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

Test Results How Reliable?

TomBone

Recommended Posts

TomBone Newbie
TomBone
Posted

Hi all, happy to find this forum!

In the last few months I've had stomach & digestion issues and wanted to check whether it has anything to do with gluten.

I used to eat at least 2 loafs of bread every day as well as other products which seem to have gluten (beer, cookies, soy sauce, etc.).

The doc I asked for a test, made me do four different tests (sorry if the test names are not 100% correct, I'm trying to translate them from Spanish):

 

Antic. Anti endomysial IgA - negative
Antic. Anti endomysial IgG - negative
Transglutaminasa IgG - 9.7U/ml (positive above 10)
Transglutaminasa IgA - 8.3U/ml (positive above 10)

Now, I'm wondering what exactly those results mean. On first sight, they are negative, but Transglutaminasa IgG is very close to the threshold. In fact, I stopped eating bread around 2 weeks before the test (but occasionally had things with gluten) and didn't drink beer for more than 2 months. Could the values have dropped just below the threshold because of that?

How high are valued typically if you have celiac disease? Would they be well over 10U/ml?

I'm hesitant to do any additional testing due to the high cost (my insurance refuses to cover it).

 

Also, from what I've read it's possible to be gluten intolerant but celiac disease negative? Are the negative effects on the gut similar in both cases or is it health-wise ok to eat gluten if intolerant?
Sorry for the very basic questions but I'm pretty new to all this and find the available information quite confusing...

 

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


nvsmom Community Regular
nvsmom
Posted

I like to refer to this report when discussing test reliability: Open Original Shared Link 

On page 12 it shows the sensitivity of the EMA IgA and tTG IgA, which is the likelihood of the disease being caught by the test.  Both tests can miss up to 25% of celiacs with a sensitivity of 75-100% and 75-95%. They are pretty good tests for most celiacs.

 

The endomysial tests (EMA) are similar to the tTG tests but they tend to detect more advanced disease.  If you are relatively new to celiac disease, it is possible to get a positive tTG with a negative EMA.  It is very unusual for a celiac to get a positive EMA with a negative tTG though.

 

The tTG IgG is not a very sensitive test.  It's sensitivity is as low as 40% which means it can miss the majority of celiacs.  This report discusses it a bit: Open Original Shared Link

 

Your tTG results are both fairly close to being positive and I would be suspicious too.  You might want to request the DGP IgA and DGP IgG (deaminated gliadin peptides) tests.  Those tests are the best for detecting early celiac disease and sometimes catch cases of celiac disease that the tTG tests do not.  

 

Make sure you are eating gluten in the 2-3 months prior to testing.

 

Another option is the biopsy.

 

If you can't get further testing, or the tests are negative, you should be retested every year or so if you continue to eat gluten.  If you decide to go gluten-free anyways, further testing is not crucial.

 

Best wishes and welcome to the board.  :)

TomBone Newbie
TomBone
Posted
  • Author

Nicole, I appreciate your reply and link to the report. I will check with my doctor if they can do DGP tests here.

nvsmom Community Regular
nvsmom
Posted

Good luck!

Archived

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

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


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,774
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    JustJoey
    Newest Member
    JustJoey
    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
      Gluten free stuff

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      The following two lists are very helpful for anyone who is gluten sensitive and needs to avoid gluten when shopping. It's very important to learn to read labels and understand sources of hidden gluten, and to know some general information about product labelling--for example in the USA if wheat is a possible allergen it must be declared on a product's ingredient label like this: Allergens: Wheat.      
    • trents
      Gluten free stuff

      By trents · Posted

      Tammy, in the food industry, "gluten free" doesn't mean the same thing as "no gluten". As Scott explained, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) allows food companies to use the "gluten-free" label as long as the product does not contain more than 20 ppm (parts per million) of gluten. This number is based on studies the FDA did years ago to determine the reaction threshold for those with celiac disease. And the 20 ppm figure works for the majority of celiacs. There are those who are more sensitive, however, who still react to that amount. There is another, stricter standard known as "Certified Gluten Free" which was developed by a third party organization known as GFCO which requires not more than 10 ppm of gluten. So, when you see "GFCO" or "Certified Gluten Free" labels on food items you know they are manufactured with a stricter standard concerning gluten content. Having said all that, even though you may read the disclaimer on a food item that says the spices may contain wheat, barley or rye (the gluten grains), you should be able to trust that the amount of gluten the spices may contain is so small it allows the total product to meet the requirements of gluten free or certified gluten free labeling. I hope this helps.
    • Tammy Pedler
      Gluten free stuff

      By Tammy Pedler · Posted

      As soon as I see gluten free I read the labels. I always find stuff that I cannot have on the products them selfs. Like spices, when the labels says  everything listed and then after like say garlic salt then the next thing is spices. When it says that that can contain wheat and other things I can’t have.. 
    • Scott Adams
      Do some people with Celiacs develop hypoglycemia?

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      While hypoglycemia isn't a direct, classic symptom of celiac disease, it's something that some individuals with well-managed celiac disease report, and there may be a few plausible explanations for why the two could be connected. The most common theory involves continued damage to the gut lining or nutrient deficiencies (like chromium or magnesium) that can impair the body's ability to regulate blood sugar effectively, even after gluten is removed. Another possibility is delayed stomach emptying (gastroparesis) or issues with the hormones that manage blood sugar release, like glucagon. Since your doctors are puzzled, it may be worth discussing these specific mechanisms with a gastroenterologist or endocrinologist. You are certainly not alone in experiencing this puzzling complication, and it highlights how celiac disease can have long-term metabolic effects beyond the digestive tract.
    • trents
      Ibuprofen

      By trents · Posted

      Paracetamol, aka, acetaminophen (Tylenol) just does not do anything for me as far as pain relief. It does help with fevers, though.
×
×
  • 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.