Blood Tests Interpretation Please!

[jackjujam]

Hello, I am writing on behalf of my mom. She has been struggling for some time, and has been diagnosed with Peripheral Neuropathy due to vitamin deficiencies. She has also been diagnosed with weight loss from malabsorption. She finally went for a celiac blood panel, and the results are quite confusing. She still hasn't heard from her doctor regarding this - but I think he doesn't have a ton of experience with Celiac because it took him 2 years to even think of testing her.

Anyway her results are as followed:

 

 

Name Test result Range Flag t-Transglutaminase (tTG) IgG 13 U/mL 0-5 H t-Transglutaminase (tTG) IgA <2 0-3 N Deamidated Gliadin Abs, IgG 1 units 0-19 N Deamidated Gliadin Abs, IgA 3 units 0-19 N Immunoglobulin A, Qn, Serum 276 mg/dL 91-414

N
 

 

 

Can anyone shed some light here? We are lost. Thanks!

[nvsmom]

Hello, I am writing on behalf of my mom. She has been struggling for some time, and has been diagnosed with Peripheral Neuropathy due to vitamin deficiencies. She has also been diagnosed with weight loss from malabsorption. She finally went for a celiac blood panel, and the results are quite confusing. She still hasn't heard from her doctor regarding this - but I think he doesn't have a ton of experience with Celiac because it took him 2 years to even think of testing her.

Anyway her results are as followed:

 

 

Name Test result

Range Flag t-Transglutaminase (tTG) IgG 13 U/mL 0-5 H

t-Transglutaminase (tTG) IgA <2 0-3 N

Deamidated Gliadin Abs, IgG 1 units 0-19 N

Deamidated Gliadin Abs, IgA 3 units 0-19 N

Immunoglobulin A, Qn, Serum 276 mg/dL 91-414 N

 

 

Welcome to the board.

 

She has one positive celiac test (it is not unusual to be positive in only one test- that's why they run so many). Her t-transglutaminase (tTG IgG is 13 when normal is 0-5; she is almost 3 times above the normal range which is fairly significant. That is not an overly sensitive test for celiacs, meaning it often misses celiacs, so she is lucky that it caught her.

 

The tTG IgA is negative at <2.  The Deaminated Gliadin Abs IgA (DGP IgA) was negative at 1, and the DGP IgG was negative at 3.  The immunoglobulin A Qn Serum is a control test to make sure she makes enough IgA for her IgA based tests (tTG IgA and DGP IgA) to be accurate; 5% of celiacs are deficient in IgA so that's why they ran that test.  Her IgA looks fine.

 

Vitamin deficiencies (especially in A, D, B12, Fe, Ca, K, Fe, ferritin, Mg, zinc, Cu) are very common among celiacs.  Neuropathies are also a symptom of celiac disease which can be helped with the gluten-free diet, but ataxias, joint pain, and neuropathies are slow to improve and may take a good year to show improvement on the gluten-free diet.

 

I would guess that she has celiac disease.  The GI may want to do an endoscopic biopsy on her next to look for villi damage.  Ensure that 6+ samples get taken as damage can be spotty and missed resulting in a false negative biopsy (in up to 1 in 5 cases).  Do not go gluten-free until all testing is done or that will affect the results.  She will have to eat gluten in the 2-4 weeks prior to the biopsy... if she gets it done (some opt to skip it and go gluten-free immediately).

 

You should also get yourself and all immediate family checked for celiac disease. It's a genetic disease that does not always present with obvious symptoms. My celiac disease led to a blood disease, thyroiditis, migraines, and arthritis, beyond the obvious  and easy to ignore tummy aches.

 

Best wishes to you and your mother.  

[jackjujam]

Thank you so very much for your reply. I tried googling it, and there wasn't a lot of information regarding the IgG verses the IgA. You explained it perfectly, thank you! 

[nvsmom]

Glad to help. Let us know what you all decide to do.