Transglutam Iga Ab Test Results

[Dandy]

I've been having IBS symptoms for a couple months, and saw a GI recently who had me have blood work done to test for celiac desease.  I had not received the results in over a week so I called his secretary and she said he is on vacation.  She said the result was 5 units, and that's all she said.  I finally got her to fax me the lab report.  The doctor's discharge note from my visit listed Labs Transglutam IgA Ab and Total Serum IgA.  The lab report that I received from his secretary today shows:

 

IgA                              228                      MG/DL     70-400

TRANSGLUT IgA           5                      UNITS    <       20

 

< 20 Units        Negative

20 - 30 Units    Weak Positive

> 30 Units        Moderate to Strong Positive

 

 

This, I assume, would show that I am negative for the antibodies?  But I don't know.  I have researched the tests on the net and saw that tissue transglutaminase antibody test is < 4 negative, 4 - 10 weak positive, and 10 - 20 positive.  Are these 2 different tests?  The secretary called the doctor and he said the only way to know for sure is to perform an EGD and take a biopsy to check the intestine tissue.  I told her I had read that the gene test for DQ2 and DQ8 should be done as a process of elimination, and she said it is very expensive and my insurance probably wouldn't pay for it.  Can anyone clarify these tests, my results, and what the next steps should be?  Thank you!

[mushroom]

I've been having IBS symptoms for a couple months, and saw a GI recently who had me have blood work done to test for celiac desease.  I had not received the results in over a week so I called his secretary and she said he is on vacation.  She said the result was 5 units, and that's all she said.  I finally got her to fax me the lab report.  The doctor's discharge note from my visit listed Labs Transglutam IgA Ab and Total Serum IgA.  The lab report that I received from his secretary today shows:

 

IgA                              228                      MG/DL     70-400

TRANSGLUT IgA           5                      UNITS    <       20

 

< 20 Units        Negative

20 - 30 Units    Weak Positive

> 30 Units        Moderate to Strong Positive

 

 

This, I assume, would show that I am negative for the antibodies?  But I don't know.  I have researched the tests on the net and saw that tissue transglutaminase antibody test is < 4 negative, 4 - 10 weak positive, and 10 - 20 positive.  Are these 2 different tests?  The secretary called the doctor and he said the only way to know for sure is to perform an EGD and take a biopsy to check the intestine tissue.  I told her I had read that the gene test for DQ2 and DQ8 should be done as a process of elimination, and she said it is very expensive and my insurance probably wouldn't pay for it.  Can anyone clarify these tests, my results, and what the next steps should be?  Thank you!

The tTG is not the only celiac test, although one doctors love to use on its own as a screening test with the total IgA as a control, as your doctor did.

 

I would ask him to also order the DGP, the newest and most specific and sensitive of the celiac tests, which will usually pick up celiac earlier than the tTG.  I would do this test before thinking of the genetic test which only shows whether you have a predisposition to develop the disease, not whether you have it or not.   If you are still negative, then as your doc says you could consider the EGD (with at least 6 biopsies, NOT just one!  By the way, your confusion about the ranges comes from the fact that labs set their own ranges based upon the equipment they use and their experience, so the ranges between labs vary.

 

Welcome to the board and just holler with further questions.