Blood tests - what is the figure for "positive"?

[SportySporty]

Hello! I'm a bit gutted as I've just discovered I've had 40 years of damage (probably). I nearly died from coeliac as a baby and was on a super-strict diet for ten years. Then for some unknown reason my GP took me off cold turkey. I had no symptoms.  Carried on for 39 years. No GP I ever saw from time to time in the UK about minor things ever told me I needed to be on the diet or questioned me on coeliac. Occasionally I mentioned it but said I had been cured. In the last 3 days from the test results I've discovered this was probably negligent. I'm super fit and healthy and always assumed I had a high metabolism as I eat chocolate and crisps daily! Love my food - hated it as a child. Gutted to have to go back on that diet! Plus I travel in developing countries a lot - next to impossible to find out what has gluten in it, especially if you can't communicate in English.

Anyhow, just rang the lab and they wouldn't tell me what their levels for positive, negative and borderline were for deaminated gliadin. I'm currently living in South Africa and apparently labs globally have different standard levels (very unhelpful!). They said they would tell my GP, but while I wait for that, I'm going crazy wasting time googling and getting more confused!  Any thoughts would be appreciated. 

CELIAC SCREEN tTG IgA 20.0 U m/l [test says more than 10 is positive]

DEAMIDATED GLIADEN IgG 15.0 positive U m/l 

VITAMIN B12 158 pmol/L [<107 likely deficiency, 107 - 221 possible deficiency, >221 adequacy]

I realise I will have to return to the diet, but wondering how all these years of neglect have impacted, and the severity of these results might give me an idea. I will now return to the UK as the tests here are all so expensive. I expect they'll do a biopsy to assess the extent of the damage to my small intestine.

Thank you!

[GFinDC]

Hi,

Yes, every lab has ranges for their specific test process.  You should keep eating gluten until all testing is completed.  Although, if you were diagnosed already, you still have it.  Nobody is "cured" of celiac disease, normally.

An endoscopy can tell you how bad the damage is, and a repeat endoscopy in a year can tell you if your intestines are healed.  But you will probably be able to tell for yourself if you are healing.

Be prepared for your digestive symptoms to get worse for a while after going on the gluten-free diet again.  That seems to happen to people frequently.  It did to me.

There is a "Newbie 101" thread stickied that has basic info on eating gluten-free.  Starting out I suggest avoiding processed foods, dairy, oats, and soy.  Instead eat whole foods like meats, veggies, nuts, and eggs.