Your brain is going to hurt after reading this.
In most provinces in Canada, genetic testing for celiac disease are not generally available but they are available from a number of private laboratories for those who are willing to pay. As well you can also order on line and get a home kit that is completely confidential and all you have to do is mail it in with a cotton swab test. The labs generally charge between $300 and $500 depending on the exact test that is ran.
Not everyone has the celiac disease gene (HLA-DQ2 and/or DQ8) and will get celiac disease, but if you have these markers, you might develop celiac disease sometime in your lifespan. The HLA stands for human leukocyte antigen and these very specific genes tells our immune system what is considered normal and what is considered a foreign invader, and weather it is worthy of attacking.
A lot of people ask me if it is worth getting a gene test for celiac? I tell them I would only get a gene test if the blood test was not accurate, or if like myself who is gluten intolerant and wants to make sure it wont develop into celiac disease or have been eating gluten free already for a period of time and do not want to eat gluten prior to a biopsy test. For people already diagnosed with Celiac’s, knowing which genes you have is not going to change your treatment, but it may be useful in two specific situations.
If you have an infant with a parent(s) or sibling(s) who are diagnosed with celiac disease, you may want to use a gene test to see if the child has the genes for celiac disease. If the test is negative, you no longer have to worry about your child developing Celiac’s. If the test is positive then you now know what will need to be done, if you’re educated with the Celiac diet. You will then watch your child or yourself so that if celiac disease develops, you will catch it in time and consider being as strict in your diet as someone with confirmed celiac disease must be.
Research into the genetics of gluten sensitivity is just beginning and many doctors are becoming more aware and looking more in-depths into research and cause of Celiac and Gluten Sensitivity (Intolerance) like Enterolab’s Dr. Kenneth Fine. He believes many other HLA-DQ gene types (such as HLA-DQ7 and HLA-DQ9, both subsets of HLA-DQ3) predispose you to non-celiac gluten sensitivity. For the moment, there is evidence that HLA-DQ1 (which includes HLA-DQ5 and HLA-DQ6) may predispose you to gluten ataxia, which involves brain damage from gluten.
Here Is A List That Will Show Who Should Be Genetically (DNA) Tested For Gluten Sensitivity?
From what I have discovered those directly related to someone who has already been diagnosed with gluten intolerance or celiac disease should always be tested. Those suffering with any of the following list of diseases should also get tested: The list below was taken from the Gluten Sensitivity expert Dr. Peter Osborne.
- Those who suffer from chronic intestinal problems
- Infertility or recurrent miscarriage
- Chronic anemia
- Osteoporosis
- Migraine Headaches
- Psoriasis
- Eczema
- IBS
- Bipolar or Schizophrenia
- Low thyroid (Hypothyroid)
- ADD or ADHD
- Autism
- Fibromyalgia
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Restless Legs Syndrome
- Sleep Apnea
- Type I or II diabetes
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Any Autoimmune Disease
The article was put together by Gluten Free Ottawa and I apologize for hurting anyones brain and making it go dumb for the in-depth look into genetics. I don’t usually get this deep into it but I found it quite interesting on a personal level and had to share.
If you enjoyed some of the information above and wish to order a genetic kit then Click Here.
Gluten Free Ottawa has no connection with Gluten Free Society and we can not be held for any damages through them.
