iberia and the rest of the continent.

Irishheart,

Thank you for the article above. I would like to understand more about these HLA and DQ2 genes but I don't get it. I read quite a bit on haplotypes and genes but with the focus on ancestry. I should research more on genes and celiac.

You are right on doctors ignorance on celiac and gluten intolerance. My doctor didn't even know what to write on my blood test order sheet; he wrote specific tests not the whole celiac panel. Well, we all know doctors work for the big rich pharmaceutical cartel.

Sorry to hear you had to fight resistance from your doctor and had years of misdiagnosis. It is some of us have to have their intestines damaged and health compromised before getting help. I am thankful to the Internet and international message boards mostly this one for my own diagnosis. After googling and looking for answers to my flu symptoms, lethargy, itching, IBS and mood changes, I landed here when I learned that candida symptoms are similar to gluten intolerance symptoms. I was helped and supported by people here who went through same issues. My blood test was inconclusive but I knew it...my body reacted and 2 days off gluten took me from depression and feeling of insanity to normal state of mind.

Now, back to genes and celiac: trying to find a haplotype that would cover from West of the Mediterranean to Mongolia, I googled and found the map below. Are haplotypes HLA and DQ2 inherited from the Mtdna (mother line) like on this world Mtdna? Maybe I should post it in one of the more popular section of the forum to have more answers.

Open Original Shared Link

[love2travel]

1/4 English + 3/4 German = Me!

[IrishHeart]

Now, back to genes and celiac: trying to find a haplotype that would cover from West of the Mediterranean to Mongolia, I googled and found the map below. Are haplotypes HLA and DQ2 inherited from the Mtdna (mother line) like on this world Mtdna? Maybe I should post it in one of the more popular section of the forum to have more answers.

Open Original Shared Link

Yes, good idea to start a new thread and see if people know any more about this. I have seen a few posts but not collected in one thread.

[squirmingitch]

Half Dutch here & half ?English? (Mom always said her family were mutts).

[IrishHeart]

Half Dutch here & half ?English? (Mom always said her family were mutts).

Being a "mutt" myself, my Dad said we made the best and prettiest pets.

[squirmingitch]

Being a "mutt" myself, my Dad said we made the best and prettiest pets.

I agree!

[IrishHeart]

I agree!

[xjrosie]

1/4 English + 3/4 German = Me!

I wish I was that simple!

MOSTLY Polish, but also Irish, French, German, Italian, British/English (don't know how to address it), Native American, and a teeny tinesy bit Spanish. My folks got around!

If you look at me, you can definitely see the Polish and Native American, but the only reason I know about any of the others is from my family tracing our ancestry.

Then, my kids are all of that plus French Canadian!

[IrishHeart]

I wish I was that simple!

MOSTLY Polish, but also Irish, French, German, Italian, British/English (don't know how to address it), Native American, and a teeny tinesy bit Spanish. My folks got around!

If you look at me, you can definitely see the Polish and Native American, but the only reason I know about any of the others is from my family tracing our ancestry.

Then, my kids are all of that plus French Canadian!

Going by my Dad's "mutt theory" then---You and your children must be absolutely gorgeous.

[jerseyangel]

Italian.

[love2travel]

I wish I was that simple!

MOSTLY Polish, but also Irish, French, German, Italian, British/English (don't know how to address it), Native American, and a teeny tinesy bit Spanish. My folks got around!

If you look at me, you can definitely see the Polish and Native American, but the only reason I know about any of the others is from my family tracing our ancestry.

Then, my kids are all of that plus French Canadian!

Can you imagine if you were all to get together and celebrate with traditional dishes ubiquitous to that ethnicity? Wow. If that happens I would like to be there.

[IrishHeart]

Can you imagine if you were all to get together and celebrate with traditional dishes ubiquitous to that ethnicity? Wow. If that happens I would like to be there.

Man, what a culinary festival THAT would be...... Count me in!

[love2travel]

Man, what a culinary festival THAT would be...... Count me in!

Wouldn't it be great? Notice how I have the uncanny ability of turning every topic into food?

[IrishHeart]

Wouldn't it be great? Notice how I have the uncanny ability of turning every topic into food?

Uncanny? no, LOVEY, my sweet---I'd say it's in your blood (mine too)