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

Linda Blanchard asked:

>>>>>>

I have read the website at http://www.celiaccenter.org but it does
not explain how the test works on diagnosed/diet-compliant celiacs.
Does anyone have that information? I have searched the archives and
read the celiaccenter.org website, which has very little detail on
the test that I can find, anyway, and the only phrase I have found
that says much of anything other than "this is a really good test"
is, "Tissue transglutaminase, which is an intercellular enzyme or
biological glue released by cell damage, may become a new epitope
for screening and/or diagnosing CD." >>>>>>>>>>

Here is a reply from Irene Berti at the University of Maryland:

>From: "Irene Berti" <[log in to unmask]>
>
>When a celiac patient is in gluten-free diet, all the antibodies
>disappear after about 6 months of strict diet.
>
>Usually the first one that disappear are the EmA, followed by AGA IgA
>and IgG.
>
>If somebody does not have a diagnosis of celiac disease (biopsy
>proved) but is following a gluten-free diet, the serological markers
>will come negative, even if he is celiac, so this test, that is a
>very good test, in that case will be not accurate.
>
>So the serological markers can be used as follow up during the diet,
>but can not help people that don't have a diagnosis and are in
>gluten-free diet.
>
> The tissue transglutaminase (tTG)  is a new test:
>
>we can look for IgA and IgG antibodies agaist tTG, using an ELISA
>test, that is an objective method. Anti tTG antibodies have the same
>meanings of antiendomisyum antibodies, the most sensitive and
>specificif test for celiac disease diagnosis, but they don't have the
>same problems releated to the "operator's skill and experience".
>
>
>Irene  Berti