Risk of coeliac disease in children of patients and effect of HLA genotype.

Among 73 offspring of parents with coeliac disease, 4 were affected, including 1 in whom the diagnosis was made as a result of the study. The coeliac parents of all 4 were HLA-B8 positive, but 1 affected child had failed to inherit his affected parent's B antigen. The findings are consistent with the hypothesis that an allele affecting liability to coeliac disease is in linkage disequilibrium with HLA-B8.