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Hello,

My sister-in-law seems to have a strong case of gluten intolerance, and
her health history sounds like many of the stories I've read here on the
celiac list.  Denise had the celiac biopsy about 4 years ago, and the
results were negative.  She says that at the time of the test, she had
been fairly gluten-free for a few weeks before the biopsy.

Is it common to have a negative biopsy but still have celiac sprue?
Could those few weeks of a fairly "clean" diet have allowed her villi
to heal well enough to test healthy?  Is there a difference between
"gluten intolerance" and "Celiac Sprue Disease" when the symptoms are
the same?

Because of the negative biopsy, Denise has had a difficult time
committing to a gluten-free diet.  One week she's GF, then she has a
sandwich or bagel.  She has tried to stay gluten-free since Christmas
and says she feels quite a lot better.  When she gains access to the
Internet, I am hoping that this list will help her resolve (and health
:-).

Thanks,
Beth Jones