Genetic Aspects of Celiac Disease in Association with Pancreatic Tumors

Celiac disease stands out as a major health problem with a frequent association with many other disorders. Studies show an increased risk of developing pancreatitis and after that pancreatic cancer in patients with celiac disease. A frequent occurrence and a remarkably close association with the HLA-DQ2 and/or DQ8 gene loci represent main genetic characteristic of celiac disease. A particular association was found with chromosome 15q26 and 6q21-22. On the other hand pancreatic tumors are known for associations with CTNNB1, VHL, CDKN2A, KRAS, TP53, RNF43, SMAD4, GNAS, PRSS1, ATM, BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2, STK11 and hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer syndrome genes. Recent genetic mapping suggests that a large field of opportunities exists for better understanding of both diseases.