According to new research, a combination of genetic testing and simple blood tests, is sufficient for determining an accurate diagnosis of celiac disease. Waiting for measurable damage to the villi of the small intestine to develop, is an unnecessary step.
Mainstream researchers are slowly closing in on Dr. Fines original postulation, described over a decade ago.
http://www.eitb.com/news/technology/det ... c-disease/
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 075647.htm
If all the hard-headed GI docs will accept this, celiac patients can get a diagnosis a lot faster, a lot cheaper, and without having to suffer through any invasive testing. I'm guessing it may be a long time before most of them accept this, though, since it will mean a significant cut in their pay per diagnosis.
Tex
Intestinal Biopsy May Be Unnecessary For A Celiac Diagnosis
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Intestinal Biopsy May Be Unnecessary For A Celiac Diagnosis
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
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kscolorado
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Thanks for posting Tex. I agree totally. Also even if you have negative blood work (lots of false negatives) but have symptoms and celiac gene's I think that should also warrant a celiac diagnoses. Dr. Lewey quoted that ol' quote if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck quote when I asked him if you have the gene's and symptoms but negative labs.
Kathy
Kathy,
I totally agree. That should be the next step in refining the diagnostic process. Back in the "good old days", (before all these celiac tests were developed), the "gold standard", was remission of symptoms, after adopting a GF diet. (After all, who cares about all the gory details, if the diet resolves the symptoms.) Somehow, along the way, doctors discovered that there was a lot of money to be made, (there's gold in them thar tests), by doing additional testing, and so a new "gold standard" was adopted.
Mary Beth,
I agree. Stool testing should be a logical substitution for the invasive testing, (and the poor sensitivity of the blood tests).
Tex
I totally agree. That should be the next step in refining the diagnostic process. Back in the "good old days", (before all these celiac tests were developed), the "gold standard", was remission of symptoms, after adopting a GF diet. (After all, who cares about all the gory details, if the diet resolves the symptoms.) Somehow, along the way, doctors discovered that there was a lot of money to be made, (there's gold in them thar tests), by doing additional testing, and so a new "gold standard" was adopted.
Mary Beth,
I agree. Stool testing should be a logical substitution for the invasive testing, (and the poor sensitivity of the blood tests).
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.