Genetic Linkage
HLA DR3-DQ2 is the serotypic representation of a HLA-DRB1:DQA1:DQB1 cis-chromosomal haplotype on human 6p21.3 in a region known as the HLA complex. The DR3-DQ2 haplotype is notable because of the very strong linkage between genes that extends into the HLA-A, -B and -C regions of the HLA gene complex in northern and northwestern Europe. The linked haplotype is HLA A1-B8-DR3-DQ2 (AH8.1 in the most recent literature)
Because of its strong linkage disequilbrium, each of the genes in the haplotype are markers for probable presence of adjacent genes. However serotyping does not recognize genes, but clusters of gene products. For example DQ2 recognizes both DQB1*0201, DQB1*0202, DQB1*0203. DQB1*0202 is not genetically linked to DQA1*0501 and its cis-haplotype isoform infrequently mediates coeliac disease or type 1 diabetes. For serotypic identification of the DQ2.5cis isoform requires the DR3 (or HLA-DR17 or HLA-DR18) and DQ2 serotypes.
An example of phenotypes that can mediate CD and T1D, the DR3-DQ2/X serotypes and the DR5-DQ7/DR7-DQ2 serotypes can mediate celiac disease with equal efficiency but the DR5-DQ7/DR7-DQ2 cannot mediate T1D as successfully as DR4-DQ8 or DR3-DQ2 (X is not DR3-DQ2 or DR7-DQ2).
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