Jump to content
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Need Help Interpreting Iga Blood Test Results


kristin21

Recommended Posts

kristin21 Newbie

Hi everyone!

 

I've been gluten free for 3 years now, and I just had my IgG and IgA levels tested again because I still have a lot of bloating and distention despite eliminating gluten and some other foods 1 year ago that I found out I had intolerances too. And then 2 weeks ago, I eliminated a few other foods I discovered I had intolerances too (almond, refined sugar, etc.), and starting introducing some of the foods I had previously eliminated because of intolerances, but that blood work showed I was ok with now (poultry, eggs, etc.).

 

However, 3 years later, I'm still experiencing bloating and distention, although it has gotten better over the years. Like I said, I just had the antibody levels checked again, and everything has gone down, except IgA is still above 'normal'. Does this mean that I'm still ingesting gluten somehow? Or does it point to some other problem? Any help would be appreciated. I have posted my initial and new blood test results here.

 

Upon Diagnosis

Deamidated Gliadin IgA 70.3 U/mol

Deamidated Gliadin IgG 24.1 U/mol

Transglutaminase IgA AB 2.6 U/mol

(the reference range says these numbers should be below 12 U/mol)

 

New Results

Deamidated Gliadin IgA 21.2 U/mol

Deamidated Gliadin IgG 1.5 U/mol

Transglutaminase IgA AB 0.3 U/mol

(the reference range for this test shows that these should be below 9.99 U/mol)


Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):



Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):



nvsmom Community Regular

Welcome to the board.

The DGP IgA is thought to be one of the better tests for monitoring compliance to the gluten-free diet. If it is positive, it is usually gluten causing it. I do not know what could cause a false positive in that test. :(

Could it be gluten? Is it possible that something was contaminated?

kristin21 Newbie

Welcome to the board.

The DGP IgA is thought to be one of the better tests for monitoring compliance to the gluten-free diet. If it is positive, it is usually gluten causing it. I do not know what could cause a false positive in that test. :(

Could it be gluten? Is it possible that something was contaminated?

Thanks for the reply. I had suspected that that's what it meant, but I just wanted to make sure. It's pretty disheartening to know that I'm still getting gluten after 3 years, cause I thought I was being so careful. Apparently not. 

 

I still live at home, and my mom eats gluten. So it must be a cross contamination issue, because I'm really careful with the foods that I buy. The only other thing would maybe be the birth control I'm on, or maybe vitamins, even though all the ones I take say that there's no gluten in them. Has anyone had any experience with Trophic brand and Health First brand vitamins? 

cyclinglady Grand Master

Definitely check the birth control pills.

nvsmom Community Regular

Once you've checked and tweaked your diet, meds, shampoos and such, I would ask for a DGP retest in 3 to 6 months to see if it does go down... Just in case it IS something else that is raising it up. There is a LOT I don't know about those tests, and that probably applies to many of the doctors too.

 

Good luck!  I hope you figure it out. :)

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,685
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    tdouglas2901
    Newest Member
    tdouglas2901
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      I'd go with a vodka tonic, but that's just me😉
    • Rejoicephd
      That and my nutritionist also said that drinking cider is one of the worst drink choices for me, given that I have candida overgrowth.  She said the combination of the alcohol and sugar would be very likely to worsen my candida problem.  She suggested that if I drink, I go for clear vodka, either neat or with a splash of cranberry.   So in summary, I am giving ciders a rest.  Whether it's a gluten risk or sugars and yeast overgrowth, its just not worth it.
    • Inkie
      Thank you for the information ill will definitely bring it into practice .
    • Scott Adams
      While plain, pure tea leaves (black, green, or white) are naturally gluten-free, the issue often lies not with the tea itself but with other ingredients or processing. Many flavored teas use barley malt or other gluten-containing grains as a flavoring agent, which would be clearly listed on the ingredient label. Cross-contamination is another possibility, either in the facility where the tea is processed or, surprisingly, from the tea bag material itself—some tea bags are sealed with a wheat-based glue. Furthermore, it's important to consider that your reaction could be to other substances in tea, such as high levels of tannins, which can be hard on the stomach, or to natural histamines or other compounds that can cause a non-celiac immune response. The best way to investigate is to carefully read labels for hidden ingredients, try switching to a certified gluten-free tea brand that uses whole leaf or pyramid-style bags, and see if the reaction persists.
    • Scott Adams
      This is a challenging and confusing situation. The combination of a positive EMA—which is a highly specific marker rarely yielding false positives—alongside strongly elevated TTG on two separate occasions, years apart, is profoundly suggestive of celiac disease, even in the absence of biopsy damage. This pattern strongly aligns with what is known as "potential celiac disease," where the immune system is clearly activated, but intestinal damage has not yet become visible under the microscope. Your concern about the long-term risk of continued gluten consumption is valid, especially given your family's experience with the consequences of delayed diagnosis. Since your daughter is now at an age where her buy-in is essential for a gluten-free lifestyle, obtaining a definitive answer is crucial for her long-term adherence and health. Given that she is asymptomatic yet serologically positive, a third biopsy now, after a proper 12-week challenge, offers the best chance to capture any microscopic damage that may have developed, providing the concrete evidence needed to justify the dietary change. This isn't about wanting her to have celiac; it's about wanting to prevent the insidious damage that can occur while waiting for symptoms to appear, and ultimately giving her the unambiguous "why" she needs to accept and commit to the necessary treatment. This article might be helpful. It breaks down each type of test, and what a positive results means in terms of the probability that you might have celiac disease. One test that always needs to be done is the IgA Levels/Deficiency Test (often called "Total IGA") because some people are naturally IGA deficient, and if this is the case, then certain blood tests for celiac disease might be false-negative, and other types of tests need to be done to make an accurate diagnosis. The article includes the "Mayo Clinic Protocol," which is the best overall protocol for results to be ~98% accurate.    
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.