Test Results

[vjacinto]

Ive been gluten free for almost two weeks and just got tested via blood.

 

TTG IGA came out 4 Weak Positive

Immunoglobulin A (IgA) came back high at 530

 

Does this mean Celiac?

[plumbago]

@vjacintoit probably does. Question - when you say

4 hours ago, vjacinto said:

Immunoglobulin A (IgA) came back high at 530

What are the letters that come before IgA?

[vjacinto]

1 hour ago, plumbago said:

@vjacintoit probably does. Question - when you say

What are the letters that come before IgA?

It just says 

immunoglobulin A, qn, serum

[trents]

Welcome to the forum, vjacinto!

Are you saying your were gluten free for two weeks before you had the test done or has the two weeks of gluten free eating come after the blood draw? If you started gluten free eating before the test, or were cutting back on gluten, it would have likely lowered the test numbers.

I take it that the Immunoglobulin A (IGA) at 530 is a reference to what we call total IGA.

The tTG-IGA is the most common antibody test for celiac disease ordered by physicians but there are others that should have been run to get a more complete picture. Did the physician say anything to you about having an endoscopy with biopsy to actually look at the condition of the villi that line the small bowel? This is the place in the body typically attacked by celiac disease and is a more reliable diagnostic test than serum antibody testing. But antibody testing is usually the first step.

What symptoms do you have that prompted the antibody testing?

Edited September 29, 2022 by trents

[vjacinto]

1 hour ago, trents said:

Welcome to the forum, vjacinto!

Are you saying your were gluten free for two weeks before you had the test done or has the two weeks of gluten free eating come after the blood draw? If you started gluten free eating before the test, or were cutting back on gluten, it would have likely lowered the test numbers.

I take it that the Immunoglobulin A (IGA) at 530 is a reference to what we call total IGA.

The tTG-IGA is the most common antibody test for celiac disease ordered by physicians but there are others that should have been run to get a more complete picture. Did the physician say anything to you about having an endoscopy with biopsy to actually look at the condition of the villi that line the small bowel? This is the place in the body typically attacked by celiac disease and is a more reliable diagnostic test than serum antibody testing. But antibody testing is usually the first step.

What symptoms do you have that prompted the antibody testing?

Yes two weeks before i took the blood test i was cutting out gluten. 

 

The GI wants to do an endoscopy to confirm celiac but i was reading here that the ttg iga being even just weak positive means celiac. That a positive is positive.

 

Symptoms are bloating, gas, reflux, cramps, diarrhea, floating and yellow stools. Headaches, some times joint pains. Brain fog, anxiety. Lactose intolerant. 

Ive been having these symptoms for years but never really investigated. Figured i might aswell find out whats going on. 

If i go on a clean diet no dairy or gluten i feel better and i have normal stools. 

I'm a 32yr male. 

[vjacinto]

I did other blood work and also a CRP test which all came back normal. Xrays came back normal also.

 

I'm also having a colonoscopy along with the endoscopy. GI said he wants to make sure theres no IBD like crohns or colitis but i dont think so. I dont have blood in stool or pain really in that area and inflammatory markers were all normal but might aswell check. 

[trents]

Please hear this! If you are planning to go forward with the endoscopy/biopsy to confirm the suspected celiac diagnosis then you would need to go back to eating regular amounts of gluten up until the day of the procedure. Eliminating gluten before celiac disease testing allows inflammation to subside and healing to begin in the lining of the small bowel. The antibody tests you have already had are designed to detect the inflammation. The endoscopy/biopsy will microscopically examine the villi that line the small bowel in order to check for damage from the inflammation. No inflammation, no antibodies. No inflammation, no damage to the villi. 

Unfortunately, many physicians neglect to explain to their patients, or they don't know enough to do so, that they need to continue eating regular amounts of gluten until all testing is complete or the testing may be invalidated.

The Mayo clinic pretest gluten challenge guidelines for this are the daily consumption of two slices of wheat bread (or the gluten equivalent) for 6-8 weeks leading up to the blood antibody testing and for two weeks leading up to the endoscopy/biopsy.

I fear that if you go forward with the endoscopy/biopsy while having started the gluten free diet you will invalidate the testing and it will return a negative result for celiac disease. Then you will be uncertain and confused.

The other thing you need to know is that celiac disease is not the only thing that can cause elevated tTG-IGA scores. So, that's why it can be important to go forward with the endoscopy/biopsy.

Alternatively, if you are desperate, just can't bear the discomfort and suffering of going back to eating gluten and are convinced that you have celiac disease or at least NCGS (Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity) then just assume gluten is the issue and commit to eating gluten free for life.

[vjacinto]

Thank you! I will continue to eat Gluten until my procedures.

 

[trents]

Having said all that I have previously said, your symptoms scream of celiac disease. 

[vjacinto]

1 hour ago, trents said:

Having said all that I have previously said, your symptoms scream of celiac disease. 

The more i think about it the more it makes sense.