T-Transglutaminase Iga Ab

[HumanDecency]

Celiac friends, 

 

I really need some help here. I am flipping the hell out. I'm trying to calm down but I need some understanding. I just got my follow up test results back on the test noted above.

 

T-TRANSGLUTAMINASE IGA AB <4 U/mL 45 H

 

 

45?? Can someone give me something to relate to here? I don't know what my diagnosis number was because my goddamn ex-GI didn't tell me. I've been what I thought was Gluten free for 4 months. I tossed all my kitchen stuff. I eat nothing with gluten in it. I don't really go out.  I changed my pet's food. Yet, I have to be getting contaminated somewhere, and it seems like it has to be frequently with such a high number. Am I wrong? I'm going to recheck my medicines in the morning because that's all I can figure... but I'm really flipping out over this. I was wondering why I wasn't getting better. How harmful is this number?

 

I just want to get better

 

Jesse

[nvsmom]

Your levels might have fallen, in fact they probably have if you are gluten-free. It just takes time.... My tTG was off the charts when I was diagnosed and after one year it was still double the upper limit. It can take a lonnnnng time.

((Hugs))

[HumanDecency]

Thanks for the response. I'm a little more put together than last night. I guess I just don't understand this and am scared.

 

I was going through my e-mail and I found this:

 

The records from Dr Arlin show:
1)A markedly elevated T-Transglutaminase IgA AB (>100; normal ,<3)( this is an antibody against and enzyme in the small intestine that develops in celiac, it is probably the most reliable of the 3 antibodies seen in Celiac (T-Transglutaminase IgA AB, endomysial antibodies and gliadin antibodies)
2) Duodenal biopsy consistent with Celiac Disease.

 

Does this mean that I started at over 100 and now I'm down to 45 and gluten free is actually working? Should that 45 not be as high after 4 months? Do you have any kind of idea where you stood and how long it took to get down?

 

Thank you though, I could hug you.

[nvsmom]

You've come down quite a bit (from over 100) - who knows how high it actually was, they just stopped measuring at 100. If you are down to 45, you must be doing something right! 

 

My tTG IgA was >200 but my reference range was 0-20. My last test was 38... I think was. I had been gluten-free for a year with just a few accidents, and no accidents had happened for about 5 months prior to that test.

 

There are other (unlucky) board members who took a few years for their levels to come down. Gottaski (Lisa) is one of those and I believe her levels actually rose in her first year gluten-free. It's just a slower process in some of us so we have to be more patient.  Keep doing what you are doing, it's working. 

[HumanDecency]

What does this stuff mean?

 

 

Component Standard Range Your Value Flag GLIADIN AB, IGG <20 units 35 H (NOTE)
Value Interpretation
<20: Antibody not detected
>=20: Antibody detected GLIADIN AB, IGA <20 units 33 H

[nvsmom]

That looks like the anti-gliadin antibody tesst (AGA IgG and AGA IgG), although it couldpossibly be the deaminated gliadin peptide antibodies (DGP tests - don't think it is though). The AGA tests are for a gliadin (gluten) intolerance and are thought by some to work for both celiacs and those with NCGI, so a positive AGA does not always mean celiac disease... but with a positive tTG iGA test, which indicates damage is being attempted on the intestines, it does indicate celiac disease.

 

As time goes on, those values will fall to normal too, and possibly faster than the tTG test does. They are only approximately 50-70% higher than the upper limit, so they are high, but not radically so. Once gliadin is totally out of your system, and your body has calmed down, those numbers will come down.

[GottaSki]

Hi There!

 

It can take time for all your antibody tests to get back in normal range if your initial numbers were high.  The numbers don't mean much without comparison.

 

If your initial tTG was over 100 then 45 is the right direction -- make sure the Gliadin numbers have also fallen from your initial blood tests.

 

My antibody tests were all relatively low positive at dx so did get back within normal range during the first six months and were near 0 at a year.  However, my annual biopsies did reflect worse damage after the first year and only improved minimally at year three -- I had them annually as my symptoms were not improving over those first years...the autoimmune symptoms all became far worse.  

 

So much is just not known about why it takes some longer than others to heal.  If your symptoms have improved - I would double check your meds, personal care products and then try to be patient until your next blood check -- my guess is the numbers will continue to move in the right direction....sometimes it just takes time.

 

Hang in there