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Coeliac disease is a common multifactorial disease with a strong genetic component, which is not entirely explained by the HLA association. Four previous whole-genome screens have produced somewhat inconsistent results suggesting genetic heterogeneity. We attempted to overcome this problem by performing a genome-wide scan in a Finnish sub-population, expected to be more homogeneous than the general population of Finland. The families in our study originate from the northeastern part of Finland, the Koilliskaira region, which has been relatively isolated since its founding in the 16th century. Genealogical studies have confirmed that the families share a common ancestor in the 16th century. Nine families with altogether 23 patients were genotyped for 399 microsatellite markers and the data were analysed with parametric linkage analysis using two dominant and one recessive model. A region on chromosome 15q11-q13 was implicated with a LOD score of 3.14 using a highly penetrant dominant model. Addition of more markers and one more sib-pair increased the LOD score to 3.74. This result gives preliminary evidence for existence of a susceptibility factor in this chromosomal region.

Context: Since the advent of serologic testing for celiac disease, most persons who receive a diagnosis of celiac disease have few or no symptoms. Although pathologic changes of celiac disease resolve on a gluten-free diet, how a gluten-free diet affects the quality of life for patients with screen-detected celiac disease is unclear., Objective: To evaluate the effect of a gluten-free diet on the quality of life of patients with screen-detected celiac disease., Design: Prospective study of patients before and 1 year after initiating a gluten-free diet., Participants: 19 patients with screen-detected celiac disease (found by serologically testing first-degree relatives of celiac patients) and 21 consecutive patients with symptom-detected disease. In all cases, celiac diagnosis was confirmed by finding villous atrophy and crypt hyperplasia on small-bowel biopsy., Intervention: Gluten-free diet (explained during a single physician visit)., Main Outcome Measures: Gastrointestinal Symptoms Rating Scale (GSRS), in which scores range from 0 to 6 (higher scores represent worse symptoms); and quality of life measured with the Psychological General Well-Being Questionnaire (PGWB). Scores range from 22 to 132 (higher scores mean greater well-being)., Results: At baseline, patients with symptom-detected celiac disease had poorer quality of life and more gastrointestinal symptoms than those with screen-detected celiac disease. Reported compliance with the gluten-free diet was good. All mucosal lesions of the small bowel had resolved at the follow-up biopsy. After 1 year of following the diet, quality of life for patients with screen-detected disease significantly improved (mean PGWB score increased from 108 to 114; P <0.01). A similar increase was noted in patients with symptom-detected disease (mean PGWB score increased from 92 to 103; P <0.01). Gastrointestinal symptoms also improved in patients with screen-detected disease and in patients with symptom-detected disease (mean GSRS scores decreased from 1.8 to 1.4 and from 2.6 to 1.9, respectively; P <0.01 for both comparisons)., Conclusions: Gluten-free diet was associated with improved quality of life for patients with symptom-detected celiac disease and patients with screen-detected celiac disease. Concerns about the burden of a gluten-free diet, at least over the short term, may be unfounded.

Celiac disease (CD), or gluten-sensitive enteropathy, is a common multifactorial disorder resulting from intolerance to cereal prolamins. The only established genetic susceptibility factor is HLA-DQ, which appears to explain only part of the overall genetic risk. We performed a genomewide scan of CD in 60 Finnish families. In addition to strong evidence for linkage to the HLA region at 6p21.3 (Z(max)>5), suggestive evidence for linkage was found for six other chromosomal regions--1p36, 4p15, 5q31, 7q21, 9p21-23, and 16q12. We further analyzed the three most convincing regions--4p15, 5q31, and 7q21--by evaluation of dense marker arrays across each region and by analysis of an additional 38 families. Although multipoint analysis with dense markers provided supportive evidence (multipoint LOD scores 3.25 at 4p15, 1.49 at 5q31, and 1.04 at 7q21) for the initial findings, the additional 38 families did not strengthen evidence for linkage. The role that HLA-DQ plays was studied in more detail by analysis of DQB1 alleles in all 98 families. All but one patient carried one or two HLA-DQ risk alleles, and 65% of HLA-DQ2 carriers were affected. Our study indicates that the HLA region harbors a predominant CD-susceptibility locus in these Finnish families.