A saliva test for celiac disease be able to detect celiac disease — a digestive and immune disorder that damages the small intestine, keeping it from absorbing nutrients like vitamins and minerals. The condition affects about 2 million people in the United States and 1% of the world’s population. People with the disorder often experience gastrointestinal symptoms, such as abdominal pain and diarrhea, but they can also have non-gastrointestinal symptoms, such as certain rashes or mental health problems.
Celiac disease is very underdiagnosed. Symptoms can be so varied and vague — including gastrointestinal discomfort, fatigue and malnutrition — that the disease is often mistaken for other health conditions. The autoimmune disease is triggered by eating gluten, which is found in wheat, barley, rye and triticale. People with the condition have an abnormal response to gluten, which leads to inflammation and damage to the tiny finger-like projections (villi) in their intestines. These villi can’t absorb vitamins and minerals from food, which can lead to poor growth or anemia.
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Saliva Test for Celiac Disease: How Accurate Is It?
Current diagnostic methods usually involve serologic testing — looking for antibodies in the blood — and duodenal biopsies, which examine the lining of the small intestine. However, many people with celiac disease have antibodies in their blood despite having normal or near-normal biopsies. A new genetic test looks for the HLA DQ2 and DQ8 genes, which can predict a person’s risk of developing celiac disease, even if they don’t have any visible signs or symptoms of the disease.