You've been told it might be IBS, stress, or diet. But the real question is whether your immune system was genetically primed to react to gluten from the start.
Whole genome sequencing identifies HLA-DQ2 and HLA-DQ8 variants that determine gluten susceptibility, enabling diagnosis support and ruling out celiac disease in at-risk individuals.
Celiac Disease
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder triggered by gluten ingestion in genetically predisposed individuals. Prevalence is approximately 1% worldwide, with higher prevalence in European ancestry populations. Clinical presentation is highly variable: classic presentation includes malabsorption (diarrhea, steatorrhea, weight loss), abdominal pain, and growth failure in children; dermatitis herpetiformis (pruritic skin manifestation) occurs in 15–25% of celiac patients; and non-classical presentations include isolated elevated liver enzymes, anemia, osteoporosis, or neurological symptoms. Diagnosis is made through serological testing (tissue transglutaminase IgA antibody, endomysial antibody) and small bowel biopsy showing villous atrophy. Remarkably, approximately 98.4% of celiac disease patients carry either HLA-DQ2 or HLA-DQ8, making HLA genotyping a powerful diagnostic tool.
HLA-DQ2 and HLA-DQ8 are MHC class II molecules, heterodimers of α and β chains encoded by closely linked genes in the HLA region. HLA-DQ2 is composed of HLA-DQA1*05 and HLA-DQB1*02 chains; HLA-DQ8 comprises HLA-DQA1*03 and HLA-DQB1*03:02. These molecules have peptide-binding pockets with specific anchor residue requirements that complement gluten peptide sequences. The pathogenic mechanism is T cell-mediated: gluten peptides are deamidated by tissue transglutaminase, creating strong MHC ligands for HLA-DQ2 or HLA-DQ8 molecules. Autoreactive T cells recognize these gluten-derived epitopes presented by DQ2/DQ8, triggering Th1 and Th17 responses that drive intestinal inflammation and villous atrophy. Approximately 30–40% of the general population carries DQ2 or DQ8, but only 3–5% develop celiac disease, indicating that additional genetic and environmental factors are required.
HLA-DQ2/DQ8 testing is particularly useful as a rule-out: absence of DQ2 and DQ8 essentially excludes celiac disease with very high negative predictive value (~100%). A negative result in a patient with serological evidence suggesting celiac disease should prompt reconsideration of diagnosis. Positive results confirm HLA risk is present but do not diagnose celiac disease; additional testing (serological and endoscopic) is required. HLA testing is particularly valuable in patients already on a gluten-free diet (serology may be falsely negative), children under 2 years (serology less reliable), and first-degree relatives of celiac patients (10–15% population risk). In asymptomatic at-risk family members, absence of DQ2/DQ8 can reliably remove the need for endoscopic screening.
HLA-DQ2/DQ8 typing is useful for diagnosis support and rule-out in at-risk populations. Standard panels may have limited HLA typing capability.
HLA testing is a powerful rule-out for celiac disease
Absence of HLA-DQ2 and HLA-DQ8 essentially excludes celiac disease with very high negative predictive value (~100%). Standard genetic testing may not include comprehensive HLA-DQA1 and HLA-DQB1 typing. However, HLA testing has limitations: positive results only confirm genetic predisposition, not disease presence, since 30–40% of the general population carries DQ2/DQ8 but only 3–5% develop celiac disease. Whole genome sequencing captures HLA variant data, enabling definitive HLA-DQ2/DQ8 risk assessment for diagnosis support, family screening, and exclusion of celiac disease in diagnostic dilemmas.
HLA genotype determines celiac risk and guides family screening
Patients carrying HLA-DQ2 or HLA-DQ8 are at genetic risk for celiac disease; those who are DQ2/DQ8 negative can be reassured that celiac disease is extremely unlikely. In families with a known celiac patient, HLA-DQ2/DQ8 testing of first-degree relatives identifies who carries genetic risk (and should be serologically screened) and who does not (and can avoid unnecessary monitoring). For patients already on a gluten-free diet, HLA testing helps confirm suspected celiac disease when serology is negative due to dietary gluten avoidance. Documented in the medical record, HLA genotype type prevents unnecessary dietary restriction in non-carriers and focuses surveillance on carriers at true genetic risk.
Your full DNA (not just a part of it)
Traditional genetic testing looks at narrow sets of genes, missing most parts of your genome. We sequence your full genome — every gene and every region between genes.
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Forty years of uncertainty. One test.
