Brief Article
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World J Gastroenterol. Apr 28, 2013; 19(16): 2507-2513
Published online Apr 28, 2013. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v19.i16.2507
Human leukocyte antigen DQ2/8 prevalence in non-celiac patients with gastrointestinal diseases
Daniel DiGiacomo, Antonella Santonicola, Fabiana Zingone, Edoardo Troncone, Maria Cristina Caria, Patrizia Borgheresi, Gianpaolo Parrilli, Carolina Ciacci
Daniel DiGiacomo, Antonella Santonicola, Fabiana Zingone, Edoardo Troncone, Gastrointestinal Unit, University Federico II Naples, 80131 Naples, Italy
Daniel DiGiacomo, Department of Medicine, Celiac Disease Center, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, United States
Maria Cristina Caria, Celiac Center, Loreto Crispi Hospital, 80131 Naples, Italy
Patrizia Borgheresi, Gianpaolo Parrilli, Carolina Ciacci, Celiac Center, Gastrointestinal Unit, San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi d’Aragona Hospital, University of Salerno, 84081 Salerno, Italy
Carolina Ciacci, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Campus di Baronissi, University of Salerno Medical School, 84084 Baronissi, Italy
Author contributions: DiGiacomo D designed the study, ran the statistical analyses and wrote the manuscript; Santonicola A, Zingone F, Troncone E, Caria MC, Borgheresi P and Parrilli G selected the patients in the outpatient clinics involved in the study and provided the collection of all human materials; and Ciacci C designed the study, provided financial support for the study and edited the manuscript.
Correspondence to: Carolina Ciacci, Professor, Department of Medicine and Surgery, Campus di Baronissi, University of Salerno Medical School, Via Salvador Allende 34, 84084 Baronissi, Italy. cciacci@unisa.it
Telephone: +39-89-965032 Fax: +39-89-672452
Received: August 6, 2012
Revised: February 5, 2013
Accepted: February 7, 2013
Published online: April 28, 2013
Processing time: 269 Days and 10 Hours
Abstract

AIM: To investigate the prevalence of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) DQ2/8 alleles in Southern Italians with liver and gastrointestinal (GI) diseases outside of celiac disease.

METHODS: HLA DQ2/8 status was assessed in 443 patients from three ambulatory gastroenterology clinics in Southern Italy (University of Federico II, Naples, Loreto Crispi Hospital, Ruggi D’Aragona Hospital, Salerno). Patients were grouped based on disease status [pre-post transplant liver disease, esophageal/gastric organic and functional diseases, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)] and DQ2/8 alleles, which correspond to a celiac disease genetic risk gradient. Subject allele frequencies were compared to healthy Italian controls.

RESULTS: One hundred and ninety-six out of four hundred and forty-three (44.2%) subjects, median age 56 years and 42.6% female, were DQ2/8 positive. When stratifying by disease we found that 86/188 (45.7%) patients with liver disease were HLA DQ2/8 positive, 39/73 (53.4%) with functional upper GI diseases and 19/41 (46.3%) with organic upper GI diseases were positive. Furthermore, 38/105 (36.2%) patients with IBS and 14/36 (38.9%) with IBD were HLA DQ2/8 positive (P = 0.21). Compared to healthy controls those with functional upper GI diseases disorders had a 1.8 times higher odds of DQ2/8 positivity. Those with liver disease had 1.3 times the odds, albeit not statistically significant, of DQ2/8 positivity. Both those with IBS and IBD had a lower odds of DQ2/8 positivity compared to healthy controls.

CONCLUSION: The proportion of individuals HLA DQ2/8 positive is higher in those with liver/upper functional GI disease and lower in IBS/IBD as compared to general population estimates.

Keywords: Human leukocyte antigen DQ2/8, Gastro-intestinal and liver disease, Celiac disease