Genetic markers in Australian Caucasian subjects with coeliac disease.

A group of 69 unrelated Australian coeliac subjects (41 adult onset and 28 childhood onset) were typed for for HLA-A, B, DR and DQ antigens. Immunoglobulin allotypes were also determined in 36 of these patients. An association between coeliac disease and the antigens DR3, DR7 and DQw2 was confirmed in this population. There was no significant difference in antigen frequencies between childhood and adult onset coeliac disease, although the association with DR7 was stronger in the childhood group. All coeliac patients who did not carry DR3 or DR7 were found to be DR4 positive. No association was demonstrated between coeliac disease and any immunoglobulin allotype, either in the absence of HLA antigens B8 and DR3 or in male coeliac patients.