What should I do with these test results?

[Jack Common]

  On 12/25/2024 at 7:20 PM, knitty kitty said:

@Jack Common,

You could do a DNA test to see if you have any of the known genes for Celiac Disease.  If you don't have any genes for celiac disease, look to another source for your health problems.  If you do have celiac disease genes and have improvement on the gluten free diet, you probably have active Celiac.  Further testing would be beneficial.

Keep in mind that different gluten containing breads have different amounts of gluten.  Think thick chewy pizza crust and artisan breads, and whole wheat breads for the gluten challenge.  Cookies and pastries do not contain as much gluten.  

Since your blood tests were inconclusive, continuing with the gluten challenge may be needed to provoke a stronger autoimmune reaction sufficient for antibodies to get into the blood stream.  

 

 

Expand Quote  

I haven't seen any information there are other genes which trents wrote but what if I spend money to do this test and the results show I have these genes. It will mean nothing. I can have these genes and not have celiac disease if I know it right.

Because biopsy is not available, unfortunately, the most reliable methods are blood tests, in my opinion. So I'm gonna eat gluten for another two months and then do the test again. It will be 12 weeks eating food with gluten so some symptoms might appear. Now, I don't have any except fogginess but I'm a software developer so it could be normal for me.

Talking about how much food containing gluten to eat, I'm eating 6 slices of wheat bread per day (each slice weighs around 35 grams). I think it's much more than other people eat doing a gluten challenge.

Before a gluten free diet I had symptoms like some food intolerance, diarrhea, bloating, belching. However, I also had giardiasis and after treating it I started a gluten free diet so it's unclear whether I had this symptoms because of eliminating gluten or this parasite. The symptoms for both are very similar. So I think it was this parasite because two years ago and before I didn't have these symptoms and I always ate gluten freely.

Am I thinking okay or should I consider/do something else?

I appreciate any suggestions.

[trents]

Sounds like a good plan, Jack.

Correct about the genes. About 40% of the general population possess the genetic potential to develop celiac disease but only about 1% of the general population actually develops celiac disease. So, genetic testing is used as a rule out measure.

[knitty kitty]

@Jack Common,

It's possible that your antibiotic for giardiasis has caused thiamine deficiency.  

https://hormonesmatter.com/metronidazole-toxicity-thiamine-deficiency-wernickes-encephalopathy/

And...

Thiamine and benfotiamine: Focus on their therapeutic potential

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10682628/

For clarification, the weight of your slice of bread is not equal to the amount of gluten in it.  

Gluten helps form those big holes in breads, so breads like thick chewy pizza crust and artisan breads contain more gluten than cakes and cookies.  

Edited December 28, 2024 by knitty kitty
Typo correction

[Jack Common]

My old results (almost a year ago) are:

The Tissue Transglutaminase IgA antibody - 0.5 U/ml (for the lab I did the tests 0.0 - 3.0 is normal)

The Tissue Transglutaminase IgG antibody - 6.6 U/ml (for the lab I did the tests 0.0 - 3.0 is normal)

Immunoglobulin A - 1.91 g/l (for the lab I did the tests 0.7 to 4 g/l is normal)

IgA Endomysial antibody (EMA) - < 1:10 titer (for the lab I did the tests < 1:10 titer is normal)

IgG Endomysial antibody (EMA) - < 1:10 titer (for the lab I did the tests < 1:10 titer is normal)

Deamidated gliadin peptide IgA - 0.3 U/ml (for the lab I did the tests 0.0 - 6.0 is normal)

Deamidated gliadin peptide IgG - 46.1 U/ml (for the lab I did the tests 0.0 - 6.0 is normal)

 

Then I didn't eat gluten for six months and after I started a gluten challenge.

Before the challenge I did some tests.

