Dermatitis Herpetiformis Symptoms, Causes & More
Article Sources
- 1. Gualandris, Federica, et al. ‘The Association of HLA-DQ2 with Celiac Disease.’ IntechOpen, IntechOpen, 31 Mar. 2021, www.intechopen.com/books/celiac-disease/the-association-of-hla-dq2-with-celiac-disease
- 2. Celiac Disease Screening.’ Celiac Disease Foundation, celiac.org/about-celiac-disease/screening-and-diagnosis/screening/
- 3. Clarindo, Marcos Vinícius, et al. ‘Dermatitis Herpetiformis: Pathophysiology, Clinical Presentation, Diagnosis and Treatment.’ Anais Brasileiros De Dermatologia, Sociedade Brasileira De Dermatologia, 2014, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4230654/
Causes
When people with dermatitis herpetiformis eat gluten, they have an autoimmune reaction. Digestion of gluten triggers the immune system. The body produces IgA antibodies, which deposit on the skin and cause blisters and itchy, red bumps.
Genetics is an important factor in dermatitis herpetiformis. A person with a first-degree relative with celiac disease and/or dermatitis herpetiformis is five percent more likely to have the skin condition. HLA-DQ2 and HLA-DQ8 genes are closely associated with the disease.1Gualandris, Federica, et al. ‘The Association of HLA-DQ2 with Celiac Disease.’ IntechOpen, IntechOpen, 31 Mar. 2021, www.intechopen.com/books/celiac-disease/the-association-of-hla-dq2-with-celiac-disease
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