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HLA-DQ2 and -DQ8 genotypes in celiac and healthy Libyan children
Kamla Alarida1, Jumma Harown, Maria Rosaria Di Pierro
1Department 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.
