<prompt> Gold standard method of diagnosing celiac disease is: March 2012Small bowel biopsyAnti-endomysial antibodiesBlood pictureBiochemical tests  <response>: Ans: A i.e. Small bowel biopsy Diagnosis of celiac disease Endoscopic small bowel biopsy is the gold standard for diagnosing celiac disease IgA anti-endomysial antibodies are detectable by immunofluorescence in most untreated cases. They are not quantitative, but are sensitivie 85-95 and specific approximately 99 for the diagnosis, except in very young infants A full blood count in celiac disease may show microcytic or macrocytic anaemia from iron or folate deficiency and features of hyposplenism target cells, spherocytes and Howell-Jolly bodies Biochemical tests may reveal reduced concentrations of calcium, magnesium, total protein, albumin or vitamin D 