<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> Following is a summary of the responses I received to a question asked by a support group member about whether fecal testing of the type marketed by Dr. Fine/Enterolab has been validated by publication in a peer reviewed journal. The answer is no. As a retired research scientist, I place high value on the peer review process. In short, when a research paper is submitted to a journal, it is sent to a panel of, presumably unbiased, experts in the field for review. This is often an interactive process where results, methodologies, statistical techniques, etc. are reviewed and questioned - sometimes challenged - often tested for reproducibility before the paper is accepted for publication. It is valuable because it mostly eliminates junk science. (Some may remember, however, the 1989 publication of a paper by Fleishman and Ponds claiming a laboratory demonstration of cold fusion that has never been reproduced.) Unless and until, the science behind stool testing is published in an accredited, peer reviewed journal, I will advise our support group members to follow the advice afforded by several respondents to "Save your money". Thanks to all the respondents. Joel ------ Good topic. Dr. Fine's work has never been peer reviewed and is considered fringe medicine by the mainstream medical community. I advise saving your money. ------ I am very, very interested in what you find out. I have all the clinical symptoms of celiac disease but the triple blood screen turned up negative. My husband is a pathologist and he also wants peer reviewed data. We contacted Dr Fine who said that he is working on his peer reviewed article. I quote from his email to me: "My peer reviewed article is being written. see http://www.enterolab.com/CV for the rest also see lecture and essay links at http://www.enterolab.com I would be honored to serve you. Yours sincerely, Kenneth Fine, M.D. Director, EnteroLab Reference Laboratory" My husband has done a brief literature review and has so far only found one published article that seems to indicate that fecal testing may have better sensitivity. However, it appears that it may have specificity problems. This article didn't refer to Dr Fine's test. ------ Our support group hosted a lecture by Dr. Alessio Fasano (University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research) a couple of weeks ago. In that talk, someone asked him about the stool tests, and he said that they were not generally recognized as other researchers have not been able to replicate the results. (or at least that's what I thought he said) Now, I have no idea if this is true or if he has another agenda, but that's what he said. From that, I would 'suspect' that the data you seek is not published. ------ Dr. Fine has patented his testing procedure which makes it impossible for peer review. When he spoke in Milwaukee, he said one of our local doctors was a classmate of his mentor in Texas. His testing was based on work that was done when they were studying in Europe in the 1950s or so. It sounded like GI tracts were flushed with several gallons on water in an attempt to isolate clues. I believe the doctors studied in Austria so any information on file from that time would probably be in German. ------ My understanding is that there have been no peer reviews or validating tests in other labs. If you talk to physicians and researchers at the major celiac centers this is the reason why they are not enthusiastic about Dr. Fine's test. That said, talk to a celiac who has been diagnosed by Dr. Fine. Typically they have been sick for years and ignored by conventional medical approaches. After being diagnosed celiac by Dr. Fine, they got healthy on the GF diet. This group thinks Dr. Fine is a god and his tests a life savior. So, sad to say the best information you can get is anecdotal. ------ Dr. Fine has not published Enterolab results in peer review journals. I hear that something will be published soon. You asked for no anectdotal information but that is all you will get right now. So here is my 2 cents worth. The Enterolab results were enough evidence for me and my son to go gluten free and get positive changes in our health. My doctor has accepted the Enterolab tests as evidence of my need to be on a GF diet for life. ------ *Support summarization of posts, reply to the SENDER not the CELIAC List*