[Celiac disease: etiology and susceptibility]

Celiac disease is the result of an immune response that only occurs in genetically predisposed individuals. Both innate and adquired immune responses have a role. In the acquired cellular immune response, the most important in the disease, T lymphocytes are activated by gliadin peptides presented by specific HLA-DQ molecules. However, even in HLA-DQ2 homozygotes, only 5% get the disease, whereas the concordance between identical twins is 80%. Studying candidate genes in more than 500 patients and controls we have found other susceptibility genes for the disease.