"Adding DNA-test for Screening of HLA-DQ2 and DQ8 to Improve Early Diagnosis of Celiac Disease"

Celiac Disease (CD) is an immune-mediated systemic disorder elicited by the ingestion of gluten containing cereals from the normal diet, among others wheat, rye and barley. The disease is characterized by a variable combination of gluten-dependent clinical manifestations, CD specific antibodies, human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DQ2 or HLA-DQ8 haplotypes and chronic inflammation of the small bowel.CD is one of the most common lifelong food- related disorders; it has a frequency of 1% in the general population: this corresponds to 170.000 persons in the Netherlands, and of them at least 30.000 children. However, CD is frequently unrecognized, partially because of its variable clinical presentations and symptoms. That timely diagnosis and treatment of CD could be achieved by active case-finding, show the preliminary results of the ongoing ZonMw sponsored project GLUTENSCREEN (531002001; www.glutenscreen.nl). Currently, HLA-typing is not a part of GLUTENSCREEN because current technique presents important drawbacks in settings without the availability of a laboratory. We here propose to develop a novel test for DNA isolation for HLA typing extracted from the dried blood spots obtained from the POCT at the Preventive YHCCs for early detection of CD. Repeated testing for CD could be omitted in children tested HLA-DQ2/8 negative, this reflects to 60% of the targeted population. To embed this technique in the case finding setting at the YHCCs, the test will be offered to a significant part of the general Dutch population between 0-4 years old, since more than 95% of the general population visit the YHCC. Primary Objective: To validate the HLA-DQ typing in blood taken by a fingerprick; to make it feasible in the regular Preventive YHCCs organization. Study population: Phase 1: From 50 children attending the LUMC dept. of Pediatrics because of suspected CD in whom traditional HLA-typing is part of their standard of care or from children with diagnosed CD in whom their HLA typing