Family studies in dermatitis herpetiformis.

Six families were studied which included 11 members with dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) and three with coeliac disease (CD). Proximal jejunal biopsies performed on 20 relatives revealed villous atrophy in eight. Of these eight, two, both siblings of patients with DH, had a history of juvenile CD. Determinations of histocampatibility (HLA) antigens showed that HLS-B8 occurred in all six families although two patients with DH and one relative with a history of juvenile CD lacked this antigen. In one family the haplotype A1,B8 was associated with DH, villous atrophy, juvenile diabetes and Addison's disease. Skin biopsy failed to reveal IgA in any of the 44 relatives studied for this immunoglobulin. Antireticulin antibody was detected in the sera of seven (17%) relatives.