THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN CELIAC-DISEASE, DERMATITIS-HERPETIFORMIS AND CERTAIN HLA-ANTIGENS IN ICELANDERS

Twenty-eight cases of coeliac disease (CD) and seven of dermatitis her petiformis (DH) have been verified in Iceland, Standard serological te chniques were used for HLA typing. Twenty-five individuals with CD wer e typed, 21 (84%) of whom carried DR3,DQ2. Twelve of these 25 (48%) ha d DR3,DR7, DQ2, which makes them possibly homozygous for DQ2, and sugg ests that homozygosity of DQ2 increases the risk for CD. The four DH p atients that were typed all had HLA-B8,DR3,DQ2. It is concluded that C D and DH are associated with DR3, DQZ in Icelanders.