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 Not Consistent With Celiac?

pookybean

Recommended Posts

pookybean Newbie
pookybean
Posted

Hello everyone,  I have been stalking this page for almost 2 weeks now.  I have been having all (or so it seems!) the symptoms of Celiac but never knew anything about it until my aunt emailed me an article and said it sounded like me.  I have been seeing the doctor for some of the issues and realized that I had a lab order for a Celiac Panel but never had the test done.  The doctor never mentioned Celiac to me and I was just waiting for a convenient time to get to the lab.

 

So I went about a week ago and just got the results back today.  The doctor said they are inconsistent with Celiac but I have been looking them up to see if they are consistent with anything else or if it is something I should stay on top of.  These are the results she gave me:

 

NAME                                              VALUE                                          REFERENCE RANGE

Immunoglobulin A                              379                                                     81-463 MG/DL

Gliadin IgG                                          26                                                       <20 Units

Gliadin IgA                                            9                                                       <20 Units

TTG IGA                                              11                                                       <20 Units

TTG IGG                                              15                                                       <20 Units

 

From what I looked up the only one elevated is the Gliadin IgG.  However there are other sites I looked at and others tests results said anything higher than 10 for the last 4 are positive.  So I'm not exactly sure where to go from here.

 

The doctor would like to do a biopsy, she didn't say for Celiac though, but I can't do it right now because I do not have enough sick time at work.  I guess I am trying to decide if this is something I should persue?  I understand that there are different sensitivities and allergies and everyone would probably benefit from going gluten free but before I make that decision I would like to be able to determine if there is a medical reason for doing so or would I be jumping on the fad bandwagon. 

 

Thank you in advance for reading through all this, it got a lot longer than I expected!

 

Megan

 

 

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


RMJ Mentor
RMJ
Posted

Different labs may use tests made by different manufacturers. You should go by the reference range of the lab that did your tests.

nvsmom Community Regular
nvsmom
Posted

I would pursue it.  Look into the biopsy.  Also, request the newer deaminated gliadin peptides tests (DGP IgA and DGP IgG). I'm assuming you ahd the ant-gliadin antibodies tests done, and they generally are not as specific or sensitive tests.  If that was the DGP IgG test, then you almost surely have celiac disease.  The DGP IgG tests is one of the most specific tests for celiac disease out there at 99-100% specific to celiac disease.

 

 see pages 11-12 for more info: Open Original Shared Link

 

Welcome to the board.  :)

pookybean Newbie
pookybean
Posted
  • Author

Thank you for responding. I asked the doctor today, she said it was the gliadin tests were the dhg. She also said that it was non specific and that they don't even usually test those but go by the ttg instead.

Then I was told if I have more questions I should make an office appointment (the conversation was via the patient portal).

I have been getting iron infusions for the past 10 weeks and so I don't have any sick time left. I think I may research another gastro doctor while I accrue more time, at least I will be able to ask some questions this time around.

Thanks again

pookybean Newbie
pookybean
Posted
  • Author

Sorry, the gliadin was the dgp igg test.

cyclinglady Grand Master
cyclinglady
Posted

My DGP Iga was the ONLY one above range on my complete panel! Guess what? My biopsies revealed a Marsh Stage IIIB (moderate to severe intestinal damage). My main symptom was anemia with really no intestinal issues (at least that stood out, but later found that I was constipated even though I had a BM daily).

My new doctor did say that it was weird that the TTG did not catch my celiac disease diagnosis. Now, my family needs to get the full panel to insure that a diagnosis is not missed.

Make sure at least four to six biopsies are taken and keep eating gluten until all testing is complete!

RollingAlong Explorer
RollingAlong
Posted

Well, FWIW, DH never had any positive blood tests and he saw several docs, 4 or 5. 

 

He has had a positive fecal TTG from Enterolab - please note that this test is not formally validated.  Here's a link to info on fecal TTG from celiac.com:

https://www.celiac.com/gluten-free/blog/856/entry-1546-enterolab-a-scientists-viewpoint/

 

 

He did have an endoscopy and that day the doc said this is celiac, but the biopsy results were negative.  He got a set of color images from the procedure so he could see what the doc was talking about.  The doc supported the idea of a gluten free diet despite the biopsy results.  The photos were a big part of what convinced him to change his diet. 

 

Here are some sample pics:  Open Original Shared Link

 

No positive tests, no formal diagnosis, but he's in great health on a strict gluten and casein free diet. 

 

Good luck getting it all sorted out.  

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


  • 2 weeks later...
pookybean Newbie
pookybean
Posted
  • Author

I had an appointment with my hematologist last week and I was talking to him about the celiac panel and the brush off from the GI. He offered to run the panel again, but would not do the extra test (the EMA?). I just got the results back from that one, this has the same range as the first, above 20 is positive.

My dgp igg was 33, dgp iga was 14. Ttg igg was 19, ttg iga was 15.

So some of them went up a bit. There was 2 wks between the two tests. Any thoughts? He wouldn't say much about the results, just strongly recommended I get the endoscopy done. There is a celiac center at one of the hospitals here that I am trying to get in with. I don't feel I could trust the GI I already saw.

nvsmom Community Regular
nvsmom
Posted

Looks positive to me.  The DGP IgG is something like 98-100% specific to celiac disease, which means if you have a positive you have celiac disease.  You have a positive and your other tests are really close to being abnormal. 

 

The EMA IgA is rarely dodn if the tTG IgA was negative.  The two tests are very similar but the EMA detects more advanced damage.  Since your tTG IgA was negative, it is very likely your EMA IgA would be too.

 

If I was you, I would assume you are a celiac whether or not you have the biopsy done.  :(

Archived

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

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


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,702
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Coach Chris
    Newest Member
    Coach Chris
    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

    • Gigi2025
      How Come Gluten Didnt Bother Me In Italy

      By Gigi2025 · Posted

      Hi Christiana, Many thanks for your response.  Interestingly, I too cannot eat wheat in France without feeling effects (much less than in the US, but won't indulge nonetheless).  I also understand children are screened for celiac in Italy prior to starting their education. Wise idea as it seems my grandson has the beginning symptoms (several celiacs in his dad's family), but parents continue to think he's just being difficult.  Argh.  There's a test I took that diagnosed gluten sensitivity in 2014 via Entero Labs, and am planning on having done again.  Truth be told, I'm hoping it's the bromine/additives/preservatives as I miss breads and pastas terribly when home here in the states!  Be well and here's to our guts healing ❤️
    • Wends
      Inconclusive results

      By Wends · Posted

      Lol that’s so true! Hope you get clarity, it’s tough when there’s doubt. There’s so much known about celiac disease with all the scientific research that’s been done so far yet practically and clinically there’s also so much unknown, still. Out of curiosity what’s her dairy consumption like? Even compared to early years to now? Has that changed? Calcium is dependent in the mechanism of antigen presenting cells in the gut. High calcium foods with gluten grains can initiate inflammation greater.  This is why breakfast cereals and milk combo long term can be a ticking time bomb for genetically susceptible celiacs (not a scientific statement by any means but my current personal opinion based on reasoning at present). Milk and wheat are the top culprits for food sensitivity. Especially in childhood. There are also patient cases of antibodies normalising in celiac children who had milk protein intolerance/ delayed type allergy. Some asymptomatic. There were a couple of cases of suspected celiacs that turned out to have milk protein intolerance that normalised antibodies on a gluten containing diet. Then there were others that only normalised antibodies once gluten and milk was eliminated. Milk kept the antibodies positive. Celiac disease is complicated to say the least.
    • deanna1ynne
      Inconclusive results

      By deanna1ynne · Posted

      And thank you for your encouragement. I am glad that her body is doing a good job fighting it. I also just want clarity for her moving forwards. She was only 6 for the last round of testing and she's 10 now, so I'm also hoping that makes a difference. It was weird during her last round of testing though, because right before her biopsy, we'd upped her gluten intake by giving her biscuits made from straight up vital wheat gluten, and her labs actually normalized slightly (lower ttg and her ema went negative). Bodies just do weird things sometimes! lol
    • deanna1ynne
      Inconclusive results

      By deanna1ynne · Posted

      The first negative biopsy in 2021 just said "no pathological change" for all the samples, and the second one in 2022 said "Duodenal mucosa with mild reactive change (focal foveolar metaplasia) and preserved villous architecture." So I think Marsh score 0 in both cases, though it's not actually written in the pathology reports. I'm really hoping to get a clear positive result this time, just for her sake.  
    • Wends
      Blood results

      By Wends · Posted

      Hopefully the biopsy gives a conclusive and correct diagnosis for your daughter. Im in the UK and have been in the situation a few years ago of trying to rule celiac in or out after inconclusive results. Many symptoms pointing to it including the classic symptoms and weight loss and folate and iron deficiency. You have to play a waiting game. I also had the label of IBS and likely food allergy. Genetic test showed low risk for celiac but not no risk. It sounds like the Gastroenterologist is on it and hopefully will diagnose what it is correctly. Food hypersensitivity (allergy) can also cause similar symptoms and inflammation as well as mimicking IBS. Milk / dairy and wheat (cereal grains) being the biggest culprits. The “oesophagitis” and “gastritis” you mentioned can be caused by another gastrointestinal disorder called “eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders”. These are named depending on which part of the gastrointestinal tract is affected. For example eosinophilic oesophagitis, eosinophilic gastritis, eosinophilic gastroenteritis, and more rare eosinophilic colitis. They are antigen (allergen) driven. When the blood test measuring anti-ttg antibodies is positive in absence of a positive ema test - which is more specific to celiac, this can also suggest food hypersensitivity (allergy). Usually delayed type allergy similar to celiac but not autoimmune if that makes sense. In this case the ttg antibodies are transient. Which happens. I’ve first hand experience. For info, evidence of villous atrophy too can be caused by food hypersensitivity. Not just by celiac disease. In Egid disorders the six food elimination diet, under a dietitian and gastroenterologist care, is the dietary protocol to figure out the culprit or culprits. Sometimes only two food elimination diet is used at first. The number one culprit is milk protein / dairy. Followed by wheat, eggs, soy, fish and seafood, and nuts. Most are only reactive to one food group or two. Most are only reactive to milk. Hope this is a helpful reply.
×
×
  • 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.