My results:

The Tissue Transglutaminase IgG antibody - 0.5 U/ml (for the lab I did the tests < 20 U/ml is normal))

Deamidated gliadin peptide IgG - 28 U/ml (for the lab I did the tests < 20 U/ml is normal)

 

During the challenge I ate 6 slices of wheat bread.

After the challenge my results are:

The Tissue Transglutaminase IgA antibody - 2.0 U/ml (for the lab I did the tests < 20 U/ml is normal)

The Tissue Transglutaminase IgG antibody - 2.0 U/ml (for the lab I did the tests < 20 U/ml is normal)

Immunoglobulin A - 1.31 g/l (for the lab I did the tests 0.7 to 4 g/l is normal)

Deamidated gliadin peptide IgA - 2.0 U/ml (for the lab I did the tests < 20 U/ml is normal)

Deamidated gliadin peptide IgG - 2.13 U/ml (for the lab I did the tests < 20 U/ml is normal)

 

To be sure I continued consuming gluten. I ate a lot each day. Two months after I did the tests again.

My results I got today are:

The Tissue Transglutaminase IgA antibody - 0.7 U/ml (for the lab I did the tests < 20 U/ml is normal)

Immunoglobulin A - 1.62 g/l (for the lab I did the tests 0.7 to 4 g/l is normal)

Deamidated gliadin peptide IgG - 25.6 U/ml (for the lab I did the tests < 20 U/ml is normal)

 

I didn't have any symptoms now except tiredness but I think it's just work.

I'm not IgA deficient as you can see so I don't need to do this Deamidated gliadin peptide IgG test. But I do because it's sometimes not in the normal range.

What do you think this time? I think I don't have celiac disease. But this test... 

[trents]

I agree. Doesn't look like you have celiac disease. Your elevated DGP-IGG must be due to something else. And it was within normal at that after your gluten challenge so it is erratic and doesn't seem to be tied to gluten consumption.

[Jack Common]

What can I do next? Just continue getting gluten from food and do the tests again after some time like 6 months while observing symptoms if any? I read somewhere if a person has NCGS he shouldn't have any blood tests high. So I'm worry.

[trents]

The fact is, we know very little about the mechanism of NCGS at this point. We know much more about celiac disease. Some experts believe that NCGS can transition into celiac disease. And I do not agree with what you read about NCGS not producing any elevated antibody tests. IMO, and I have no scientific data to support this, it's just a hunch base on reading many, many forum contributor test result reports, elevated igg antibodies may signal a transition from NCGS to celiac disease. 

But there are other things besides gluten that can cause elevated dgp igg and ttg igg antibody levels. So, yes. I would continue to monitor the situation if I were you and get regular testing. Not necessarily every 6 months but yearly anyway if you can. In the meantime, if you know gluten causes you unwellness, continue to avoid it.

[Jack Common]

Thank you for your answer.

I read it here: https://www.beyondceliac.org/celiac-disease/non-celiac-gluten-sensitivity/

With the title "What’s the Difference Between Gluten Sensitivity and Celiac Disease?"

[trents]

From the article you linked: "Currently, there are no recommended methods to test for non-celiac gluten sensitivity." "No recommended methods" is the key phrase here. Just on the anecdotal evidence of reading many posts on this forum, I think we sometimes see some elevated igg test scores with NCGS. They seem to be mildly elevated in these cases, not high high.

[knitty kitty]

Hello, @Jack Common,

I know how frustrating health mysteries can be. Perhaps you're having a reaction to the medication you were given for the giardiasis you mentioned in another post.

The giardiasis infection would account for the high Igg results.  Have you been reinfected?

The site I've linked below has lots of information about the long term consequences of being treated with a medication frequently prescribed for giardiasis infection.  

https://hormonesmatter.com/metronidazole-toxicity-doctor-denial/

https://hormonesmatter.com/?s=metronidazole

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3870550/

Please let us know if your symptoms may be due to this reaction to the prescription for giardiasis.

Best wishes.

Edited March 10 by knitty kitty
Typo correction