Most doctors believe you need at least one copy of either HLA-DQ2 or HLA-DQ8 to develop celiac disease.

Gorodenkoff / Getty Images

Celiac Genetics Basics

The genetics of celiac disease can be confusing.

Everyone has HLA-DQ genes.

A person looking into a microscope with gloves on in a lab setting

Gorodenkoff / Getty Images

In fact, everyone inherits two copies of HLA-DQ genesone from their mother and one from their father.

There are many different types of HLA-DQ genes, including HLA-DQ2,HLA-DQ8, HLA-DQ7, HLA-DQ9, andHLA-DQ1.

It’s the HLA-DQ2 and HLA-DQ8 gene variants that raise your risk of having celiac disease.

In addition, there are at least three different versions of the HLA-DQ2 gene variants.

If You Have the Gene, What’s Your Risk?

The impact of these risk factors and their interactions with celiac-associated genetic variations are not known.

Sarno M, Discepolo V, Troncone R, Auricchio R.Risk factors for celiac disease.Ital J Pediatr.

2015 Aug 14;41:57. doi:10.1186/s13052-015-0166-y