Need a little help with test results.

[skarnes45]

Hi! I just recently (Tuesday) was told by my Dr.s office that I did test positive for Celiac but I am slightly confused by what my test results say. I don't have a follow-up until next Friday and I'm trying to understand a little more before then. 

Results are: 

Immunoglobulin A, Qn, Serum: Normal 230 

Deamidated Gliadin Abs, IgA: High 39 Moderate to Strong Positive

Deamidated Gliadin Abs, IgG: Normal 4

t-Transglutaminase (tTG) IgA: < 2 Tissue Transglutaminase (tTG) has been identified as the endomysial antigen. Studies have demonstr- ated that endomysial IgA antibodies have over 99% specificity for gluten sensitive enteropathy.

t-Transglutaminase (tTG) IgG: < 2

Endomysial Antibody IgA: Negative

 

 

Thank you for any help you may be able to give.

[cyclinglady]

Welcome!  You have a positive on the celiac panel.  Not all of them have to be positive -- just one.  The next step is getting a confirmation and final diagnosis by seeing a GI and getting an endoscopy (biopsies).  Keep eating gluten or the biopsies will be negative.  

BTW, your result is exactly how I tested (not common, but still valid).   My biopsies revealed a Marsh Stage IIIB.  

Learn more about celiac disease here:

Open Original Shared Link

 

[skarnes45]

Thank you! After Googling my results I was even more confused. 

[ironictruth]

Hello, 

The test you test positive for can be positive in folks with celiac (as cycling lady) and it can also often produce false positives ( very new research this year suggesting it's not as accurate as we once thought). 

That being said, some docs might dismiss the elevated DGP IGA if TTG is not positive.  To me that kind of begs the question, why did they run a celiac panel in the first place? 

 So, hopefully the GI is willing to sit down and talk with you about what your options are including scheduling an endoscopy. Depending on what your symptoms are, regardless of whether or not he feels the testing shows you have Celiac, you may still need a scope anyway. 

 Ask the doctor how many biopsies he takes to check for celiac. They really should take 4 to 8.  if he or she says one or two I would be concerned you have a GI doctor who does not have enough knowledge about celiac disease.  You will find by looking around on the message boards here that this disease can often be difficult to diagnose and you definitely want to have a doctor who Is not going to mess it up.

 Good luck and keep us posted!  Hopefully whatever is causing you to have this testing done will be figured out soon and you can be on your way to healthy and happy.

 Oh and you absolutely must continue to eat gluten during all the testing.  As others will tell you, go ahead and enjoy whatever cakes, cookies, and breads you like as much as you can now. You can always take the five pounds off later!