Coeliac blood tests look for antibodies the immune system makes when gluten damages the small bowel, mainly tissue transglutaminase IgA. They only work while the client is eating gluten, so test before any gluten free diet starts. A positive result needs a GP and a gastroenterologist, who confirm the diagnosis with a small bowel biopsy. A negative HLA DQ2 and DQ8 gene test makes coeliac disease very unlikely. Verified practitioners can order Nutripath’s coeliac tests through Vively.
| Test type | Measured in a blood sample |
|---|---|
| Nutripath code | 2022, 3401 |
| Sample and collection | Blood drawn at a partner collection centre using the Nutripath kit (serum for the Coeliac Profile, EDTA blood for the gene test), then posted to Nutripath |
| Preparation | Keep eating gluten. Coeliac Australia suggests about 10 g of gluten a day for at least 6 weeks before the blood test. The gene test needs no preparation. |
| Turnaround | 2 business days for the Coeliac Profile and 12 to 15 business days for the gene test (Nutripath estimates, from when the lab receives the sample). Allow extra days for postage. |
| Available through | Nutripath test ordered through Vively. You need to be a verified practitioner to refer it. |
| Pricing | Pricing in your practitioner account |
| Results | PDF report from Nutripath, filed in your client’s record and app beside their blood results |
Only practitioners can order this test. Ask your naturopath, nutritionist or dietitian whether they use Vively.
What do the Nutripath coeliac tests measure?
The Coeliac Profile measures antibodies the body makes against gluten and against the enzyme tissue transglutaminase. The gene test looks at the HLA genes that coeliac disease depends on. One shows whether the immune reaction is happening now; the other shows whether it could happen at all.
In coeliac disease the immune system attacks tissue transglutaminase in the bowel lining. A raised tTG IgA is the result most suggestive of coeliac disease, and the higher it is, the stronger the link.
These measure antibodies to gliadin, a protein in gluten. They can rise in coeliac disease and in people who don’t have it, so read them as support for the tTG result. Australian guidance now prefers deamidated gliadin peptide (DGP) IgG over native gliadin antibodies.
People with IgA deficiency can have a falsely negative tTG IgA. Coeliac Australia pairs tTG IgA with a total IgA level or DGP IgG. The Coeliac Profile does not include total IgA, so check it with the GP if the result doesn’t fit the picture.
Nearly everyone with coeliac disease carries HLA DQ2 or DQ8. Nutripath’s report types HLA-DQA1 and HLA-DQB1 and gives the DQ serotype, which shows whether DQ2 or DQ8 is present. Its report comments focus on biotoxin haplotypes rather than coeliac risk, so read the DQ typing, not the haplotype comments, for this question.
| Nutripath test | Code | Sample | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coeliac Profile | 2022 | Blood | 2 business days |
| HLA DQ/DR Genetic Studies (coeliac genes) | 3401 | Blood | 12 to 15 business days |
How do you order coeliac testing through Vively?
- Get verified. You need to be a verified practitioner to refer tests. Practitioners with a recognised qualification or membership (ATMS, NHAA, ANTA, Dietitians Australia, NSA, CMA or Ahpra registration) can request free practitioner access.
- Build the order. Log in to the practitioner platform, choose the Nutripath test and add any blood tests or the $99 Baseline Health Check to the same order. Pricing shows in your account, and either your client or your practice can pay.
- Kit and blood draw. Nutripath posts your client a kit with the tubes and request form. Your client takes it to a partner pathology collection centre for the blood draw, early in the week (Monday to Wednesday), then posts the sample back to Nutripath in the express packaging provided.
- Review the report. Nutripath’s PDF report is filed in your client’s record and app, next to their blood results, ready for the follow-up consult.
See every Nutripath test you can order on the Nutripath tests page.
Order coeliac testing with your client’s other blood tests
Free access for verified naturopaths, nutritionists and dietitians. Order Nutripath tests and blood pathology in one place, and see every result in your client’s record.
What does a coeliac test result tell you, and what does it not?
Coeliac blood tests are good screening tools when the client is eating gluten. None of them diagnose coeliac disease on their own.
Antibodies fall once gluten is reduced or stopped, so a test taken on a low gluten or gluten free diet can be falsely negative. Coeliac Australia advises a normal gluten containing diet, about 10 g of gluten a day for adults, for at least 6 weeks before testing (Coeliac Australia, 2021).
A positive blood test points to coeliac disease. A gastroenterologist confirms it with a small bowel biopsy, and the client should keep eating gluten until that is done (Coeliac Australia; Rubio-Tapia et al., 2023).
Over 99% of people with coeliac disease carry DQ2 or DQ8, so a negative result makes coeliac disease very unlikely. About half the population carries them, so a positive result only means it is possible. The gene test works on any diet.
Raised gliadin antibodies with a normal tTG IgA do not diagnose coeliac disease or non-coeliac gluten sensitivity. There is no validated blood test for non-coeliac gluten sensitivity.
How does coeliac testing fit with blood work?
Coeliac disease often shows up first as a nutrient problem. Order the coeliac tests with markers of absorption so the GP letter has the whole picture.
