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Dear Listmates:

My son Jeff, age 17, needs to be tested for celiac disease.  He has an
easily upset stomach and I have been suspicious that he is a celiac
spru.  His father has the disease and Jeffery takes after his father in
everything.   When I took him to our favorite GI specialist, the doctor
behaved strangely.  At first he wanted to biopsy him ASAP,  when I
stated that I would rather get a blood test first, and if it was
positive then do the biopsy, he acted confused and stated,  "What kind
of blood test is there?"   I was unprepared for this, I guess I should
have researched before I took him to the doctor.  I said it was probably
a gluten antibodies test.  He said OK, and he ordered that test.  Then
he did a complete turn around, and said that none of these test were
necessary, just put him on a gluten free diet the rest of his life.  (He
was very serious.)  I told him that it would be unfair to Jeff to do
this without a diagnosis because a gluten free diet is a big commitment,
and a major inconvenience.  I don't think this got through to him.

When I got home I got the Biopsies, Serological and other Noninvasive
Screening for Celiac Disease downloaded from the archives.  I learned
from this that the test are:

 IgG and IgA gliadin Antibodies
 IgA Reticulin Antibodies ARA
 Iga Endomysial Antibodies EmA

So I called the Lab and asked them if they do these test, they said
sure, but the third test is the same as the second test.

Going to a more qualified doctor is not in the question.  We saw quite a
few GI specialist here in Alabama when my husband was sick, and this guy
is the best. Besides letting me ventilate my frustration, I want to know
which test should I ask the doctor to do?  He may limit me to one test
"gluten antibodies".  Also,  I don't really think test #3 and test #2
are the same so I wonder about trusting the Lab.

Thanks,

Susan in Alabama