How Does The Home Biocard™ Celiac Test Work?

The Biocard™ Celiac Test measures the presence of antibodies in the blood. The existence of certain antibodies in the blood is an indicator that the body is having an immune system response to the presence of a specific foreign body. In the case of Celiac disease, this foreign body is gluten.

The test is positive if you have two red lines on the test card. One red line appears in the control field to let you know that you have done the test properly. The second red line appears if your system is having an immune response to gluten. The positive response indicates that the individual being tested has a high probability of being a Celiac. It is recommended that a positive diagnosis using the Biocard™ Celiac Test be confirmed by a medical doctor.

The Celiac test must be performed and the results read within 10 minutes since this is the duration of the chemical reaction time. If a red line does not appear in the test field within 10 minutes of the test, then Celiac disease can virtually be ruled out.

IMPORTANT: If you get a positive result with the Biocard™ Celiac Test it is essential that you continue with a normal diet under the continued supervision of your medical doctor until you have the Celiac diagnosis confirmed by an intestinal biopsy.

For access to a “Dear Doctor Letter” which will help you explain to your doctor the test and your results, click here.

FOR PROFESSIONALS

The Biocard™ Celiac Test is a rapid immunochromatographic test that detects anti-tissue transglutaminase (anti-tTG) IgA antibodies from a blood sample. If the sample contains anti-tTG IgA antibodies, these will bind with the gold labelled anti-IgA antibodies and the tTG (derived from the lysis of red blood cells in the dilution buffer). tTG will then bind the complex to the stationary protein line (test line) forming a visible, red line.

Celiac disease is a serious, lifelong, gastrointestinal disorder that can cause a wide spectrum of clinical symptoms such us diarrhea, abdominal distension, weight loss, malnutrition and skin disorders due to permanent intolerance to gluten, a complex mixture of proteins found in wheat, barley and rye.

The Celiac Test featured here is as accurate as a doctor’s test and uses the same technology to detect specific IgA antibodies that react with tissue transglutaminase – a well known marker for Celiac disease.

All that is required is a small pin-prick of blood from your finger tip which is obtained hygienically with the small sterile lancet within the test kit. You get your results in less than 10 minutes with a clear yes or no.

This simple blood test is CE marked according to the IVD directive 98/79EC demonstrating that it meets the stringent European medical device requirements for a home test for Celiac disease.  In addition, the Biocard Celiac Test is licensed by Health Canada.