I don't think jerf meant that individuals who test positive (via serum or biopsy) should try a gluten-challenge, and then rule out Celiac based on not having a reaction. I think rather he meant that those who test negative on the standard tests should try the gluten-challenge, and if they show no reaction, they should move on and look elsewhere for a solution. Not meaning to put words into his mouth, but that's what I took away from it.
Sorry to hear about your neighbor. I've wondered lately how many people actually die from Celiac, either directly, from complications, or via suicide due to lack-of-diagnosis. I bet the suicide numbers are pretty high.
The problem with my neighbor was that he was an old (75 or so) stubborn WWII veteran who didn't recognize that he had a problem earlier on until he landed in the hospital and had almost no intestine left. He almost died there since there was a lot of internal bleeding and still, in the US anyway, Celiac isn't well understood by all doctors. He had to change to a gluten-free diet, but basically he couldn't figure out how to eat since everything he ate for his life had gluten in it. This was more of an education and class issue than anything, in my view. Later on in life, he just got more and more depressed about his situation and eventually died just a few days after he broke his hip in hospital while there getting treatment for internal bleeding caused by his Celiac. His family said at that point he had lost his will to live and simply gave up.
Sorry to hear about your neighbor. I've wondered lately how many people actually die from Celiac, either directly, from complications, or via suicide due to lack-of-diagnosis. I bet the suicide numbers are pretty high.