Confused Whether To Start Gluten Free Diet

[kmb4]

Hi Everyone,

I'm a little confused on whether I need to start a gluten free diet or not. My niece has celiac disease and it was found out that she got a gene from my brother. I decided to get tested myself since I have a thyroid problem and the start of osteopenia which are signs of a gluten sensitivity. I went through Enterolab. I was found that my numbers were lower than the limit but that I had genes that predisposed me to gluten sensitivity and celiac. below is the summary for the results. I'm 56 so I'm wondering if I was going to be gluten sensitive or get celiac wouldn't it have shown up by now? I could go on a gluten free diet as precautionary effort but wonder if that is over kill. Any ideas?

thanks for your help

Karen

 

my number was 5 units and normal is 10. I had been watching my diet though and not eating gluten before this test, although they said that would be alright.


Interpretation of Fecal Anti-gliadin IgA:  The level of intestinal anti-gliadin IgA antibody was below the upper limit of normal, and hence there is no direct evidence of active gluten sensitivity from this test. However, because 1 in 500 people cannot make IgA at all, and rarely, some immunocompetent people can still have clinically significant reactions to a food antigen despite the lack of a significant antibody reaction (because the reactions primarily involve T cells), the level of fecal anti-gliadin antibody can be normal despite clinically significant gluten sensitivity. Therefore, if you have a syndrome known to be associated with gluten sensitivity (of which there are many but mainly falling into six categories abbreviated as NAAAGS – neuropsychiatric, autoimmune, asthma, abdominal, glandular deficiencies/hyperactivity, or skin diseases) or symptoms of gluten sensitivity (such as abdominal symptoms - pain, cramping, bloating, gas, diarrhea and/or constipation, chronic headaches, chronic sinus congestion, depression, arthritis, chronic skin problems/rashes, fibromyalgia, and/or chronic fatigue), a gluten-free diet may help you despite a negative test.  if you have no syndrome or symptoms associated with gluten sensitivity, you can follow a gluten-containing healthy diet and retest in 3-5 years; or you may opt to go gluten-free purely as a preventive measure. If you have been on a gluten-free diet or reduced gluten diet for many months or years at the time of testing, this can (but not always) reduce your fecal antigliadin antibody level into the normal range despite underlying gluten sensitivity. (Usually it takes two or more years of a gluten-free diet to normalize a previously elevated fecal antigliadin antibody level, depending on the strictness of the diet; however, sometimes, this time period can be shorter, especially if the original value was only minimally elevated.)


nterpretation of HLA-DQ Testing:  HLA-DQB1 gene analysis reveals that you have one of the genes that predisposes to gluten sensitivity and celiac disease, in your case HLA-DQB1*0201. Each of your offspring has a 50% chance of receiving this gene from you, and at least one of your parents passed it to you. You also have a non-celiac gene predisposing to gluten sensitivity, in your case HLA-DQB1*0305. Having one celiac gene and one gluten sensitive gene means that each of your parents and all of your children (if you have them) will possess at least one copy of a gluten sensitive gene. Having two copies also means there is an even stronger predisposition to gluten sensitivity than having one gene, and the resultant immunologic gluten sensitivity or celiac disease may be more severe. This test was developed and its performance characteristics determined by the American Red Cross - Northeast Division


 

[Mum in Norway]

It is very important to eat gluten prior to celiac testing. If you don't, you can get a false negative result.For how ling before your test did you avoid gluten?

 

As for being genetlicly disposed, I don't think there is a general consensus on diet. Som docs say you should be glutenfree to avoid developing it, some say stick with your normal diet, some say to lower your gluten intake.

Celiac can be activated at any age, often by physical or emotional stress, like pregnansy,, illness, personal problems and so on.

 

If it was me, I would try eating lots of gluten for a few weeks and have a new blood test done, just in case. If that came back negative I would try to eat less gluten than I used to, but without letting that be a dominating part of my life. That way it might lower the risk of developing celiac, without being totaly overkill.

 

 

Pardon my spelling, I'm short of time today....

[kareng]

About 30% of the population have at least one of the genes for Celiac.  Most do not develop Celiac.

 

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However, why not get tested for Celiac?  Do not stop eating gluten until all testing is finished - blood tests and possibly endoscopy.

 

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[kmb4]

thanks for your responses. Just to clarify I did not have a blood test done. The test I had done was a stool test by enterolab. They did suggest that I have the blood test done though to rule out celiac. I don't believe the blood test would show up any type of sensitivity , correct?

Karen

[kareng]

thanks for your responses. Just to clarify I did not have a blood test done. The test I had done was a stool test by enterolab. They did suggest that I have the blood test done though to rule out celiac. I don't believe the blood test would show up any type of sensitivity , correct?

Karen

 

 

No.  But there are no legitimate lab tests for gluten sensitivity at this time.