The association of HL-A-B8 and childhood celiac disease in an Israeli population.

The frequency of histocompatibility antigens (HL-A) was studied in 33 children with celiac disease. HL-A-B8 phenotype was detected in 27.3% of the celiac patients and 7.5% of 395 carefully matched control subjects (X2 for heterogeneity=14.23; P less than 10(-4)). HL-A typing, especially in children, is advocated both as a diagnostic and a prognostic measure. The importance of ethnically matched control subjects is discussed together with a proposal for the construction of such control groups.