How is celiac disease diagnosed?
The traditional approach to diagnosing celiac disease is a three-step process: 1. Perform a biopsy of the lining of the small intestine. This is a surprisingly easy procedure which takes only a few minutes, although small children are usually sedated first, which adds to the cost and complexity of the biopsy. If the villi are damaged (flattened or atrophied mucosa), go to step 2. 2. Place the patient on a gluten-free diet for six months or longer and then perform another biopsy. If the villi are healed, go to step 3. 3. Put gluten back in the diet for six months or longer, and then perform a third biopsy. If the villi are again damaged, then the diagnosis is complete. At this point, the patient goes on a gluten-free diet for life. Many doctors now feel that step number three is unnecessary, and some feel that even the second biopsy may be unnecessary. Part of the reason for this change in thinking is the development of three useful antibody blood tests: endomysial, reticulin (IgA), and
The traditional approach to diagnosing celiac disease is a three-step process: • Perform a biopsy of the lining of the small intestine. This is a surprisingly easy procedure which takes only a few minutes, although small children are usually sedated first, which adds to the cost and complexity of the biopsy. If the villi are damaged (flattened or atrophied mucosa), go to step 2. • Place the patient on a gluten-free diet for six months or longer and then perform another biopsy. If the villi are healed, go to step 3. • Put gluten back in the diet for six months or longer, and then perform a third biopsy. If the villi are again damaged, then the diagnosis is complete. At this point, the patient goes on a gluten-free diet for life. Many doctors now feel that step number three is unnecessary, and some feel that even the second biopsy may be unnecessary. Part of the reason for this change in thinking is the development of three useful antibody blood tests: endomysial, reticulin (IgA), and gl
Recognizing celiac disease can be difficult because some of its symptoms are similar to those of other diseases. In fact, sometimes celiac disease is confused with irritable bowel syndrome, iron-deficiency anemia caused by menstrual blood loss, Crohn’s disease, diverticulitis, intestinal infections, and chronic fatigue syndrome. As a result, celiac disease is commonly underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed. Recently, researchers discovered that people with celiac disease have higher than normal levels of certain autoantibodies in their blood. Antibodies are protective proteins produced by the immune system in response to substances that the body perceives to be threatening. Autoantibodies are proteins that react against the body’s own molecules or tissues. To diagnose celiac disease, physicians will usually test blood to measure levels of • Immunoglobulin A (IgA) • anti-tissue transglutaminase (tTGA) • IgA anti-endomysium antibodies (AEA) Before being tested, one should continue to eat a regul
