What is Coeliac Disease?
Coeliac Disease (CD), also known as gluten intolerance, is a condition caused by the inability to digest gluten. Gluten, a substance found in wheat, barley and rye, reacts with the small bowel and causes damage by activating the immune system to attack the delicate bowel lining, which is responsible for absorbing nutrients and vitamins. It is a life-long disease and affects around 1 in 300 people. CD can affect anyone at any age but a definite risk factor is a family history of CD as it is a genetic condition.

What are the symptoms?
CD has many and varied symptoms and can include, although is not exclusive to;

Weight loss

Tiredness

Vomiting

Lethargy

Breathlessness

Abdominal discomfort

Anaemia

Mouth ulcers

Diarrhoea

Because of the broad range of symptoms CD presents it is difficult to diagnose. If undiagnosed, CD patients who continue to ingest gluten will have an increased risk of developing gastrointestinal tumors, so early detection of CD is very important.

Testing for Coeliac.
While an intestinal biopsy is the ‘gold standard’ for diagnosing CD, there are now blood tests available to screen for CD.

Testing is simple and involves either screening a pin-prick of blood for Anti-gliadin (AGA) or tTG-IgA Antibodies.

Transglutaminase IgA test (tTG-IgA)
This is a new immunological marker for the identification of patients with CD. External studies have shown that our Transglutaminase IgA test results show a 99% – 100% correlation with the "gold standard" endomysial antibodies tests. A positive tTG IgA result is compelling evidence of CD, provided the patient is not already on a gluten free diet.

Some Celiac patients suffer from IgA deficiency and in these cases, tTG-IgA will be falsely negative. In such cases, the Anti-gliadin test may prove more useful.

Anti-gliadin test
Gliadin is a major protein found in the gluten fraction of wheat. Gliadin antibodies are found in 95% of coeliac patients, provided the patient is not on a gluten free diet, but they are also present in some other diseases. For this reason both classes of antibodies are measured. The test measures the two key antibodies (IgA & IgG) to gliadin.

Results & Treatment
You should consult your GP if your results are above normal. Your GP may follow up the test with an intestinal biopsy to confirm diagnosis.

While there is no cure for CD, sticking to a strict gluten free diet can reverse any damage caused to the small intestine.

Sample requirements and test turnaround Both tests require just a pin-prick blood sample. Results are available within 10 working days.

Important note:  The concentration of Gliadin and Transglutaminase antibodies in blood is stimulated by the presence of gluten in the diet. Patients who are on a gluten free diet for more than 2 months may therefore produce normal results in these tests. If you are on a gluten free diet, consult your doctor before changing this regime or ordering any blood tests.