How is coeliac disease diagnosed?
Screening for coeliac disease is by a blood test to detect the presence of antibodies produced by the coeliac in response to gluten in the diet. Diagnosis is determined by a small bowel biopsy (called an endoscopy), which is necessary to check whether the lining of the villi of the small intestine has been damaged. It is imperative that you do not begin a gluten free diet before being tested, as your results will come back negative. Coeliac disease requires a lifelong abstinence from gluten to prevent the development of malignancy and other associated conditions. To be screened positively for coeliac disease you must have an endoscopy and biopsy. Once diagnosis is confirmed you will most likely be tested for nutritional deficiencies.
If coeliac disease is suspected, a blood test is carried out. If this test is positive an endoscopy will be undertaken at the local hospital. This usually takes place in an outpatient clinic and involves a small camera being placed into the small intestine to examine the lining. A small sample is also taken to be studied under the microscope, confirming the diagnosis of coeliac disease. As well as the endoscopy, a blood test is usually carried out to identify any mineral and vitamin deficiencies.
Recognising coeliac disease can be difficult because some of its symptoms are similar to those of other diseases. In fact, sometimes coeliac disease is confused with irritable bowel syndrome, iron-deficiency anaemia caused by menstrual blood loss, Crohn’s disease, diverticulitis, intestinal infections, and chronic fatigue syndrome. As a result, coeliac disease is commonly under diagnosed or misdiagnosed. Recently, researchers discovered that people with coeliac 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 coeliac 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
Your doctor’s assessment and, if appropriate, some blood tests will determine whether coeliac disease is likely. However, the diagnosis can only be properly made by a pathology examination of a biopsy taken from the intestine. Nowadays, this is quite a simple, safe and painless procedure that does not require you to stay in hospital overnight. WHAT IS THE TREATMENT IF I HAVE COELIAC DISEASE? Coeliac disease is treated by a strict gluten-free diet. Medication is rarely necessary. This diet needs to be continued for life, because the sensitivity to gluten does not disappear. Basic information regarding the diet can be obtained from your doctor. A visit to a dietitian is highly recommended for a comprehensive explanation and planning of the gluten-free diet. In addition, the Coeliac Society of Australia and its state branches are invaluable aids. They are self-help organisations for people with coeliac disease and their families and have access to excellent information, including the avai
Coeliac Disease is traditionally diagnosed by an intestinal biopsy by a gastroenterologist, usually under mild sedation in an outpatients department of a hospital or specialist centre. Most pathology laboratories offer blood tests for the detection of gliadin antibodies or tissue transglutaminase IgA antibodies. The Biocard Celiac Test featured on this site uses the same technology as the pathology laboratory test and detects specific IgA antibodies that react with tissue transglutaminase – a well known marker for Coeliac Disease. All that is required is a small amount of blood from your finger tip. The result is available in less than 10 minutes with a clear yes or no.
