Testing for the celiac disease genes isn’t invasive at all. You’ll either provide a laboratory with a sample of your blood, use a swab to collect a few of the cells from inside your cheek, or use a syringe to gather some of your saliva. Your blood, cheek cells or saliva then are analyzed by a laboratory; any of these methods produces equally accurate results.
Most people have genetic testing performed in conjunction with other tests ordered by their physician. However, it’s possible (although expensive) to obtain the test without a physician being involved.
There’s only one U.S. laboratory that will perform the genetic test without a doctor’s order: Enterolab, a specialized laboratory in Dallas (Enterolab also performs gluten sensitivity testing).
For $149 (paid at the time you place the order), Enterolab will analyze your genes and tell you which HLA-DQ genes you carry, including whether you carry one of the two main celiac disease genes. The test is performed with cells collected with a swab on the inside of your cheek, so there’s no blood draw involved. Once you swab your cheek and ship off your sample, the results are emailed to you within about three weeks.
Overall, this is a painless and accurate way to determine your genetic risk for celiac disease. To order a test kit, visit Enterolab’s genetic testing page.
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