<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Dear list:

Thank you for your replies to my query about whether it would be worth it
to eat gluten for one day prior to blood tests for celiac.  I received
about 40 responses.

The consensus is that I would have to eat a significant amount of gluten
for 4-6 weeks or more in order for the tests to be accurate.  The blood
tests for the antibodies in reaction to gluten, which may not show up
immediately.  A few of you said you had a positive test result even after
being off gluten for a couple of months. (I have been off for nearly 8
years)

Helpful info. included the following:

The purpose of blood testing while off of gluten is mainly to see how well
you are in compliance for the diet -- i.e. are you accidentally eating
gluten

Find a new gastro, as this one is not very knowledgeable if he would order
the tests knowing that I am GF.

Try alternative testing methods, such as the gene test, available through
finerhealth.com


Here is another snippet:

<
http://www.celiac.com/cgi-bin/webc.cgi/st_prod.html?p_prodid=5&p_catid=2&sid
[log in to unmask]
>

and this page too

<
http://www.celiac.com/cgi-bin/webc.cgi/st_prod.html?p_prodid=12&p_catid=2&si
[log in to unmask]
>

"Karoly Horvath, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Pediatrics; Director,
Peds GI & Nutrition Laboratory; University of Maryland at Baltimore: The
result of serological tests depends on the diet. Generally, three to six
months of a gluten-free diet may result in normal antibody levels in a new
patient. A strict gluten-free diet for more than three months may result in
inconclusive serological tests in patients, who have started a diet without
any diagnostic test. In this case a gluten challenge should be introduced
for a proper diagnosis."

<snip>

"Our recommendation is to ingest at least 0.3 g/kg/day of gluten for two
months prior to the serological tests. However, if somebody experiences
symptoms during the gluten challenge we recommend to perform serological
tests earlier.The protein content of wheat flour is between 7-15% and
approximately 90% of the protein content is gluten. That means a slice of
bread may have 2-3 g of gluten."

Another responder said it helped her achieve better compliance on the diet:

I would recommend eating the gluten for a couple weeks before the blood
tests
as especially the IGG antigliadin test, it takes awhile for the antibodies
to
show up.  In my case the IgA antigliadin test showed a low positive.  In
addition I had a biopsy which showed subclinical celiac sprue.  I believe
it
was worth it as I became more compliant on the diet.



Megan Harding
Public Relations / Marketing Coordinator
Kent State University
University Communications and Marketing
P.O. Box 5190
Kent, OH  44240

(330) 672-0419 / fax (330) 672-2047
[log in to unmask] / www.kent.edu

*Please provide references to back up claims of a product being GF or not GF*