Jump to content

  • 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):

Curious About Dgp Iga Role In Our Bodies

CanadianK

Recommended Posts

CanadianK Apprentice
CanadianK
Posted

I've been thinking about all these tests and what they represent, etc. as I've been waiting for my results. I was just under the cut off for the DGP IgA test .8 where .9 is a weak positive (however I had been gluten lite for years). I've now done my gluten challenge, biopsies and needle pokes (with papers in hand from this group about all the blood tests and biopsy amts, etc. I was armed!). It feels like the end is near and I will have a full picture of "me". 

 

But I've been wondering. What causes your DGP IgA to go up and down? Would it be accurate to say that someone who isn't celiac would have a Zero for DGP IgA? Is it something that is just automatically formed in our bodies and sits dormant but builds over time *if* you're celiac? 

 

If it's an immune response to gluten, and a person has a low number of DGP IgA but "normal" doesn't that mean their body is making *some* antibodies and should avoid gluten (since I've read over and over again how specific this test is for gluten/celiac). 

 

I would love to hear some perspectives on this just for my own edification. 

 

 

 

 

 

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


nvsmom Community Regular
nvsmom
Posted

I've always thought that it seemed odd that normal was not a zero, or close to it, as well.  I tend to suspect that celiac disease could be a problem if the DGP test is close to the cut-off.  That cut-off seems too black and white to me.

 

I had issues with thyroid tests that hovered at the top of the normal range or just out of it for about 15 years.  Doctors insisted I was fine until one day a test finally went high enough that it could no longer be ignored and lo and behold, I suddenly had a thyroid problem. My test had finally crossed that invisible line drawn in the sand...

 

It is entirely possible that your DGP was tested on a low day when it dipped into normal (especially if gluten lite).  It is also possible that is shifted high for just that day.  

 

Plus these tests aren't perfect. The DGP misses 4-18% of all celiacs, and the other tests tend to be less sensitive as seen on page 12 here: Open Original Shared Link  

 

I'm afraid I'm not of much help - just my own personal opinion.  Hopefully someone else who has researched that test can point you to some good information on it.  Best wishes on those tests!  :)

CanadianK Apprentice
CanadianK
Posted
  • Author

Thanks for your reply @nvsmom.

 

All of this is so fascinating for me and I feel like I can't get clear information. My Dr is hesitate to call anything, anything! In fact, she felt perfectly fine to put my 4 year old on reflux meds indefinitely rather than "disrupt the family with diet changes" Um, WHAT?! I politely declined and so now I'm taking it all into my own hands. Over the past 2 years I've been listening and learning about my body's responses to food, and figuring out what the heck is wrong with me, but now to throw my daughter into the mix feels even more urgent - I need to figure all of this out. 

 

I just wish there was consensus within the medical community about all of this. Or at least some transparency… 

 

Anways, out loud thinking :)

 

Anyone else have input about DGP IgA's role within our bodies?

nvsmom Community Regular
nvsmom
Posted

Anyone else have input about DGP IgA's role within our bodies?

 

other causes (besides celiac disease) of a positive DGP IgA or DGP IgG seems to come up every few months around here.  If you search the forum (using the green "Search Forum Via Google" box in the upper left corner of the screen) for DGP IgA causes, you'll find a bunch of other posts by people who went through a very similar thing as you.  If more people don't chime in, you may want to see what's been said in the last year or two about it.  :)

 

Best wishes.

CanadianK Apprentice
CanadianK
Posted
  • Author

Thx nvsmom. I had done that but really couldn't find what I was looking for. I'll keep sleuthing :)

Archived

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

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      134,077
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      10,442
    terrificterry
    Newest Member
    terrificterry
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.7k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Aretaeus Cappadocia
      Edy's and Dreyer's ice cream

