Evidence check: Zöliakie Test in the context of allergy

The celiac test in the context of allergy is often misunderstood. Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition, not an allergy. Genetic tests (HLA-DQ2/DQ8) can rule out celiac with high confidence but cannot diagnose it. A positive HLA result indicates only a predisposition – about 30 % of the population carry risk alleles, yet only 1–2 % develop the disease. Diagnosis requires serological markers (tTG-IgA) and duodenal biopsy. In an allergy context, the test is misleading because it does not detect IgE-mediated reactions. The evidence for the predictive value of HLA testing is strong (human-strong), but its clinical relevance for allergies is absent. Consumers should understand that a standalone DNA test without blood markers cannot confirm or exclude celiac disease. For suspected wheat allergy or intolerance, other methods (IgE test, elimination diet) are necessary.