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Celiac disease tests

You can have all test required to prove celiac disease or predisposition of inherited risk to get this disease done at out Centre. Some tests are available only in our clinic.
Celiac disease is an enteropathy of genetic origin, caused by malabsorption of nutrients. The grain protein gluten contains several proteins: gliadin (present in wheat), hordein (present in barley) and secalin (present in rye). ll these proteins penetrate through the intestinal wall and there are decomposed to amino acids. An immune response is provoked during the interaction of proteins with intestinal mucosa. The antibodies produced attack the villi of intestinal mucosa, which are responsible for the absorption (assimilation and transfer to the blood) of nutrients and vitamins. The inflammatory reaction leads to dysfunction of villi, therefore food is passing down the intestine not reaching the blood and causing diarrhoea.

Celiac disease can get complicated with vitamin and  mineral deficiency, anaemia and osteoporosis. Repeated miscarriages and higher risk of infertility have been commonly reported in females suffering from this disease. Patients with celiac disease have higher risk of intestinal, liver or oesophageal cancer and intestinal lymphoma. It has been proved that mortality rate among the patients with celiac disease is doubled as compared with healthy population. Celiac disease can be diagnosed in people at any age. In 58–77 percent of cases this disease has been diagnosed at the age from six months to two years, when a child starts to eat gluten containing products. 5-10 percent of people with family history of celiac disease are under the risk to develop this disorder. This disease in females has been reported 2-3 times more often than in males. 

Based on world -wide studies celiac disease affects 1 individual out of 100. In Lithuania this disease usually underdiagnosed or diagnosed belatedly, when patients are examined for other complaints.
In case of timely diagnosis of the disease the patients are prescribed with gluten-free diet, which, if strictly followed, results in very fast as fast as few weeks disappearance of the symptoms of celiac disease, prevents irreversible damage of main organs and improves quality of life.

In the case of celiac disease a complex examination is very important  – specific antibodies of a single or several different types that affect mucous membrane of the small intestine  can be found in the blood. If the results of antibody tests are positive and clinical symptoms are present, a biopsy of small intestine villi and genetic tests can be done to confirm diagnosis of celiac disease.
Celiac disease cannot be diagnosed on the basis of the tests for all specific antibodies, because they may be absent in the patient with celiac disease and, on the contrary, they may be found in a person without celiac disease. The precision of antibody tests is higher than 90 percent. A gluten-free diet as well as use of prednisolone or other immunosuppressive medicines may impact the test results (e. g. if a person follows the gluten free diet for one month or longer, the celiac disease specific antibodies may disappear). The celiac disease specific antibodies test help to select the patients who require biopsy of small intestine.
Diagnostics of celiac disease starts from the blood tests for specific antibodies. It is useful to start with a general immunoglobulin A (IgA) test, as general IgA deficiency is found in 2 to 10 percent of patients with celiac disease. If IgA deficiency is found this indicates that the patient with celiac disease will not develop IgA antibodies neither to to tissue transglutaminase (iTG) nor to deamidated gliadin protein epitopes (DGP), nor to non-modified gliadin proteins nor to endomysium. In such case tests for celiac disease specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) class antibodies are more informative. 

Genetic test for the diagnosis, genetic predisposition and risk assessment of celiac disease is available that allows to detect specific antigens of human leukocytes (HLA), predisposing development of celiac disease. Genetic test is recommended to prove the diagnosis when symptoms potentially associated with celiac disease are present and biopsy as well as blood test results are positive. Genetic test can also be carried out to screen family members belonging to the celiac disease risk group. 

Celiac disease tests

Service
Regular price Regular For clients who are not covered by compulsory health insurance
Anti gliadin antibodies IgA

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Anti gliadin antibodies IgG

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Anti- tissue transglutaminase Anti-tTG-2 IgA

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Anti- tissue transglutaminase Anti-tTG-2 IgG

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HLA hoplotypes DQ2/DQ8 for celiac desease (PCR)

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IgA antibodies against deamidated gliadin peptides (Anti-DGP-IgA)

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IgA endomysium antibodies (IgA-Ema)**

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IgG antibodies against deamidated gliadin peptides (Anti-DGP-IgG)

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IgG endomysium antibodies (due to celiac disease)

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Immunoglobuline A (IgA)

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Usually the required tests are prescribed by the physician gastroenterologist, however you can make your own decision regarding the necessity of the tests.

Reservation is not required, just come to the Centre and contact the reception.

What factors affect the price?

The prices indicated below apply to citizens of the Republic of Lithuania and the European Union.
If you are coming from another country please check the price by telephoning or sending an email.

More about prices

Checklist for patients prior to blood tests
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Why it is worth

To be examined at our Centre?

  • Your tests will be carried out ensuring high quality. This is proved by ISO 15189 accreditation. 
  • The results of main tests will be reported in 1–2 hours.
  • The test results obtained in our laboratory will be explained by laboratory professionals.
    Such service in our country is offered only in few laboratories.
  • Within 7 days after blood collection we can carry out additional tests for celiac disease using the same collected blood sample. This is important for a child or for the patients coming from other cities!
  • There is no risk of damaging or confounding samples during transportation. 
  • Our Centre is the first establishment in Lithuania offering blood tests for celiac disease. Since 2007 we have gained experience in celiac disease diagnosis and treatment.

