What Blood Tests Are Carried In The Us To Diagnose Celiac Disease?

[UK mum]

My daughter has had a blood test for celiac disease which came back negative. She was on a gluten diet for 6 weeks before the test, which was very difficult and she missed a lot of school. We were advised to continue the gluten diet for a further 6weeks and then the test would be repeated. We did not do this as it makes her feel very ill and low.

Are there different tests that are used in the US in which the patient does not need to be on a gluten diet for such a long time ?

[kareng]

When the Univ of Chicago Celiac Center does it's free testing, they require you be on a regular gluten diet for 3 months.

[Skylark]

Sorry, there isn't any valid diagnostic testing in the US that works gluten-free.

Some people pay for Enterolab because it's very sensitive and can sometimes pick up antibodies in people eating low amounts of gluten, but Enterolab has never properly validated their tests as medical diagnostic tests. They seem to have a very high false positive rate. Doctors won't (and really can't) diagnose celiac from Enterolab results.

[Ellie84]

It's the same test everywhere: they test for the antibodies the immune system makes when a person with celiac disease eats gluten. This blood test is then followed by a biopsy. Until the biopsy has been done the patient needs to eat gluten.

My doctor made a huge mistake in this and put me on a gluten-free diet in advance, my GI couldn't test for anything then. I had to do a gluten provocation for at least 8 weeks, but was hospitalised after only 3. This whole process delayed my diagnosis by a year.

I know it must feel horrible to give your child gluten, but it's very important to get through this period so she'll be diagnosed swiftly. *Hugs*