A patient had spent decades in the UK healthcare system without a diagnosis. Dante data, accepted by NHS clinical teams at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital Glasgow, identified Noonan Syndrome and a RUNX1 leukemia-associated variant that had gone undetected. After 40 years, they finally had an answer.
A complete read delivers a complete picture.
A patient came to Dante to investigate periodic paralysis. Reading the complete genome identified a concurrent hereditary cardiac finding — Brugada syndrome — that their doctor confirmed with an ECG. The result also explained a family member's unresolved cardiac history. One test. Every answer in it.
Sequenced in 2019. The data worked in 2021.
Jennifer sequenced her genome with Dante two years before her breast cancer diagnosis. When treatment began, Dante's pharmacogenomics data showed her prescribed chemotherapy would cause serious adverse effects. Her doctor selected an alternative — and she started effective treatment from day one.
Every genetic question deserves a complete answer.
Whether you are searching for answers today or protecting your health for tomorrow, a complete read of your entire genome is the only place to start.
It runs in your family. Now you can know if it runs in your genes.
Your genome contains inherited variants associated with medical conditions like cardiac, cancer, and neurological. We read all of them — with the clinical depth to give the result meaning.
Learn more →When traditional lab tests say you're fine. And you know you're not.
Standard diagnostic tests check for a pre-selected set of answers. We sequence your full DNA — including parts that no test was designed to check. If the answer is in your genome, we will help you find it.
Learn more →Your diagnosis may be right. Your treatment plan may be incomplete.
Your genes determine which treatments are most likely to work — and which are not. We give your doctor the tools and insights to inform your treatment plan.
Learn more →You want to know before something forces the question.
Some people don't wait for a diagnosis or a family history to act. Whole genome sequencing gives you the complete genetic picture now — so you and your doctor can make informed decisions before anything becomes urgent.
Learn more →You already took a DNA test. Here's what it couldn't tell you.
Most consumer DNA tests read less than 0.1% of your genome. We read all of it.
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Dante Genome Test helped specialists at a UK national acute hospital in the identification of Noonan Syndrome and a rare leukemia-associated genetic variant that had gone undetected. That result changed the medical care of the patient.
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Common questions about whole genome sequencing.
What is the difference between whole genome sequencing and a targeted genetic test?
Targeted genetic tests — including standard hereditary cancer panels — read a pre-defined list of known variants in a specific set of genes. They are designed to find what they already know to look for. Whole genome sequencing reads your entire genome: all 6 billion base pairs, every gene, every region between genes. A Mayo Clinic study published in JAMA Oncology found that standard testing guidelines missed more than half of patients with inherited cancer mutations. Genome Test does not have a fixed list.
What will I receive when my results are ready?
Your Dante Genome delivers 200+ physician-ready reports organized by clinical category — hereditary cancer, cardiac conditions, rare diseases, pharmacogenomics, carrier status, and more. Reports are delivered to your secure Genome Manager and are formatted for direct clinical use. Your genome data is permanently retained and re-analyzed automatically as science advances.
What happens if a clinically significant variant is found?
If a pathogenic or likely-pathogenic variant is identified, it will be clearly flagged in your physician-ready report with clinical context, published evidence, and recommended next steps. We recommend sharing any clinically significant finding with your physician or a genetic counselor, who can guide decisions about surveillance, risk reduction, or cascade testing for family members.
How is this different from a consumer DNA test like 23andMe or AncestryDNA?
Consumer DNA tests use genotyping chips that read less than 0.1% of your genome — a tiny pre-selected set of common variants. They are optimized for ancestry and population-level traits, not clinical genetic findings. The Dante Genome Test sequences 100% of your genome at 30X coverage, the same standard used in clinical diagnostic settings. The two tests are not comparable in scope, methodology, or clinical utility.
How long does it take to get results, and how are they delivered?
Your collection kit ships within 48 hours of ordering. Once your sample arrives at our CLIA-certified laboratory, sequencing and analysis takes 6–8 weeks. Results are delivered securely to your Genome Manager, where you can access your reports, share them with your physician, and receive automatic updates as new findings are validated against your genome.
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Dante Labs works with patient advocacy groups of any size — for Celiac Disease and other conditions, rare and common. We support groups in any country, including virtual patient advocacy groups.
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One kit, sent to your home. Your entire genome sequenced at the clinical standard used for diagnostic decisions. 200+ physician-ready reports delivered to your Genome Manager in 6–8 weeks — permanent and updated as science advances.
Ships within 48 hours · Results in 6–8 weeks
