No more invasive procedures.
A newly developed blood test may revolutionize how celiac disease is diagnosed, offering a less painful path for patients who currently must consume gluten to confirm the condition. Traditional diagnostic methods require individuals to ingest gluten, which triggers the harmful immune reaction characteristic of the disease—often exacerbating symptoms before a clear diagnosis can be made.
The new test, recently detailed in Gastroenterology, identifies an immune response to gluten without requiring patients to reintroduce it into their diets. Developed by researchers in Australia, the test detects the presence of interleukin-2 (IL-2), an immune marker that spikes in individuals with celiac disease when exposed to gluten. Instead of having the patient consume gluten, the test exposes their blood sample to gluten in a lab, allowing doctors to measure the immune response in a controlled environment.
In trials involving 181 participants, including people with diagnosed and undiagnosed celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, and healthy controls, the test demonstrated 90% accuracy in identifying the disease and 97% accuracy in ruling it out. Notably, the strength of the IL-2 response also appeared to correspond with symptom severity, suggesting the test could help anticipate the intensity of future reactions.
Olivia Moscatelli, a lead researcher and doctoral student who lives with celiac disease herself, expressed personal and professional excitement about the breakthrough. She described the innovation as potentially sparing future patients from the distressing and drawn-out diagnostic process she endured. However, the test’s extreme sensitivity—able to detect minuscule amounts of IL-2—currently limits its availability to advanced laboratories.
Looking ahead, researchers believe this testing method could be adapted to help detect other immune-related or inflammatory conditions such as type 1 diabetes, cancer, or transplant rejection. While further studies and broader access are needed, the test represents a major step forward in simplifying and improving the diagnostic experience for people with celiac disease.
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