Totally Confused On Genetic Test Results- Please Help?

[lobbyart]

Hi,

I'm in the middle of a horrifyingly bad gluten challenge in preparation for my biopsy, etc., so please excuse any confused-sounding bits of this.

Before subjecting me to a gluten challenge, I had the genetic testing done. I don't entirely understand the results, but the gist is that I'm positive for one of the types:

HLA-DQ2 (DQA*05/DQB1*02) - Positive

HLA DQ8 (DQA*03/DQB1*0302) - Negative

HLA-DQA1* - 02

HLA-DQA1* - 05

HLA-DQB1* - 0201

HLA-DQB1* - 0202

If anyone out there actually understands this, I would really appreciate more insight.

The real confusion is coming from my parents. My dad also demonstrates symptoms similar to mine. The cause of my symptoms HAS been diagnosed as EITHER celiac or non-celiac gluten intolerance.

However, when my dad went in to get tested, too, they had him also do the HLA test and he came back negative. (My mom is negative, too.) I wanted to know how it's possible for both my parents to be negative, but then I'm positive. Does anyone understand the genetic component better?

I'm trying to encourage my dad to pursue this because he's having some symptoms that are troubling (i.e. serious brain fog) and I would like to see if I can get him some help before it gets worse.

[Ninja]

Hi lobbyart - Did your parents go through the same doctor/lab for testing that you went through? You seem to have 1 copy (alpha and beta chains) of DQ2.5 and 1 copy (alpha and beta chains) of DQ2.2. Each parent has the capacity to give you 1 copy. Since you have 2 copies, both of your parents have at least 1 copy of DQ2. They cannot skip generations! Somewhere along the line, I'd wonder about the validity of tests... and whether you could get your hands on the exact results of your parents' gene tests...?

Good luck, keep us posted!

Laura

[lobbyart]

Hi lobbyart - Did your parents go through the same doctor/lab for testing that you went through? You seem to have 1 copy (alpha and beta chains) of DQ2.5 and 1 copy (alpha and beta chains) of DQ2.2. Each parent has the capacity to give you 1 copy. Since you have 2 copies, both of your parents have at least 1 copy of DQ2. They cannot skip generations! Somewhere along the line, I'd wonder about the validity of tests... and whether you could get your hands on the exact results of your parents' gene tests...?

Good luck, keep us posted!

Laura

Thank you so much, Laura. Those results were unreadable to me! I really appreciate your help on this. So that would make me homozygous for DQ2?

I wish they'd just give us plain english...

[Ninja]

Yes, you are homozygous for DQ2.

To be honest, I don't think many doctors know how to read the results, either. For the ones that do know how, I think it makes them feel good to be able to read the jargon...