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Help Me Interpret Test Results?

OmgTaylor

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OmgTaylor Newbie
OmgTaylor
Posted

So I was told I didn't have celiac but started a gluten free diet anyway. I feel better when I don't eat gluten but I cant stop thinking about whether I have celiac or not. Can anyone interpret these results, also did my doctor even do thorough enough testing? Thanks in advance.

 

Endomysial Antibody IgA: Negative

t-transglutaminase IgA: <2     (Negative 0-3, Weak Positive 4-10, Positive >10)

Immunoglubulin A, Qn, Serum: 121mg/dL   (Expected range 91-414)

 

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Deaminated Marcus Apprentice
Deaminated Marcus
Posted

Welcome to the forum OmgTaylor,

 

You do have enough Total IgA blood serum.

 

How long were you eating bread-gluten prior to the blood tests?

 

Did the doctor do an upper endoscopy and biopsy?

 

One more blood test would be the DGP-IgG.

 

Sometimes it's positive when the other blood tests are negative.

nvsmom Community Regular
nvsmom
Posted

That's a pretty common partial celiac panel that many doctors run, that's what they ran on me too.  As Marcus said though, it is not the complete panel. There is also:

  • deaminated gliadin peptides (DMG IgG and DGP IgA)
  • anti-tissue transglutiminase (tTG IgG - you had tTG IgA done)

So far, your celiac tests are negative. It is possible to have some negative tests and other positive tests so you might want to request the DGP IgG - it is one of the most specific tests to celiac out there, pretty sensitive to the disease too.

 

For the tests to be accurate, you must be consuming gluten (1-4 slices of bread or the equivalent) for 4-12 weeks prior to blood testing, or 2-4 weeks prior to endoscopic biopsy.

 

If your blood tests all end up negative, you could request an endoscopic biopsy; that catches some cases of celiac disease that blood tests miss.  It's not common but it happens.

 

There is a good chance that you are Non-celiac Gluten Intolerant (NCGI) which means you have all the same horrible symptoms of celiac disease minus the intestinal villi damage, so there is no reliable way to test for that disorder besides the gluten-free diet.  After you have decided that your testing is complete, you should probably try out the gluten-free diet for at least 3 months and document how your symptoms change.

 

Best wishes, and welcome to the board.  :)

OmgTaylor Newbie
OmgTaylor
Posted
  • Author

Another thing that might be relevant is that I've also been diagnosed as folic acid deficient and vitamin d deficient. 

 

 

Welcome to the forum OmgTaylor,

 

You do have enough Total IgA blood serum.

 

How long were you eating bread-gluten prior to the blood tests?

 

Did the doctor do an upper endoscopy and biopsy?

 

One more blood test would be the DGP-IgG.

 

Sometimes it's positive when the other blood tests are negative.

I hadn't purposefully gone gluten-free at the point these tests were conducted. Does total IgA Serum indicative of celiac or can it be indicative of something else? I haven't done an endoscopy because the doctor was pretty much done with me after all my tests were negative. I left feeling very crest fallen and haven't really been in the state of mind to consider perusing this further for the past six months besides random bouts of following the gluten free diet.

frieze Community Regular
frieze
Posted

Another thing that might be relevant is that I've also been diagnosed as folic acid deficient and vitamin d deficient. 

 

 

I hadn't purposefully gone gluten-free at the point these tests were conducted. Does total IgA Serum indicative of celiac or can it be indicative of something else? I haven't done an endoscopy because the doctor was pretty much done with me after all my tests were negative. I left feeling very crest fallen and haven't really been in the state of mind to consider perusing this further for the past six months besides random bouts of following the gluten free diet.

the only reason for doing the "total" IgA is to determine that you make enough so that the testing valid.  If you can't get the DGPs run, the only thing you can do is trial the diet.

nvsmom Community Regular
nvsmom
Posted

As I understand it, the IgA is just once aspect of your immune function. IgG, IgM, and IgE are further parts.

I do not believe a low IgA is usually cause for concern.

Try not to let your negative tests discourage you from figuring out what is wrong. Because you are low in IgA, you have not yet had any tests that can tell you if you ave celiac or not. It is almost like giving a blood glucose test to a woman to find out if she is pregnant.... Not helpful at all. You need the right test.

Don't go gluten-free until you are done testing.

taynichaf Contributor
taynichaf
Posted

I had these results come out negative too.... Then I decided to go to a different doctor and get ALL the tests done... But she ran the same exact test :/ Which came back negative again. But that doctor got me in to get an endoscopy, so I can't complain too much. Now just waiting for those results... I was going to try and go to another doctor and get the tests, but I'm so tired of feeling like this, and gluten makes my depression reallllly bad..

 

So, don't give up yet! Write down the other tests and bring them to your doctor. Ohh, and try to get them to listen to you...

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Deaminated Marcus Apprentice
Deaminated Marcus
Posted

Well said nvsmom and taynichaf. :)   

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