Lab tests for gluten problems?

[Guest guest]

Anybody had lab tests for gluten problems?

I'm looking for advice on which lab tests my doc and I should choose, in

order to rule in or rule out gluten intolerance, and which labs we should

use, in Canada or the U.S..

My MD is intrigued by two statements/claims from Shoemaker and Schaller in

Mold Warriors: 1) that biotoxic patients do better without gluten in their

diets; and 2) that Antigliadin Antibodies (AGA) are seldom found in patients

without biotoxin illness.

Small intestine biopsies were and still are usually accepted as the gold

standard for proving Celiac Disease, BUT 1) nowadays these results are a)

usually cross-correlated with various lab tests for antibodies and

sometimes correlated with genetic tests, especially when a family pattern of

gluten intolerance might be revealed, and 2) other conditions besides Celiac

Disease, including various small intestine infections, can cause villous

atrophy, thus creating possible false positive biopsy results for Celiac

Disease.

My gut has undoubtedly taken a beating over the decades from multiple food

allergies and food sensitivities, mainly before progressive docs and

nutritionists started to understand " leaky gut " phenomenon and pass the

information on to us patients. Plus, I've had some really nasty gut

infections since 1990. On top of that, and on top of long-standing mold

allergies, and periodic exposures to elevated levels of mold through the

decades, I was exposed almost 24/7 to an escalating mold problem at home

2002-2005.

My Traditional Chinese Medical practitioners keep " reading " evidence of

ongoing intestinal infections, but admit that irritation from gluten and

other foods or food-derived substances may be complicating the picture. My

MD is having trouble justifying repeat, expensive stool tests at Great

Smokies, because a) usually the same pathogens keep coming up and even GS

may not be testing for some exotic pathogens from my trips to Australia,

Egypt, etc. My MD is also now very cautious about experimental treatments

with antibiotics/antifungals/antivirals because I can no more clear most

drugs from my system than I can clear mold toxins or heavy metals. The most

luck we've had with antimicrobials of any type has been with Tinidazole, but

I can quickly become toxic from it not clearing my system, even at low

doses.

Recent reference books on Celiac Disease, by authors such as H.R.

Green, M.D. (Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic, Harper, 2006), and

Danna Korn (Kids with Celiac Disease, Woodbine House, 2001) discuss the

usefulness of various laboratory tests, including these:

Antigliadin antibody (AGA)

IgG

IgA

Antiendomysial antibody (EMA)

Antireticulin antibody (ARA)

Antitransglutaminase antibody (tTG)

IgA

IgG

The % of sensitivity, % specificity, and predictive value of these tests is

pretty impressive, but everyone I'm reading warns that the tests are often

done improperly, even by reputable labs, and that getting experienced lab

personnel is key to receiving an accurate assessment.

I'm in Canada (Calgary, Alberta) but my MD and I are willing to once-again

send samples out-of-country if the answers to lab tests will once-again

prove valuable.

Korn's 2001 book has a list of labs " that have excellent reputations for

celiac testing " -or did 5 or 6 years ago, anyway. Anyone had experience with

any of these labs OR with other U.S. or Canadian labs that perform the same

Celiac Disease tests?

Enterolab

email@...

www.enterolab.com <http://www.enterolab.com/>

IMMCO Diagnostics, Inc.

60 Pine View Drive

Amherst, NY 14228

(800) 537-TEST [(800) 537-8378]

(716) 691-0466

IMMTEST@...

www.immcodiagnostics.com <http://www.immcodiagnostics.com/>

Prometheus GI Disease Management

5739 Pacific Center Blvd.

San Diego, CA 92121

Phone: (858) 824-0895; (888) 423-5227;

Fax: (858) 824-0896

email@...

www.prometheus-labs.com <http://www.prometheus-labs.com/>

Specialty Laboratories

2211 Michigan Ave.

Santa , CA 90404-3900

Phone: (310) 826-6543; (800) 421-7110

Fax: (310) 828-6634

speciality@...

www.specialtylabs.com <http://www.specialtylabs.com/>

Any advice re Celiac Disease lab tests--including genetic tests, which might

prove relevant to my family-would be appreciated.