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

questions about a "weak positive" TTG IgA level

Meg k

Recommended Posts

Meg k Rookie
Meg k
Posted

Hi All. Last week after a blood test and biopsy I received a diagnosis of celiac disease. I have started the gluten free diet and right away called my kids' pediatrician to have their bloodwork done. Two of my kids were negative and my daughter (age 8) was a "weak positive" with a TTG IgA of 4. (My TTG IgA level was 250 when I was tested a week and a half ago-for refernece.). We are on vacation so I don't have more details from her pediatrician but we see a GI for her next week. 

Questions: Has anyone else gotten a weak positive? With me being Celiac, do you think her GI will recommend an endoscopy now or just to watch her? They said not to change her diet at this time (at least till we see the GI next week). Any advice on questions I should ask. I have read on other posts that even a weak positive is a positive for celiac disease - is that correct? 

Sidenote-As soon as I was diagnosed I started researching celiac disease in kids and suspected my daughter might have it. Her mood turned about 6 months ago and she is very highly irritable. She is often constipated (I was opposite) and her stomach often hurts. 

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


cyclinglady Grand Master
cyclinglady
Posted

Welcome to the forum!  

I am glad that you know where you stand.  Soon you will feel better.  

Your daughter?  I suspect she could very well have celiac disease or will develop it.  You could ask the GI for the complete celiac panel.  I know that I never test positive to the TTG.  Ask for the EMA and DGP as they might have higher elevations.    I know some doctors hate to give what they think is a  "life long" sentence to a child, but with your diagnosis, it is what it is.  You can also request a genetic test.  Finally, an endoscopy is 

Talk to the GI.  learn all you can about celiac disease.  Then you will be able to make a good decision on how to best handle her care.  

i wish you well.  

nmlove Contributor
nmlove
Posted

Hi there. I second cyclinglady. For what it's worth, my sons were diagnosed at 2 and 4 (VERY positive). The oldest was the only one who had an endoscopy, but GI doc at the time diagnosed my youngest son due to numbers and brother's diagnosis. Fast forward a few years and I was positive. I check my daughters annually and a little over a year ago, my oldest daughter (just turned 5) had a weak positive so GI doc was fine diagnosing her. She said otherwise she would look at other things. All were negative for her except Ttg IgA. Doc said positive EMA usually correlates to villi destruction so she didn't feel an endoscopy was necessary. Also, my daughters both have genetic markers. We had them tested for a research project.

  • 2 weeks later...
Meg k Rookie
Meg k
Posted
  • Author

I just wanted to give an update. My daughter had an endoscopy and biopsy results (and visual day of) show she also has Celiac Disease. I'm glad we went through w/ the testing but sad she also has celiac disease...diagnosed less than 3 weeks after me.

cyclinglady Grand Master
cyclinglady
Posted

I am so sorry that your daughter was diagnosed with celiac disease so shortly after your diagnosis.  But it is good that it was caught early enough in her life.  She can reverse things like bone damage, that I can not (past menopause).  You both will not be alone.

My kid needs to be retested.  She has some odd symptoms, but no irritability which is a sure sign of a glutening for both me and her Dad.  She HATES to have her blood drawn.  Plus, I really need to beef up her gluten diet Prior to testing as she is gluten light (our house is 100% gluten-free).  

Just curious, what was her intestinal damage like?  Did pathologist assign a marsh stage? 

Your TTG was very high and your daughter's was barely positive.  Did the damage correlate with the antibodies levels or not?  

Hang in there!  

Archived

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

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to xxnonamexx's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      1

      FDA looking for input on Celiac Gluten sensitivity labeling PLEASE READ and submit your suggestions

      Thank you for sharing this — it’s really important. The FDA is actively seeking public input on improving gluten and ingredient labeling, which could directly impact how people with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity shop and stay safe. Clearer labeling would help reduce accidental gluten exposure and make it easier to identify hidden sources of gluten in ...
    2. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to lizzie42's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      1

      Low iron and vitamin d

      A low tTG is great news, but it doesn’t always mean the small intestine has fully healed yet—iron and vitamin D absorption can lag behind for months or even years, especially in young children. Many kids need supplements for a period of time while the gut repairs itself, and that doesn’t necessarily mean it will be lifelong. Morning stomach pain is also ...
    3. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to xxnonamexx's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      1

      Healthy Gluten Free Foods low sugar that you found?

