How Do I Get Diagnosed?

Talk to your doctor.

If you live in Ontario and you think you or a family member have celiac disease and have not yet been formally diagnosed, you must be consuming gluten in order for the test to be accurate. The individual must be over 2 years of age and must have a lab requestion from an eligible medical practitioner (see below).

• See the CCA’s Gluten Challenge information for guidance.

• Download our Diagnosis Fact Sheet to discuss your risk factors with your doctor.
• It is advised you have both the tTg-IgA and total IgA tests. You do NOT need a full “celiac panel” to screen for celiac disease. The CCA recommends that only the IgA and tTg IgA tests are needed and these are the only tests covered by the pilot. If you do receive other tests or your practitioner is requesting additional ones, you will need to pay out of pocket, if they are not already covered by Third Party Insurance and cannot be reimbursed. 
• Visit your health care practitioner who is eligible to order laboratory tests. This includes physicians, midwives, and nurse practitioners. Naturopaths are not included. Please review the Q&A below for more information and questions.
• Have a valid Ontario Health Card and are qualified to receive services under the government health insurance program.

Ontario Celiac – Patient Q&A 

Who is eligible?

You must be an Ontario resident, insured person within the meaning of the Health Insurance Act, over the age of two and not previously diagnosed with celiac disease (biopsied). The test is to help inform a celiac disease diagnosis. 2)You must be on a gluten-containing diet.  

Who can order the lab tests?

The ministry has restricted ordering clinicians to physicians, nurse practitioners and midwives. Laboratory tests ordered by naturopaths are not insured under OHIP.

Where do I take my lab requisition?

You can have your specimen(s)collected at one of the following Ontario Laboratories:  

• Alpha Laboratories Inc.; 

• Bio-Test Laboratory Inc.; 

• Dynacare-Gamma Laboratory Partnership (Dynacare); 

• Eglinton Diagnostic Laboratories Ltd.; 

• LifeLabs LP; 

• Med-Health Laboratories Ltd.; and, 

• Medical Laboratories of Windsor Ltd.

When I visit my doctor or health care practitioner, what do I ask for? 

A tissue transglutaminase (tTG) IgA and serum IgA.

What are the tests looking for?

A tissue transglutaminase IgA (tTg-IgA) test is a step used to help doctors diagnose celiac disease (CD). CD is an autoimmune disease, where the body’s immune system mistakenly perceives a nonthreatening substance, in this case gluten (a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and oats). Gluten is seen as a foreign invader and is attacked by the body’s own immune system. This test measures the presence of tissue transglutaminase (tTG)-IgA antibodies in the blood. 

“My family member was screened and had to pay for a “Celiac Panel.” Is this something I need to get? 

You do NOT need a full “celiac panel” to screen for celiac disease. The CCA recommends that only the IgA and tTg IgA tests are needed and these are the only tests covered by the pilot. If you do receive other tests or your practitioner is requesting additional ones, you will need to pay out of pocket, if they are not already covered by Third Party Insurance and cannot be reimbursed. 

It is strongly recommended that you call the community laboratory in advance to understand what is covered and what is private pay (out of pocket). You may wish to check if you have Third Party Insurance that covers any additional blood tests not covered by the pilot. 

As always it is important to speak with your medical practitioner about your specific case.

I have been off gluten for a few years but not yet diagnosed. How can I take the test to ensure it is accurate? 

To obtain an accurate celiac screen, you need to be on a gluten-containing diet. If a gluten-free diet has been initiated, the celiac serology is unreliable and can be falsely negative. In this situation you may require a gluten challenge. A gluten challenge is a systematic approach to re-introducing gluten into the diet over a specific period. Once the challenge has been completed you can move forward with blood testing. For more information click here: Gluten Challenge or to a short video click here: Gluten Challenge – YouTube  

Our Vision: A World Without Celiac Disease.

This first step comes after 16 years of advocacy efforts of many volunteers and staff, 3,500+ petition signatures submitted BY YOU to Queens Park Delegations, presentations made at the Ontario Legislative Assembly, Budget Round Tables, and local meetings.