Melbourne researchers have developed a “game changer” new blood test to replace the painful process of detecting coeliac disease.

It is estimated that more than 350,000 Australians live with coeliac disease, a condition that scientists say is underdiagnosed.

The current diagnostic process requires patients to consume gluten for weeks to ensure accurate test results, often triggering adverse reactions. 

At present, those following a gluten-free diet to manage symptoms need to consume gluten again for a few weeks to obtain reliable test results.

“It’s completely counter intuitive,” Associate Professor Jason Tye-Din from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) said.

“Many people will experience symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhoea, vomiting, pain and nausea.”

The new test, developed at WEHI, mixes a patient’s blood sample with gluten fragments in a test tube for a day.

If a specific immune marker appears, they can then be diagnosed with coeliac disease.

“The higher the chemical elevation is… the more likely the person is to have bad symptoms to gluten,” Tye-Din said.

This method potentially eliminates the need for a biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. 

“Particularly for children, not having to go through that gastroscopy would be really, really good,” Olivia Moscatelli from WEHI said.

It is anticipated that the new blood test will be available within two years.