Good to know

Tests for celiac disease are recommended for the following persons: those whose first line relatives have been diagnosed with celiac disease, those whose suffer from the symptoms characteristic for celiac disease, especially young children as early as possible.

Tests for celiac disease are recommended for people diagnosed with collagenous colitis, type I diabetes mellitus, Down's Turner Williams syndromes  and other auto-immune disease, as they rather often have celiac disease.

Celiac disease and its sequels for health can be associated with more than several hundred symptoms. 

The most common symptoms of celiac disease are as follows:

  • diarrhoea;
  • flatulence;
  • weight loss;
  • weakness, fatigue;
  • joint ache;
  • blister type rash of skin and mucous membranes;
  • tension and gnawing abdominal pain;
  • greyish, tawny, rancid smelling loose faeces.

Other less common symptoms:

  • acid reflux;
  • nervousness, irritability;
  • behaviour disorders;
  • constipation;
  • swelling;
  • unexplained weight loss and gain.

Distinct symptoms of celiac disease are commonly reported in 2-4 year old children. The symptoms become less distinct in older children; therefore it is worth to have examinations done as early as possible after the first manifestation of the symptoms characteristic or celiac disease.

In adult population typical symptoms of celiac disease are reported only in 13 percent of patients. Atypical or latent cases of celiac disease have been reported more and more often. This means that celiac disease can remain undiagnosed for many years, silently destroying your health.

In celiac disease the reaction of immune system to gluten affects small intestine, endocrine and nerve systems, liver and interferes with the body ability to assimilate nutrients.

Celiac disease is associated with the following health disorders and diseases:

  • severe rash on the outward surfaces of the limbs (dermatitis herpetiformis);
  • vitamin and mineral deficiency;
  • iron deficiency anaemia;
  • inexplicably low height;
  • delayed pubescence;
  • infertility (sexual immaturity);
  • repeated miscarriages;
  • osteoporosis;
  • protein malabsorption;
  • recurrent aphthous stomatitis (inflammation of mouth mucous membranes);
  • irritable bowel syndrome;
  • increased activity of transaminases (liver enzymes);
  • hypoplasia of tooth enamel;
  • thyroiditis;
  • diabetes mellitus;
  • depression;
  • peripheral neuropathy;
  • ataxia (coordination disorder);
  • epilepsy;
  • migraine.

If untreated, in older patients the disease gets complicated. Treatment of earlier untreated disease is difficult, permanent bowel inflammations occur repeatedly and diet doesn’t help. The progressing disease is associated with complications – ulcerous jejunitis (inflammation of small bowel), intestinal lymphoma (a tumour of lymphoreticular tissue), intestinal adenocarcinoma (cancer of glandular epithelium).

  • The test results will be available after 1-2 hours.
    You can get them at the reception or we will send them to you by e-mail, if you wish.
  • For interpretation of the test results please contact the laboratory by telephone: (8 5) 247 64 17.

FAQ (frequently asked questions)

In the case of celiac disease a complex examination is very important  – specific antibodies of a single or several different types that affect mucous membrane of the small intestine  can be found in the blood. If the results of antibody tests are positive and clinical symptoms are present, a biopsy of small intestine villi and genetic tests can be done to confirm diagnosis of celiac disease.

You have to seek advice of a physician gastroenterologist, who will assess the results of your tests, disease symptoms and after making additional examinations will confirm or reject diagnosis of celiac disease. You can make an appointment with a physician of such specialisation at our Centre. The price of the consultation is provided HERE.

The main treatment of celiac disease is a gluten-free diet. Celiac disease is incurable, therefore all patients must follow a life-long gluten-free diet, e. i., to avoid eating wheat, rye, barley, oat flour and their products or cultures of the derivative species, such as triticale.

This treatment is very effective. Usually the diet restores the mucous membrane of small bowel, which restores ability of the body to assimilate nutrients, and what is the most important – many of tiresome symptoms of this disease disappear.

People suffering from celiac disease should avoid all cereal products – wheat, rye, spelt, barley,manna, bulgur grits. It is advised to read the product labels carefully as many reprocessed products contain these substances.

The symptoms of both malaises are very similar and treatment is the same– e. i., gluten-free diet. However the celiac disease and gluten intolerance has some differences.

Celiac disease is an auto-immune disease. In people with predisposition to celiac disease gluten induces production of antibodies to the mucous membrane of a small intestine. This results in intestinal inflammation, atrophy of intestinal villi and intestinal dysfunction, disrupted assimilation of nutrients and vitamins. 

Blood tests to detect specific antibodies are used to prove diagnosis of celiac disease. Genetic tests to demonstrate predisposition to celiac disease are also available. If test results are positive, a biopsy of small bowel can be prescribed to prove the diagnosis.

Gluten intolerance is a negative body reaction to gluten, not involving antibodies: in this case the damage to a small intestine is absent, thus, the results of small intestine biopsy and common blood tests for the diagnosis of celiac disease usually are negative. 

Specific tests for gluten intolerance are not yet available. The only way to diagnose the disorder is to follow a gluten-free diet for several weeks and to monitor, whether it is associated with improvement of health condition. The majority of patients abstaining from gluten containing products as early as 2-3 weeks later report improvement of their health condition.

Please do not postpone important decisions - take care of yourself now!

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