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TRADITIONAL TESTING FOUR BLOOD TESTS are recommended by the Celiac Disease Foundation to diagnose CD. It is unfortunate that few doctors are aware of these 4 tests so you may need to request them. I have discovered this personally through my own family experiences, in conversation with many folks who are trying to resolve their health issues and recently with a lab experience trying to help a friend. You may be able to just call and request these four tests without making another appointment.
The tTG and EMA are LIMITED to diagnosing Celiac Disease They will not identify Non-Celiac Gluten Intolerance TESTING NEGATIVE for tTG DOES NOT RULE OUT NON-CELIAC GLUTEN INTOLERANCE The ANTIGLIADIN ANTIBODY (AGA: IgG and IgA) testing is very important and is recognized by more forward thinking doctors. It is recommended by 3 national support groups; go to the Celiac Disease Foundation website, www.celiac.org, and download the PDF brochure on the ‘home page’ which will give credence to the 4 blood tests listed above. Take it to your doctor. The ANTIGLIADIN ANTIBODY (AGA) blood testing should be used for children under 2 because the tTG or EMA antibodies may not have had time to develop; however, the ENTEROLAB STOOL TEST is more sensitive. If you test negative on the blood tests, you will be told that you don’t have CD; the blood tests are often falsely negative. Patients are often told they may continue to consume gluten, which may lead to more or worse symptoms. CD/GI is a slow and progressively degenerative process; villous atrophy may be occurring at a miniscule level that is not even detectable with the typical microscope that is used, or… The ANTIGLIADIN ANTIBODY May be damaging other parts of the body WITHOUT having any villous atrophy It is important that people begin with the 4 blood tests (doctors need to learn about the 4 tests, and they will most likely be covered by your insurance). However, if you are negative on these tests or if your doctor is resistant to your request and the information you provide and s/he is only willing to do 1 test, then YOU MUST continue your quest for better health with ENTEROLAB STOOL TESTING or you simply may never resolve your health issues (see: ‘Progressive Testing’). The AGA: IgG and IgA antibody blood tests are often positive when there is no intestinal damage (no villous atrophy), especially with neurological issues. These antibodies can affect other parts of the body: skin, nerves, blood, organs and more. One could have NON-CELIAC GLUTEN INTOLERANCE (no gut damage) with numerous nasty ailments going on, and could highly benefit from the ANTIGLIADIN ANTIBODY (AGA: IgG and IgA) blood testing if doctors were more aware of these tests. Some people have IgA Deficiency. It is important to have the Total Serum IgA blood test to discover this. If a person has IgA Deficiency they will not make enough IgA antibodies to test properly. They may actually test negative, but really be positive if they had been able to produce enough of the IgA antibodies.
VERY IMPORTANT
To be diagnosed with CD, traditional medicine says that you need to be positive on the endoscopic biopsy, the ‘gold standard’, showing damaged villi. There is a very wide spectrum here; not everyone who is Gluten Sensitive has damaged villi and not everyone tests positive on the tTG. There are many reasons one may seem to be negative on the endoscopy or actually not have flattened villi, but may be positive on the AGA blood tests, (or if negative on those, may be positive on the stool tests) and may be very Gluten Intolerant and perhaps quite sick. REQUEST a COPY of the 4 TESTS To be sure you received ALL 4 It is your legal right Many people have been tested for CD, told they didn’t have it and only were given 1 test (most likely the tTG), when in reality they had requested the 4 blood tests. You need to be sure you were given all 4 tests as described above. If you are “sick and tired of being sick and tired” or are having chronic issues: DO NOT JUMP FOR JOY IF NEGATIVE ON THE BLOOD TESTS Until you DO THE STOOL TESTING AT ENTEROLAB (See: ‘Progressive Testing’)
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