- ReferRaised tTG IgA with low ferritin or low haemoglobin
A classic coeliac picture: antibodies plus poor iron absorption. Refer to the GP for a gastroenterology referral, and keep the client on gluten until the biopsy.
- ReferRaised tTG IgA with low B12, folate or vitamin D
Small bowel damage reduces absorption of several nutrients. Note the deficiencies in the referral; replacement is usually started alongside the diagnosis.
- ContextNormal tTG IgA but low ferritin with no other cause
A normal tTG IgA can be falsely negative in IgA deficiency or after cutting back on gluten. Ask the GP about total IgA and DGP IgG before ruling coeliac disease out.
- LowNegative DQ2 and DQ8 genes
Coeliac disease is very unlikely, whatever the client eats. Look for other causes of the symptoms or nutrient gaps.
What can affect a coeliac result?
- Eating little or no gluten in the 6 weeks before the blood test
- IgA deficiency, which can make tTG IgA falsely negative
- Immunosuppressant medicines, including corticosteroids
- Other autoimmune or inflammatory conditions, which can raise gliadin antibodies
- Age: antibody tests are less reliable in children under 2
When should you refer the client to their GP?
- Any raised tTG IgA, or raised gliadin antibodies with symptoms
- Iron deficiency anaemia, low B12 or folate, or unexplained weight loss
- Diarrhoea, rectal bleeding or abdominal pain that is new or getting worse
- Type 1 diabetes, autoimmune thyroid disease or a first degree relative with coeliac disease
- A client who wants to stop gluten before testing is complete
How should a client prepare for a coeliac blood test?
Copy or print this to send to your client. Follow the instructions in the Nutripath kit if they differ.
Preparing for your coeliac blood test
- Keep eating gluten until all your coeliac tests are finished. If you have cut back, ask your practitioner about a gluten challenge: Coeliac Australia suggests about 10 g of gluten a day (about 4 slices of wheat bread) for at least 6 weeks before the test.
- Don’t start a gluten free diet, even if a result comes back positive, until a specialist tells you to.
- You don’t need to fast for the coeliac blood test or the gene test.
- Nutripath will post you a kit with the tubes and a request form. Take the whole kit to a partner pathology collection centre, Monday to Wednesday.
- After the blood is taken, the collector hands the tubes back to you. Pack them as the kit describes and post them to Nutripath the same day.
- Keep taking prescribed medicines as usual unless your doctor tells you otherwise.
What does the coeliac report look like?
Nutripath publishes sample reports on its website. They open in a new tab.
How do practitioners use coeliac testing with clients?
Test before anyone goes gluten free. A client with bloating, loose stools, low iron or fatigue who is thinking about cutting gluten should have coeliac serology first, while still eating it. If they’ve already stopped, the gene test is the useful first step: a negative result means no gluten challenge is needed. A positive blood test goes to the GP with the result and the nutrient markers, and the client keeps eating gluten until the gastroenterologist has done the biopsy.
Coeliac testing FAQs
Can a naturopath, nutritionist or dietitian order a coeliac test through Vively?
Yes. You need to be a verified practitioner to refer it. Add Nutripath’s Coeliac Profile or HLA DQ/DR gene test to an order in the Vively practitioner platform, on its own or with other blood tests. Pricing shows in your account. No account yet? Request free access.
Does my client need to be eating gluten for a coeliac blood test?
Yes. Antibodies fall when gluten is reduced, so the blood test can miss coeliac disease in someone eating little or no gluten. Coeliac Australia suggests about 10 g of gluten a day for at least 6 weeks before testing for adults, and half that for children, after discussion with their doctor.
What does a positive coeliac blood test mean?
It means coeliac disease is likely enough to need a specialist. The GP refers to a gastroenterologist, who confirms the diagnosis with a small bowel biopsy. The client keeps eating gluten until then.
Is a coeliac test the same as a gluten intolerance test?
No. A coeliac test looks for coeliac disease, an autoimmune condition with clear blood markers. There is no blood test for gluten intolerance (non coeliac gluten sensitivity). A GP considers it only after coeliac disease and wheat allergy are ruled out, so test for coeliac disease before the client cuts out gluten.
What does the coeliac gene test show?
Whether the client carries HLA DQ2 or DQ8. A negative result makes coeliac disease very unlikely. A positive result is common, about half the population carries these genes, and only shows coeliac disease is possible. The gene test does not depend on what the client eats.
Does the Coeliac Profile include total IgA?
No. It measures gliadin IgA, gliadin IgG and transglutaminase IgA. If IgA deficiency is possible, or a negative result doesn’t fit the symptoms, ask the GP to check total IgA and DGP IgG.
References
- Coeliac Australia. Diagnosis of coeliac disease. coeliac.org.au, checked 20 October 2026.
- Coeliac Australia. Gluten challenge fact sheet. June 2021.
- Rubio-Tapia A, Hill ID, Semrad C, Kelly CP, Greer KB, Limketkai BN, Lebwohl B. American College of Gastroenterology guidelines update: diagnosis and management of celiac disease. American Journal of Gastroenterology. 2023;118(1):59-76.
- Nutripath. Coeliac Profile, test code 2022, and HLA DQ/DR Genetic Studies, test code 3401, with sample reports. nutripath.com.au, checked 20 October 2026.