Help with bloodwork numbers

[CdnAmy]

I’m a recent join to this wonderful forum.

I am a 52 yo perimenopausal mom of three teenagers. 

I have been gluten sensitive for several years and finally convinced the doc to run some blood work. 
 

I was eating gluten for about 2 weeks prior to the testing. My Immunoglobulin IgA result was 1.72. My ferritin, and hemoglobin were also very low. And I am borderline hypothyroid.

Does the IgA level suggest anything regarding gluten sensitivity vs celiac?

Thanks!

 

 

 

 

[trents]

Welcome to the forum, @CdnAmy!

The raw score for your Immunoglobulin IGA is not very helpful without the reference range used by the lab doing the analysis. There is no industry standard for these ranges. So, please include the range for negative vs. positive. Was this the only antibody test run for celiac disease?

Consuming gluten for only two weeks prior to the test blood draw is inadequate and will not likely give a valid test result if you were gluten free prior to that for a significant amount of time. Guidelines for the pretest gluten challenge have recently undergone revision and there is no widespread agreement on how much gluten/wheat should be consumed for how long but we can say that there is agreement that it needs to be higher amounts for longer than had been formerly advised. Smaller amounts of wheat/gluten consumed require doing so for a longer period of time for the pretest challenge. I found this but not sure of the datedness of the info: https://www.celiac.ca/healthcare-professionals/diagnosis/gluten-challenge/

Your low hemoglobin and ferritin suggest celiac disease as opposed to NCGS.

[Scott Adams]

Here is more info about how to do a gluten challenge for a celiac disease blood panel, or for an endoscopy:

Quote

"...in order to properly diagnose celiac disease based on serology and duodenal histology, doctors need patients to be on gluten-containing diets, even if they are causing symptoms, and this is called a "gluten challenge."

• Eat gluten prior to celiac disease blood tests: The amount and length of time can vary, but is somewhere between 2 slices of wheat bread daily for 6-8 weeks and 1/2 slice of wheat bread or 1 wheat cracker for 12 weeks 12 weeks;
• Eat gluten prior to the endoscopic biopsy procedure: 2 slices of wheat bread daily for at least 2 weeks;

and this recent study recommends 4-6 slices of wheat bread per day: