HLA and celiac disease susceptibility: new genetic factors bring open questions about the HLA influence and gene-dosage effects

PLoS One. 2012;7(10):e48403. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0048403. Epub 2012 Oct 31.

Abstract

Celiac disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder triggered after gluten ingestion in genetically susceptible individuals. The major genetic determinants are HLA-DQA1*05 and HLA-DQB1*02, which encode the DQ2 heterodimer. These alleles are commonly inherited in cis with DRB1*03∶01, which is associated with numerous immune-related disorders, in some cases contributing with a different amount of risk depending on the haplotype context. We aimed at investigating those possible differences involving DRB1*03∶01-carrying haplotypes in CD susceptibility. A family (274 trios) and a case-control sample (369 CD cases/461 controls) were analyzed. DRB1*03∶01-carrying individuals were classified according to the haplotype present (ancestral haplotype (AH) 8.1, AH 18.2 or non-conserved haplotype) after genotyping of HLA-DRB1, -DQA1, -DQB1, -B8, TNF -308, TNF -376 and the TNFa and TNFb microsatellites. We observe that the AH 8.1 confers higher risk than the remaining DRB1*03∶01-carrying haplotypes, and this effect only involves individuals possessing a single copy of DQB1*02. CD risk for these individuals is similar to the one conferred by inherit DQA1*05 and DQB1*02 in trans. It seems that an additional CD susceptibility factor is present in the AH 8.1 but not in other DRB1*03∶01-carrying haplotypes. This factor could be shared with individuals possessing DQ2.5 trans, according to the similar risk observed in those two groups of individuals.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Celiac Disease / genetics*
  • Child
  • Female
  • Gene Dosage / genetics*
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease / genetics*
  • HLA-DRB1 Chains / genetics*
  • Haplotypes / genetics
  • Humans
  • Male

Substances

  • HLA-DRB1 Chains

Grants and funding

This work was supported by grants from Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias (PI11/00614 and PI10/02876). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.