      A lot of gluten-free packaged foods do rely on extra sugar, starches, or sodium to replace texture and flavor, so focusing on simpler options makes sense. Many people do better with naturally gluten-free proteins like eggs, plain yogurt, nuts, seeds, hummus, beans, and minimally processed protein bars with lower added sugar and higher fiber. Pairing those...
    4. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to lizzie42's topic in Traveling with Celiac Disease
      1

      Trip to Anaheim/Disney

      This article is a few of years old, but my still be helpful.
    5. trents
      - trents commented on Scott Adams's article in Winter 2026 Issue
      14

      Can You Really Trust Gluten-Free Menus? What Every Celiac Needs to Know Before Eating Out

      This is likely dependent on the sensitivity of the individual celiac.
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      133,244
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Nadene souza
    Newest Member
    Nadene souza
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.6k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      FDA looking for input on Celiac Gluten sensitivity labeling PLEASE READ and submit your suggestions

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Thank you for sharing this — it’s really important. The FDA is actively seeking public input on improving gluten and ingredient labeling, which could directly impact how people with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity shop and stay safe. Clearer labeling would help reduce accidental gluten exposure and make it easier to identify hidden sources of gluten in foods. I encourage everyone here who is affected by celiac or gluten sensitivity to read the announcement and submit their own suggestions — real lived experience matters and can influence policy changes that benefit the whole community.
    • Scott Adams
      Low iron and vitamin d

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      A low tTG is great news, but it doesn’t always mean the small intestine has fully healed yet—iron and vitamin D absorption can lag behind for months or even years, especially in young children. Many kids need supplements for a period of time while the gut repairs itself, and that doesn’t necessarily mean it will be lifelong. Morning stomach pain is also commonly reported in celiac kids and can be related to slow healing, reflux, motility, or even low iron itself. It sounds like the supplements are clearly helping, which is reassuring, and ongoing monitoring with her doctor can help determine when (or if) doses can be reduced as absorption improves. The most common nutrient deficiencies associated with celiac disease that may lead to testing for the condition include iron, vitamin D, folate (vitamin B9), vitamin B12, calcium, zinc, and magnesium.  Unfortunately many doctors, including my own doctor at the time, don't do extensive follow up testing for a broad range of nutrient deficiencies, nor recommend that those just diagnosed with celiac disease take a broad spectrum vitamin/mineral supplement, which would greatly benefit most, if not all, newly diagnosed celiacs. This article has more info:    
    • Scott Adams
      Healthy Gluten Free Foods low sugar that you found?

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      A lot of gluten-free packaged foods do rely on extra sugar, starches, or sodium to replace texture and flavor, so focusing on simpler options makes sense. Many people do better with naturally gluten-free proteins like eggs, plain yogurt, nuts, seeds, hummus, beans, and minimally processed protein bars with lower added sugar and higher fiber. Pairing those with whole foods can help you feel more “normal” without triggering symptoms. Subscription boxes can be hit or miss, so checking labels carefully and using them as an occasional supplement—rather than a staple—often works best.
    • Scott Adams
      Trip to Anaheim/Disney

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      This article is a few of years old, but my still be helpful.  
    • knitty kitty
      Accuracy of testing concerns

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Welcome to the forum, @McKinleyWY, For a genetic test, you don't have to eat gluten, but this will only show if you have the genes necessary for the development of Celiac disease.  It will not show if you have active Celiac disease.   Eating gluten stimulates the production of antibodies against gluten which mistakenly attack our own bodies.  The antibodies are produced in the small intestines.  Three grams of gluten are enough to make you feel sick and ramp up anti-gluten antibody production and inflammation for two years afterwards.  However, TEN grams of gluten or more per day for two weeks is required to stimulate anti-gluten antibodies' production enough so that the anti-gluten antibodies move out of the intestines and into the bloodstream where they can be measured in blood tests.  This level of anti-gluten antibodies also causes measurable damage to the lining of the intestines as seen on biopsy samples taken during an endoscopy (the "gold standard" of Celiac diagnosis).   Since you have been experimenting with whole wheat bread in the past year or so, possibly getting cross contaminated in a mixed household, and your immune system is still so sensitized to gluten consumption, you may want to go ahead with the gluten challenge.   It can take two years absolutely gluten free for the immune system to quit reacting to gluten exposure.   Avoiding gluten most if the time, but then experimenting with whole wheat bread is a great way to keep your body in a state of inflammation and illness.  A diagnosis would help you stop playing Russian roulette with your and your children's health.      
×
×
  • 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.