      By Aretaeus Cappadocia · Posted

      Sigh. I posted this yesterday based on the Safeway website. I went back again today to their website to double check. On the page where they are selling Vanilla Bean flavor, it has a distinct Certified Gluten Free label. Other flavors on the Safeway website didn't have the gluten-free statement. Today I went into the store. None of the flavors I looked at, including Vanilla Bean, have a Gluten Free statement. Is it safe? Who knows. The ingredients are either safe or nearly safe (some have "natural flavor"). There are warnings about "contains milk and soy" but not about wheat - this implies they are safe, but again, who knows. On the other hand, every flavor I checked of their Slow Churn line of ice creams has wheat as an ingredient. 100% not safe.
    • knitty kitty
      Edy's and Dreyer's ice cream

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Do keep in mind that many of the newly diagnosed have lactose intolerance.  This is because the villi lining the intestinal tract are damaged, and can no longer make the enzyme lactAse which breaks down the milk sugar lactOse.  When the villi grow back (six months to two years), they can again produce the enzyme lactAse, and lactose intolerance is resolved.  However, some people (both those with and without Celiac Disease) are genetically programmed to stop producing lactase as they age.   Do be aware that many processed foods, including ice cream, use Microbial Transglutaminase, a food additive commonly called "meat glue," used to enhance texture and flavor.  This microbial transglutaminase has the same immunogenicity as tissue transglutaminase which the body produces in response to gluten in people with Celiac Disease.  Tissue Transglutaminase (tTg IgA) is measured to diagnose Celiac Disease in blood tests.  Microbial Transglutaminase acts the same as Tissue Transglutaminase, causing increased intestinal permeability and inflammation.   New findings show that microbial transglutaminase may be able to trigger Celiac Disease and other autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases.   Microbial Transglutaminase is not required to be listed on ingredients labels as it's considered a processing aid, not an ingredient in the U.S.  Microbial Transglutaminase has been GRAS for many years, but that GRAS standing is being questioned more and more as the immunogenicity of microbial transglutaminase is being discovered. Interesting Reading:  Microbial Transglutaminase Is a Very Frequently Used Food Additive and Is a Potential Inducer of Autoimmune/Neurodegenerative Diseases https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8537092/
    • Aretaeus Cappadocia
      Edy's and Dreyer's ice cream

      By Aretaeus Cappadocia · Posted

      There is a 10 year old post in this forum on Edy's and Dreyer's ice cream. The information is somewhat outdated and the thread is closed to further comment, so here is a new one. Edy's And Dreyer's Grand Vanilla Bean Ice Cream - 1.5 Quart is labeled "Gluten Free". This is a different answer than years gone by. I don't know the answer for any other flavor at this moment. On 1 May, 2026, Edy's website says: "As a general rule, the gluten in Edy's and Dreyer's® frozen dessert products is present only in the added bakery products, such as cookies, cake or brownies. We always label the eight major food allergens on our package by their common name. We recommend to always check the label for the most current information before purchasing and/or consuming a product. The exception to this rule is our Slow Churned French Silk frozen dairy dessert, which contains gluten in the natural flavors." https://www.icecream.com/us/en/brands/edys-and-dreyers/faq It seems that Edy's and Dreyer's are more celiac-friendly than they were 10 years ago. Once I found enough information to make today's buying decision, I stopped researching.
    • Aretaeus Cappadocia
      EDG 3 years ago fine, now it shows focal villous blunting,

      By Aretaeus Cappadocia · Posted

      probably not your situation @Mimiof2, but allow me to add one more to @trents list of celiac-mimics: "olmesartan-induced sprue-like enteropathy"  
    • knitty kitty
      Terrible Neurological Symptoms

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      My dad had an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm.  Fortunately, it was discovered during an exam.  The doctor could feel my dad's heart beating in his stomach/abdomen.  The aneurysm burst when the doctor first touched it in surgery.  Since he was already hooked up to the bypass machine, my dad survived ten more years.  Close call! Triple A's can press on the nerves in the spinal cord causing leg pain.  I'm wondering if bowing the head might have increased the pressure on an aneurysm and then the nerves.   https://gulfcoastsurgeons.com/understanding-abdominal-aortic-aneurysm-symptoms-and-causes/ Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Presenting as a Claudication https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4040638/
×
×
  • Create New...