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HLA (human leukocyte antigen), DQ2 and DQ8 are terms often found in CD
papers.  This review article fully discusses these terms and the genetics
of CD.  The full text and PDF version of the article are free.  We have
been blessed with a number of recent excellent free review articles
concerning CD:

Tissue Antigens 2003 Feb;61(2):105-17

HLA in coeliac disease: Unravelling the complex genetics of a complex
disorder.

Louka AS, Sollid LM.
Institute of Immunology, Rikshospitalet, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.

Coeliac disease (gluten sensitive enteropathy) is a common, polygenic and
multifactorial disorder that serves as a pioneering model for the study of
inflammatory disease. A major environmental factor is known (ingested
gluten from wheat), and there is unprecedented genetic and functional
evidence pinpointing HLA-DQA1*05-DQB1*02 ( DQ2) and DQA1*03-DQB1*0302 (
DQ8) in disease predisposition. We discuss the current state of play in
coeliac disease genetics, focussing particularly on the HLA complex.
Emerging evidence suggests that additional HLA risk loci exert weak
effects, independent of DQA1*05-DQB1*02, on the B8-DR3-DQ2 haplotype. There
is also good evidence from linkage studies of disease gene(s) on chromosome
5q. We discuss the role and implications of linkage disequilibrium and
haplotype blocks in complex disease gene mapping. We briefly address
findings from studies of animal models for chronic inflammatory disease,
and consider roles for both common genes associated with multiple
inflammatory diseases, and genes unique to coeliac disease. The coeliac
genetics research community has established a sound foundation for the
identification of additional disease genes in the not-too-distant future.
Functional studies will play a critical role, and coeliac disease has a
promising future in this respect. Coeliac disease continues to function as
a model disorder, facilitating the development and implementation of
complex disease gene mapping strategies.

Full text (Be sure to paste the web address together on one line):
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/links/doi/10.1034/j.1399-
0039.2003.00017.x/full/

PDF version:
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/links/doi/10.1034/j.1399-
0039.2003.00017.x/pdf/

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