<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
Thank you for the many, many, many replies I received.
Unfortunately, I do not have a definitive answer
because about half of the replies felt that a blood or
stool test was conclusive, while the other half
thought that a biopsy was needed to properly diagnose.
So, here are some replies which I thought were
informative/thought provoking:
If your test says you have antibodies that are too
> high then your body is screaming at you that it is
> misrecognizing gluten as an enemy and making these
> antibodies. The antibodies can stick to a lot of
> parts of your body. Sometimes they stick to the
> villi in the gut. Most of the time they don't but
> do stick to other tissues that are not so easy to
> observe/biopsy as the gut. Therefore antibodies are
> a very good reason to go gluten free.
>
> For more info go to www.glutenreactivity.net
> This website deals specifically with questions like
> yours.
The gold standard for diagnosing CD is the endoscopy
I would argue that a blood test is sufficient. There
is always going to be some debate in the medical
community (and on this list), but I think that there
is enough evidence to say that a blood test alone,
especially a positive one, is sufficient.
The only way to conclusively diagnose CD is through an
endoscopic biopsy.
It works for me. My biopsy was negative, but my son
has biopsy-diagnosed cd and I was making antibodies. I
went gf for awhile, then, convinced by a doctor, tried
gluten again. One half piece of French toast and I was
sick for a week.
Oh, yes, if you tested positive for the gluten
antibiodies via blood, you are definitely a celiac, no
doubt about it. Other blood tests are not necessary.
There is not one that is more conclusive than the
gluten antibody bloodwork. If you will want to follow
through and get an endoscopy with biopsies of the
small intestines to prove to you that you have damage,
by all means you can insist in the test, but don’t kid
yourself that you’re not incurring damage when
ingesting gluten.
I have heard Dr. Katz who worked with Dr. Murray on
the big Mayo Clinic study say that the blood test is
sufficient if there is a family member with CD
diagnosed by biopsy.
Sometimes it is, other times it isn't. Because of the
possibility for false negatives, lab errors, etc., I
think the real gold standard is the response
to the GF diet.
I have heard of false negatives, but never false
positives. Your blood test is conclusive.
The current standard for diagnosis is a 3 step
process. 1) suspicion and indicators of the disease
(think about it and have positive antibodies as one
indicator). 2) have a small intentine biopsy (see gut
damage). 3) improve on the gluten-free diet (get
better or lose symptoms).
For more info, check the CSA website at
www.csaceliacs.org or call the office at
1-877-272-4272 and talk with one of the staff.
My blood test was negative, and my biopsy was
positive...
I was under the impression that while the blood work
was a beginning step, a endoscopy was the only
definitive testing means to diagnosis CD. I had the
blood work that indicated the antibodies, but a normal
endoscopy, so my GI doc doesn't think I have CD.
my son had a positive blood test negative biopsy and
he did the genetic testing that came back w/ less than
1% chance of ever getting celiac. I do not think it
is sufficient
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