For decades, getting a definitive diagnosis for coeliac disease has been a bit like running a medical obstacle course.
If you’ve ever suspected you might have coeliac disease, you’ll know the drill: weeks of eating gluten (even if it makes you feel dreadful), followed by a small intestine biopsy—not exactly anyone’s idea of a good time.
But a new breakthrough from Melbourne researchers could soon make this process a whole lot easier, and a lot less painful.
A team at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) has developed a blood test that could revolutionise how coeliac disease is diagnosed.
Published in the journal Gastroenterology, their study offers hope to the thousands of Australians who are currently stuck in diagnostic limbo.
Why is diagnosing coeliac disease so tricky?
Coeliac disease is an autoimmune condition where the body reacts abnormally to gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, barley and oats.
This reaction damages the lining of the small intestine, leading to a host of unpleasant symptoms and, if left untreated, serious long-term health problems such as osteoporosis, infertility, and even certain cancers.
The catch? The only way to confirm a diagnosis has been through a biopsy, and only if you’re eating gluten at the time.
For many, this means deliberately reintroducing gluten into their diet, triggering weeks of gut pain, bloating, fatigue, and other symptoms they’ve worked hard to avoid.
It’s no wonder so many people give up before they get a clear answer.
A blood test that works—even if you’re gluten-free
The new test developed by the WEHI team could change all that.
Instead of requiring patients to eat gluten, the test exposes a blood sample to gluten in the lab and measures the immune response—specifically, levels of the marker interleukin-2 (IL-2).
In their study, the test was able to detect coeliac disease with up to 90 per cent sensitivity and 97 per cent specificity, even in people who had been gluten-free for at least a year.
Associate Professor Jason Tye-Din, a gastroenterologist at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and co-author of the study, says this could be a game-changer: ‘There are likely millions of people around the world living with undiagnosed coeliac disease simply because the path to diagnosis is difficult, and at times, debilitating.’
‘This new test promises to simplify and speed up accurate diagnosis, while also avoiding the suffering that comes with eating gluten for extended periods to reactivate coeliac disease.’
How common is coeliac disease in Australia?
According to Coeliac Australia, about 1 in 70 Australians are affected by coeliac disease. But here’s the kicker: around 80 per cent of those people remain undiagnosed.
That’s more than 250,000 Australians who could be living with the condition without knowing it—and potentially putting their long-term health at risk.
Why does early diagnosis matter?
Untreated coeliac disease doesn’t just mean a bit of tummy trouble. Over time, the damage to your gut can lead to serious complications, including:
- Osteoporosis (brittle bones)
- Infertility and pregnancy complications
- Iron deficiency anaemia
- Increased risk of certain cancers, such as lymphoma
- Ongoing fatigue and poor quality of life
The only treatment is a strict, lifelong gluten-free diet—but you can’t start that until you know for sure you have the condition.
Could you have coeliac disease?
Symptoms can vary wildly from person to person, and some people have no obvious symptoms at all.
If you’re experiencing any of the following, it’s worth having a chat with your GP (and importantly, don’t cut out gluten before you get tested):
- Frequent bloating, diarrhoea or constipation
- Prolonged fatigue or low energy
- Unexplained weight loss
- Iron deficiency that doesn’t improve with supplements
- Recurrent mouth ulcers
- Brain fog or mood swings
- Skin rashes (such as dermatitis herpetiformis)
What’s next for the new blood test?
While the results are promising, the test isn’t quite ready for your local pathology lab just yet. More research and larger studies are needed to confirm its accuracy and reliability.
But the hope is that, in the not-too-distant future, a simple blood test could spare thousands of Australians the pain and uncertainty of current diagnostic methods.
Living well with coeliac disease
If you are diagnosed, the good news is that most people see a dramatic improvement in their symptoms once they switch to a gluten-free diet.
There’s a thriving community of Australians living well with coeliac disease, and more gluten-free options on supermarket shelves and restaurant menus than ever before.
Your say
Have you or someone you know struggled with the coeliac diagnosis process? Would a blood test have made a difference for you? Or do you have tips for living gluten-free in Australia? Share your experiences and advice in the comments below—your story could help others on their own journey to better health.
