Help Desk: Is an intestinal biopsy necessary when the blood work suggests celiac disease?
It depends on the antibody levels in the blood work. Symptomatic patients with serologic levels of immunoglobulin A anti-tissue transglutaminase (IgA anti-tTG) or immunoglobulin G anti-deamidated gliadin peptide antibody (IgG anti-DGP) greater than 10 times the upper limits of normal--especially if they also are positive for endomysial antibodies (EMA) and human leukocyte antigen DQ2 (HLA-DQ2 or HLA-DQ8)--may not need an intestinal biopsy to confirm the diagnosis of celiac disease.
Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA.
Clarissa Jb
CJ
Hoff
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic / Q000097:blood; D001706:Biopsy; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019937:Diagnostic Techniques and Procedures; D005260:Female; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000097:blood; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007422:Intestines / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000091345:Protein Glutamine gamma Glutamyltransferase 2; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D011503:Transglutaminases / Q000097:blood; D055815:Young Adult
D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D006683:HLA-DQ Antigens; C053186:HLA-DQ2 antigen; C109756:HLA-DQ8 antigen; C048844:anti-IgG; D000091345:Protein Glutamine gamma Glutamyltransferase 2; D011503:Transglutaminases; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins