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A Home Gluten Sensitivity Test--How to Get Gluten TestingThere is currently a method available for testing for those who feel they may be gluten sensitive or who have already had standard testing for celiac disease with no result. There is a home gluten sensitivity test. It is a new procedure developed by Dr. Kenneth Fine of Entero Lab. Dr. Fine is a board certified Gastroenterologist. He himself is gluten free. He wanted to find a way to test for gluten sensitivity that could find it earlier in the disease process, so that there would be less damage. He has done considerable research but has not yet published the data.
This type of home gluten sensitivity test is not accepted by the medical profession at this time as being accurate. The medical profession didn't accept that h. pylori bacteria caused ulcers though either. It took them 10 years to accept it. I didn't want to wait 10 years to know if I needed to be gluten free. So I am going to let you decide if you want to have this test. You don't need a prescription for the home gluten sensitivity test. His lab offers a stool test that you will do at home. It involves shipping the specimens back to Entero Lab for testing. He also offers a gene test that is sent on to Bonfils Laboratory in Denver, Co for the actual test. The gene test is performed in the mouth, with a swab of the inner cheek. Entero Lab does not diagnose celiac disease, but they can tell you if you have anti-gliadin and anti-tTg antibodies. (Which shows an immune reaction). Insurance is not likely to cover this test, but it is an alternative for those who can't seem to get help through traditional medicine. Some people prefer this route also because there have been some cases where insurance would not cover people once they were diagnosed with celiac disease. (Usually under the pre-existing condition clause when they wanted to switch companies.)
You can order the tests separately or in one group known as a panel. The group option is about $400. It includes the antibody tests for gluten and casein(dairy), a fat malabsorption test, and the gene test. For more information on his work read the essay under Research and Education on the Entero Lab website. Update: The tests offered by Entero Lab have changed. There are several panels which include testing for food sensitivities. The one I recommend is Panel B, as this will test for reactions to gluten, casein, egg and soy. It includes the gene test also, but not an anti-Tissue Transglutaminate Antibody test. I recommend that this separate test be added to the panel. A positive result on the anti-tTg test indicates that the immune system has antibodies to the enzyme and is damaging the tissue of the small intestine. (autoimmune reaction) ( The blood (not stool) test for anti-tTg is the test most medical doctors currently use for diagnosing celiac disease.) It is only positive if the body is having an autoimmune reaction. The panel also no longer includes the fat malabsorption test. That test can also be added to the panel if desired.
Note: I have recently found out that Dr. Fine has submitted his research for review. I will update as more information on this becomes available. Entero Lab I am not affiliated with Entero Lab in any way. I did use their services however, when my husband, who has advanced osteoporosis, (dx'd at age 45) was told he did not have celiac disease because his tTG test was negative. He has low vitamin D, and does not retain the Vitamin D he is
given.
The blood test alone will not pick up the disease in patients that have early stage damage much of the time. A recent study showed that for those with less than complete villous atrophy, the blood test detected celiac disease only about 31% of the time. See this article:
Celiac Disease and Reproductive Health
So we went to Entero Lab. I know the results were accurate for
us because we have been on the gluten free diet since November
2006, and if we accidentally get any gluten in our systems, we
get sick. Also, many of our other symptoms have disappeared
on the diet.
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