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Hi there,

I joined this list last fall, when my blood tests indicated a high degree of
anti-gliadin antibodies.  I had put myself on a gf diet 9/1 but resumed a
regular diet in Mid-October because I anticipated the GI I had been referred
to would want to get a biopsy.  I had the biopsy done the last of November,
and have been gf again since Dec. l, 1999.  The biopsy was sent to a local
lab, and was reportedly negative.  The GI said that I didn't have CD, and
when I asked about the osteoporosis (which has not been checked by HRT and
supplementation), he said I was small-boned.  When I asked about the blood
test, he said that it was a false positive.  SOOO, I was discouraged for a
while, because I have experienced considerable improvement of my symptoms
with the gf diet.  This month, my symptoms have returned, though I am still
on a gf diet.  We are under a lot of stress because of a divorce in the
family, so it would seem that the return of the symptoms would reinforce the
old theory that all my health problems are my body's reaction to stress.  I
decided to return to a doctor who was our family doctor for years.  When we
discussed my tests, I mentioned that my understanding was that damage to the
villi can be patchy, and that being the case, it was far more likely that a
biopsy would be a false negative than that the blood test would be a false
positive.  (the antigliadin - IgA? antibodies were 3 times the normal
level).  He said that there was a way to find out whether there was patchy
damage, and that was with an intestinal permeability test.  I was given a
kit, and before I go forward with this, I thought that I would ask the list
a couple of questions.  What are the chances that the results will be
affected by a gluten-free diet? I had decided to stay on a gf diet for at
least 6 months to see if the improvement would continue.  The reactions I
have to gluten are not as severe as many that I have read on this list,
although they are extremely uncomfortable:  bloating, constipation, gas,
cramps. I am also on a non-dairy diet.  Dr. Jones asked me if I was
currently following the gf and non-dairy  diet, and when I said yes, he said
that was good, because I could do the test now in that case.  As you can
see, I am uneasy about what the test is supposed to indicate.   If the villi
have healed, wouldn't  a report that there appears to be no damage reinforce
the idea that I do not have CD?  If this test does show that I have Leaky
Gut Syndrome it seems to me that it would be hard to reach any definite
conclusions, since it could be either an indication of permanent damage done
by CD before I went gluten-free, or a problem other than CD. I'll share
whatever reassurance or informative advice you share.   Thanks,   Nancy M.
in So. Oregon