Coeliac Disease High-Risk Human Leukocyte Antigen Alleles in a South African Type One Diabetic Population.

Background: Coeliac disease (CD) is an autoimmune disorder strongly associated with Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) genes DQ2 and DQ8. These alleles are also associated with other autoimmune diseases including type 1 dia-betes (T1D) and these patients are consequently at a higher risk of developing CD. We examined the frequency of high-risk HLA alleles in a cohort of South African T1D pediatric patients.

Methods: A total of 22 pediatric participants were recruited at an endocrinology clinic in a public sector hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa. Clinical details were collected, and all patients were HLA typed at the DQ loci.

Results: Of our T1D patients, 63.6% had at least 1 high-risk HLA type alleles associated with CD. Of the patients with high-risk alleles, DQ2 was found in the majority which is consistent with CD literature.

Conclusions: This study provides preliminary insight into the frequency of the HLA-DQ types associated with CD in a South African population. The high prevalence of high-risk alleles in our T1D population motivates continual monitoring and further investigations into CD in South Africa.