Low Iga

[Delphyne]

I've had stomach issues all my life. I also suffer from fatigue, depression and anxiety. I went to the doctor, because I was having issues losing weight and had noticed if I stopped eating bread I would lose again. She did a celiac panel on me and the results were: TTG Ab, IgA 0<7.0. Gliadin DGP Ab IgA 0<7.0. IgA 30. I had been eating bread prior to the test: hard to give up. I don't get the results. How can everything be 0? Doctor told me to go gluten free. She isn't specific, but could I just have a sensitivity?

[nvsmom]

Welcome to the board.  

 

Did you get the range of your IgA (total serum IgA I assume)? If you are low in IgA, which you would be for some labs (ranges can REALLY vary though), then the other tests would be invalid - IgA is a control test.  If your IgA is below the normal range, you will need to repeat your celiac tests but with the IgG versions (tTG IgG, and DGP IgG).

 

You could have a sensitivity but I wouldn't say "just a sensitivity". Non-celiac Gluten Intolerance (NCGI) has all the same symptoms of celiac disease (meaning you feel just as poorly) minus the intestinal villi damage. NCGI could cause your symptoms... definitely.

 

My advice would be to check if your IgA was in the normal range. If it was, then you could be NCGI and you should go 100% gluten-free for at least 3 months to test that theory. Eating small amounts of gluten could negate any health benefits gained while on the gluten-free diet so try to be 100% gluten-free.

 

If your IgA is below the normal range, or even at the bottom of the range, continue eating gluten and have the IgG versions of the celiac tests run. If those are negative then you are back to trying the gluten-free diet, and if it's positive, then you are back to the gluten-free diet again.  LOL   

 

Best wishes!

[Delphyne]

Thanks for the welcome and the response. The IgA levels they gave were 87- 474, so I guess I'm really low. If I want to peruse more test I will probably have to see another doctor. Mine just says to go gluten free and see if it makes a difference. She's helpful at times and others: not so much…lol

[nvsmom]

Oh yeah... you are way too far below the normal IgA levels for an accurate test using IgA. About 5% of celiacs (which is higher than the regular population) are deficient in IgA - it's why they check your Iga levels...And good thing they did for you!

 

DGP IgG is one of the most specific and sensitive tests out there now a days, tTg IgG is not too bad. You might want to request those tests to see if she'll run them.

 

Good luck.  

[Deaminated Marcus]

Well that doctor never heard of DGP-IgG 

How messed up things are that the patients have to know more than the doctor.

She should know that your low IgA invalidates your blood test results.

 

I went through a similar situation.

I went gluten free in October 2010.

I felt better and I went to see my doctor.

She didn't want me to be tested.

She said keep eating gluten free.

But in the next year all my aches and pains returned.

 

Then my new doctor wanted me to be tested but it came back negative after a short gluten challenge

so I'm still eating bread.

 

Keep eating gluten-bread and get the DGP-IgG blood test.

 

Good luck.

[Delphyne]

Thank you for the help!!!

[1desperateladysaved]

I've had stomach issues all my life. I also suffer from fatigue, depression and anxiety. I went to the doctor, because I was having issues losing weight and had noticed if I stopped eating bread I would lose again. She did a celiac panel on me and the results were: TTG Ab, IgA 0<7.0. Gliadin DGP Ab IgA 0<7.0. IgA 30. I had been eating bread prior to the test: hard to give up. I don't get the results. How can everything be 0? Doctor told me to go gluten free. She isn't specific, but could I just have a sensitivity?

Oh, my total IgA was 5.6 I just got to ask the doctor about this.