Celiac Disease Diagnosis, Testing & Treatment (Gluten-Free Diet)

The problem with current diagnosis criteria for celiac disease is that it takes a certain degree of damage to intestinal villi in order to get a formal diagnosis. Since celiac disease with villi damage are just one manifestation of a much broader and more widespread problem--gluten sensitivity...

The practice of using antibody testing to diagnose celiac disease has led to an explosion in the number of cases detected among children, coupled with a rise in median age at diagnosis, a new study suggests.

A team of researchers recently set out to assess the prevalence of variable biopsy findings and duodenal bulb involvement in children with celiac disease, as well as its association with clinical parameters.

Could unknown benefits from one of the oldest parasites of the human digestive tract hold the key to cure for celiac disease? Australian scientists think so. Encouraged by successful treatments of Crohn's and ulcerative colitis by American researchers using a pig whipworm (Trichuris sues), a team of Australian researchers is recruiting volunteers with celiac disease for trials using human hookworm (Necator americanus).

Although doctors view celiac disease mainly as a gastrointestinal disease, it is now known to have widespread systemic manifestations.A team of researchers recently set out to define the nature and role of systemic cytokine levels in the pathophysiology of celiac disease.

A team of researchers recently used transcription factor analysis to examine whether celiac patients up-regulate T-bet and pSTAT1 expressions in peripheral blood and whether such up-regulation may be associated with celiac disease activity.

A team of researchers recently set out to develop specific and sensitive immunoassays that can reliably detect celiac disease. In this case, they developed immunoassays for the detection of IgG and IgA antibodies to gliadin using synthetic peptides. Their results show that Celiac G+ ELISA provides better sensitivity and better specificity compared with other available synthetic gliadin peptide immunoassays.

The standard method of measuring successful observance of a gluten-free diet in patients with celiac disease is through a dietary interview performed by health professional. However, there is currently have no simple, objective method for conducting such a dietary interview.

A team of Maltese researchers, led by genetics specialist Christian Scerri, has discovered that a previously unassociated gene contributes to the development of celiac disease. The association of the gene, a variant of a gene called CD59, is the result of three years of research at a University of Malta lab.

A team of researchers led by Michelle M. Pietzak, M.D., of the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine in Los Angeles, recently conducted a large-scale study to identify HLA-DQ haplotypes most connected with increased risk of celiac disease.

Antibodies to deamidated gliadin offer a promising new tool in the diagnosis of celiac disease. A team of researchers recently set out of examine serodiagnosis of childhood celiac disease assay of antibodies against deamidated gliadin.

Are non-inflammatory gluten peptide analogs effective as biomarkers for celiac disease? Recent research indicates that they just might represent an effective new tool in the management of celiac disease.

While the use of anti-tTG antibodies is common practice in the diagnosis of celiac disease, their value in long-term follow-up remains controversial. A team of researchers recently set out to assess the value of anti-tTG antibodies in long-term follow-up.

Accurate blood tests have revolutionized celiac disease diagnosis. Recently, researchers K.E. Evans, A.R. Malloy, and D.A. Gorard set out to review requests for celiac blood testing at a district general hospital laboratory over a decade, to measure the volume of requests, identify their source of referral, and assess positivity rates, along with subsequent rates of duodenal biopsy and histological confirmation.

Specialty pharmaceutical and diagnostic company, Prometheus Laboratories Inc., announced results from two recent studies concerning the use of serologic testing to predict inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

In a medical first, researchers at UCLA have made a connection between intestinal inflammation and systemic chromosome damage in mice, a discovery that may pave the way for early identification and treatment of human inflammatory disorders, some of which raise the risk for various kinds of cancer, according a study published in Cancer Research.

Vitamin deficiency and less than optimal health are common problems for people with celiac disease, even those who faithfully follow a gluten-free diet. A recent clinical study has shown B vitamins to be beneficial for celiac disease sufferers following gluten-free diets.

A team of Austrian researchers recently set out to determine which noninvasive test for celiac disease is best for assessing mucosal status in people with celiac disease.

The latest antihuman tissue transglutaminase (tTG) IgA tests are reported to spot celiac disease with nearly 100% sensitivity and specificity. Also, a new generation of deamidated gliadin peptide (α-DGP) antibody tests is alleged to have sensitivity levels on par with the tTG IgA tests. However, in actual practice, sensitivity and specificity for these tests are often lower than claimed for trial conditions.

A recent study confirms that B-vitamin supplements are helpful in raising vitamin B6, B12 and folate levels and in reducing homocysteine levels in people with celiac disease.