Confused about test results.

[Nikki03]

I had celiac labs done and got two different result from two physicians. I have tons of celiac symptoms and suspected it for a while now but this has me so confused can you help? 
 

my labs results read as follows 

immunoglobulin A QN =419 which was off the chart high

but everything but that was in normal range. 
 

           Thanks sincerely confused! 

 

[trents]

Welcome to the forum, @Nikki03!

What was the other result from the other physician's lab work?

The test result you report in your post is not a celiac disease diagnostic test. It is a test for IGA deficiency. It is also known as "total IGA". There are other IGA antibody tests that are used to diagnose celiac disease but if you are IGA deficient, their scores will be artificially low. Obviously, you are not IGA deficient so if there were other IGA antibody tests run they should be trusted as accurate unless you had been on a gluten free or reduced gluten diet before the blood sample was taken.

So, if you have other test results, please post them along with (this is important) their reference ranges. Raw test scores without reference ranges are not necessarily helpful as different labs used different reference ranges.

Here is an article that describes the various antibody tests that can be ordered when checking for celiac disease:

As you can see, there are IGA tests and there are IGG tests.

What are your symptoms? There is another gluten disorder known as Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS) that shares many GI symptoms with celiac disease and is 10x more common than celiac disease. There are no tests for NCGS so celiac disease must first be ruled out by formal testing.

Edited April 4, 2025 by trents

[Nikki03]

This is what the exact results say… 

Immunoglobulin A Qn -high 419 off chart 

Deamidated Gliadin ABS, iga -2

T-transglutaminase (ttg) igg- 5 

T- transglutaminase (ttg) iga -2 

I was still consuming gluten when this test was done with tons of symptoms such as sick to stomach and throwing up daily no matter what I eat, random rashes and itching, painful joints, no energy and fatigue, gas, constapation, bloating, just overall unwell.  

[Nikki03]

This is what the exact results say… 

Immunoglobulin A Qn -high 419 off chart 

Deamidated Gliadin ABS, iga -2 (normal range) 

T-transglutaminase (ttg) igg- 5 (normal range)

T- transglutaminase (ttg) iga -2 (normal range)

I was still consuming gluten when this test was done with tons of symptoms such as sick to stomach and throwing up daily no matter what I eat, random rashes and itching, painful joints, no energy and fatigue, gas, constapation, bloating, just overall unwell.  

[trents]

None of your test results suggest celiac disease but your symptoms suggest either celiac or NCGS. 

There is another test mode for celiac disease that might be pursued and that is an endoscopy with biopsy of the small bowel lining to check for the damage caused by celiac disease inflammation. This is the gold standard test for celiac disease and is usually done even when blood antibody test scores are positive. However, you might not find a physician willing to do the procedure in the absence of negative celiac antibody test scores. The absence of any positive celiac antibody test scores suggests that damage is not occurring to the lining of the small bowel. The endoscopy/biopsy would involve a referral to a GI doc.

One question about your rash. Are there pustules in the bumps? This is characteristic of the rash associated with celiac disease known as dermatitis herpetiformis.

My suggestion for you at this point would be to trial the gluten free diet for three months and see if your symptoms improve. If so, you likely have NCGS. If not, then you need to look in a different direction for answers to your health issues. If you do go on a gluten free diet, realize that you would need to go back on gluten for several weeks if you ever want to get tested for celiac disease again. Current guidelines for the "gluten challenge" recommend the daily consumption of at least 10g of gluten (the amount in about 4-6 slices of wheat bread) for at least two weeks prior to testing. But I would certainly give it more than two weeks to be certain of valid testing.

I would also talk to your physician about your high immunoglobulin A Qn score. It may mean nothing but it can also be an indicator of some potentially serious health issues. You should google it.

Here is a primer for getting off to a good start with eating gluten free:

 

Edited April 4, 2025 by trents

[Nikki03]

Ty very helpful I’m in the process of getting in with a new gI doctor and will ask more about all that then and yes the rash is exactly like that. I have a half cousin with celiac but that’s it in my whole family and idk if that matters as I see it is hereditary and others say the the only in the family with it. Either way this was very much appreciated ty again. 

[trents]

There is also something called "seronegative celiac disease" in which there is damage to the villous lining of the small bowel but no celiac antibodies are produced by the immune system. It's not very common and there can be numerous causes including infections, some medications and even some nongluten foods. 

If you have dermatitis herpetiformis, that is proof positive you have celiac disease since there is no other known cause for it. If you get it biopsied during an outbreak it can be used to establish a diagnosis of celiac disease, therefore. But not every dermatologist knows how to biopsy dermatitis herpetiformis correctly and it can be difficult to get an appointment with one on short notice.

Edited April 4, 2025 by trents

[Nikki03]

Ok Ty i have a dermatologist so I’ll also discuss this with her as well as the new GI when I get in ty again so very much!!! Hope I get answers soon I’m sick of being sick every single day not even able to get my normal task done I feel so horrible. Appreciate all the info!

[trents]

Keep us posted.