The prevalence of HLA-DQ2 and -DQ8 genes in the Libyan general population is higher than in Italy, indicating a strong genetic predisposition to CD - GreenMedInfo Summary
HLA-DQ2 and -DQ8 genotypes in celiac and healthy Libyan children.
Dig Liver Dis. 2010 Jun;42(6):425-7. Epub 2009 Oct 12. PMID: 19819768
Department of Pediatrics, Omar Al Mukhtar University, Al Bayda, Libya.
BACKGROUND: Few data are available on the prevalence of celiac disease (CD)-predisposing, HLA-related genes in Arab populations.
AIM OF THE STUDY: To investigate the distribution of HLA-DQ2 and -DQ8 genotypes in Libyan children with CD and healthy controls.
PATIENTS: We tested 31 Libyan children with CD (22 females and 9 males, median age 9.2 years) and 156 Libyan controls (81 females and 75 males, median age 10.9).
METHODS: HLA genes were determined on a drop of dried blood by the DQ-CD Typing Plus kit (DiaGene, Palermo, Italy).
RESULTS: The HLA-DQ pattern of the 31 CD children was: hetero DQ2 (n=15), DQ2 with homo beta2 (10), DQ8 and beta2 positive (3), DQ8 (2), and hetero beta2 (1). The HLA-DQ pattern of the 156 controls was: hetero DQ2 (n=36), hetero beta2 (30), DQ2-DQ8 negative (23), DQ8 (19), alpha5 (14), DQ2 with homo beta (12), homo beta2 (10), DQ8 and beta2 positive (7), and DQ2/DQ8 (5).
CONCLUSIONS: HLA-DQ2 and -DQ8 in CD patients are as common in Libya as in Italy, but the frequency of "high-risk" genotypes is higher in Libyan than Italian patients. The prevalence of HLA-DQ2 and -DQ8 genes in the Libyan general population is higher than in Italy, indicating a strong genetic predisposition to CD.
