Assistance with raised Igg levels

[LouisaM]

hello, I have raised levels in my blood test for the first time in 10 years.  
my level is now at 44.

i did holiday and had two meals prepared for me.  I had no reaction however, could this have raised my levels that high?

I have also started using the contraceptive pill for menstrual pain.  Could the hormones effect my levels?

im very concerned.  I am 20 years old.  Would greatly appreciate any advice.

 

 

 

 

[trents]

Welcome to the forum, @LouisaM!

You don't specifically say so but may we assume you have been officially diagnosed with celiac disease?

First, igg antibodies are not the most reliable measure of celiac disease inflammation. They are not as specific for celiac disease as is the tTg-IGA antibody test. Was the ttg-IGA ever done in the course of your diagnosis and was it repeated recently?

Second, what is the normal range of the igg test result you report? It's hard to say much unless we know that.

I cannot comment on if hormone therapy impacts igg levels. I have no knowledge of that.

[LouisaM]

Hello Trents

thank you so much for your reply.

i was officially diagnosed through endoscopy and blood tests 10 years ago.

I test my blood work yearly and the levels have remained low for years.

my last blood work which reported 44 for igG was the highest it’s been since diagnosis.  I did eat out twice in January as previously mentioned and wondered if that could spike my levels.  My iga is currently sitting on 3.

Does this help?

thank you so much for your reply.  I’m very worried 😟 

many thanks,

louisa

[trents]

Which IGA? There is more than one IGA test. Please see the link I have embedded that summarizes celiac antibody testing. And could you please included the reference ranges for what is normal (negative) for the tests you cite? Each lab uses it's own reference ranges. There are no industry standards. Also, did the same lab evaluate the most recent tests that evaluated the ones 10 years ago? They may have been using different reference ranges so that you would be comparing apples and oranges. 

 

[LouisaM]

Thank you again for your reply.

the last two tests were a year apart and from different labs.

2023 test:

deamidated gliadin peptide IgG > 250 U/mL (< 15)

Total IgA 1.19 g/L (0.40-3.50)

Transglutaminase IgA 15 U/mL (< 15)

2024 test

Deamidated gliadin IgG 44 Elia U/mL (<7) negative range. (>10) positive range.

Tissue transglutaminase IgA 3 Elia U/ml U/mL (<7) negative range.  (>10) positive range.

I hope this makes sense to you!

I appreciate your response and kindness.

Louisa

 

 

[trents]

Yes, the extra data is more helpful.

The most widely used test by physicians when testing adults for celiac disease is the tTG-IGA. It is considered to combine excellent sensitivity with good specificity, specificity meaning a positive is not likely to be caused by some other medical condition.

However, the tTG-IGA is not as reliable for children as it is for adults because their immune systems are immature. Hence, other tests may be helpful in spotting celiac disease in children, such as the DGP-IGA and the DGP-IGG (and in adults who have already begun a gluten free diet or are eating lower gluten diets). However, they are not as specific for celiac disease as is the tTG-IGA.

In your case, the fact that you are eating gluten only sporadically muddies the waters of testing and even though you are no longer a child your inconsistent gluten consumption would likely result in negatives for the tTG-IGA and even on the endoscopy/biopsy.

I think it's also significant that your DGP-IGG levels are decreased in 2024 from what they were in 2023. Personally, I would not worry much about these numbers but I would keep an eye on it and request more testing in a few months. There is also the possibility that you are getting minor amounts of gluten regularly from unexpected sources. 

 

[LouisaM]

Thank you so much for your help.

i will take all you said into account.

I will retest in 3 months.

thank you so very much for all your help.  I’m so happy I could speak to you.  You know so much information!  More than my GP.

thank you again

[trents]

Consider also that your hormone med could be a source of gluten. Wheat starch can be used as a filler in pills. You might want to research that through the dispensing pharmacy.

[Scott Adams]

You can search this site for prescriptions medications, but will need to know the manufacturer/maker if there is more than one, especially if you use a generic version of the medication:

To see the ingredients you will need to click on the correct version of the medication and maker in the results, then scroll down to "Ingredients and Appearance" and click it, and then look at "Inactive Ingredients," as any gluten ingredients would likely appear there, rather than in the Active Ingredients area.

• https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/