Interpreting celiac serology

[Donna73]

I finally got a hold of my test results and while it all says positive, Im wondering what the actual test results mean:

 

Test             My Value                                   Reference Range

DGP, IgG:   256.0                                           less than 4.9

DGP, IgA     60.0                                           less than 6.1

TTG IgA      Greater than 128                     less than 10.3

EMA igA:   Positive                                       negative

Total iGa   388                                              13-adult:  44-441

 

The summary says "results support a diagnosis of celiac disease and then for eahc of the 4 tests it says positive.  

 

Im just wondering if anybody has experience in interpreting this.  Im trying to decide whether to do the biopsy and if my numbers are considered really high then I might forego.  If there is a quesiton, I may go through with it.

[cyclinglady]

Yep, that is about as positive as it gets!  I am sorry, but you probably have celiac disease ?. The good news is that with a gluten free diet and LOTS of time, you should feel better.  

The endoscopy?  That is a personal decision you need to make with your doctor.  Some doctors will not give an official diagnosis without it.  Others are willing to give that diagnosis based on the blood tests and improved symptoms on a gluten-free diet.  

I personally needed it.  Anemia was my main symptom (no tummy issues).    My hubby had been gluten-free for 12 years and I could not believe that we both needed to be gluten free.  So, I had the endoscopy.  Biopsied revealed a Marsh Stage IIIB a (Moderate to severe damage).  It gave me a baseline of damage in case I need a follow-up endoscopy.  Having a very firm diagnosis made it easy for my family to get tested even those without symptoms (all first degree relatives should be tested).  

I am sure you will do what is best for you!  

Welcome to the forum!  Check out the Newbie 101 section under "coping".  It contains valuable advice!

 

[Gemini]

17 hours ago, Donna73 said:

I finally got a hold of my test results and while it all says positive, Im wondering what the actual test results mean:

 

Test             My Value                                   Reference Range

DGP, IgG:   256.0                                           less than 4.9

DGP, IgA     60.0                                           less than 6.1

TTG IgA      Greater than 128                     less than 10.3

EMA igA:   Positive                                       negative

Total iGa   388                                              13-adult:  44-441

 

The summary says "results support a diagnosis of celiac disease and then for eahc of the 4 tests it says positive.  

 

Im just wondering if anybody has experience in interpreting this.  Im trying to decide whether to do the biopsy and if my numbers are considered really high then I might forego.  If there is a quesiton, I may go through with it.

The DGP tests are for reaction to the gluten you are ingesting.  Needless to say, your body does not like gluten. 

The Ttg IgA tests for damage to your intestine but the high number does not necessarily correlate with more severe damage. Some people have low numbers with a lot of damage at biopsy and others have high numbers with more moderate damage. Doesn't matter.........damage is damage.

The Total IgA test is just to check to make sure you produce enough IgA antibody to make the test reliable. Some people are IgA deficient so they would have to revert to the IgG antibody testing or biopsy.  You definitely have enough antibody for testing.

The EMA IgA is the slam dunk for Celiac Disease.  No other disease but Celiac will trip that for positive. With all of your testing in the high positive range, you have Celiac Disease and biopsy would be a choice matter for you.  I was in the same boat at diagnosis.  Very high numbers at diagnosis so I skipped the endo and never looked back. 10 years later and I am doing great!  But if you want to know how much damage you might have, then you will want to have the biopsy. I have never personally met any doctor in 10 years who doubted my diagnosis, once they saw my Celiac panel.

Good luck and welcome to the club! 

[Donna73]

Thanks everybody. Its all very confusing. But, I am learning.  This website is great.  Lots of information.