The Science Behind Celiac Disease Testing

 

If you’ve been feeling unwell after eating foods with gluten (a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye), your healthcare provider may recommend a blood test to check for celiac disease. This test helps find out if your immune system is reacting abnormally to gluten — and potentially harming your own body in the process.

What Is the Test Looking For?

The blood test looks for antibodies, special proteins your immune system creates to fight off things like viruses and bacteria. But in people with celiac disease, the immune system gets confused and makes antibodies that attack the small intestines after gluten is eaten. This is a type of autoimmune disease which causes damage to the gut leading to a wide range of symptoms, from stomach pain to nutrient deficiencies.

 

What Happens in the Lab? 

At TriCore these antibody tests are performed with a system that uses beads to test for multiple antibodies at once. Here’s how it works:

1. First, a small sample of your blood is collected. The sample is spun in a machine (a process called centrifugation) to separate the liquid part of your blood, called serum, from the blood cells. This serum contains antibodies, which are special proteins the immune system makes in response to things it sees as a threat, like gluten in people with celiac disease.

 

2. At the lab, your serum is tested using a system with tiny, microscopic beads. Each bead is coated with specific proteins (called antigens) that are known to trigger the immune response in celiac disease. When your serum is mixed with these beads, any antibodies you have against these antigens will stick to them.

 

3. Next, the beads are washed to remove anything that didn’t stick. Then, a second antibody is added—this one is designed to attach to your antibodies, if they’re present. This second antibody has a fluorescent tag that lights up when it passes through a special detector.

 

4. By measuring how much fluorescence is detected, the system can determine how many antibodies are in your blood. This tells doctors whether your immune system is reacting to gluten-related proteins, helping them diagnose celiac disease or decide if further testing is needed.

 

What Can the Test Tell You?

This blood test is often one of the first steps in figuring out if gluten is the root cause of your symptoms. If results are positive, your provider may follow up with other tests — such as genetic testing or an intestinal biopsy — to confirm the diagnosis.

Catching celiac disease early can help you avoid long-term damage and start feeling better with the right treatment — usually, a strict gluten-free diet.