Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Awaiting diagnosis

jlp1999
 Share

Recommended Posts

jlp1999 Newbie
jlp1999
Posted

Hello,

I am awaiting an appointment with my gastroenterologist. A routine endoscopy for stomach pain showed villous atrophy on the biopsy. Follow up bloodwork showed the IGA was within normal limits but the IGG was a weak positive. I know villous atrophy can be caused by other things, with a normal IGA could this mean it's not celiac? 

Thanks for the info

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


trents Grand Master
trents
Posted
(edited)

Welcome to the forum, @jlp1999!

Which IGA test do you refer to as being normal? TTG-IGA? Total IGA? DGP-IGA?

Yes, any positive on an IGA or an IGG test can be due to something other than celiac disease and this is especially true of weak positives. Villous atrophy can also be cause by other things besides celiac disease such as some medications, parasitic infections and even some foods (especially dairy from an intolerance to the dairy protein casein). But the likelihood of that being the case is much less than it being caused by celiac disease.

Edited by trents
jlp1999 Newbie
jlp1999
Posted
  • Author

Thank you for the reply. It was the TTG IGA that was within normal limits

trents Grand Master
trents
Posted
(edited)

Were you consuming generous amounts of gluten in the weeks leading up to the blood draw for the antibody testing? And was there a Total IGA test done to test for IGA deficiency?

Edited by trents
jlp1999 Newbie
jlp1999
Posted
  • Author

There was not a total IGA test done, those were the only two ordered. I would say I was consuming a normal amount of gluten, I am not a huge bread or baked goods eater

trents Grand Master
trents
Posted

I would ask for a total IGA test (aka, Immunoglobulin A (IgA) and other names as well) to check for IGA deficiency. That test should always be ordered along with the TTG IGA. If someone is IGA deficient, their individual celiac IGA test scores will be artificially low which can result in false negatives.

Make sure you are eating generous amounts of gluten leading up to any testing or diagnostic procedure for celiac disease to ensure validity of the results. 10g of gluten daily for a period of at least 2 weeks is what current guidelines are recommending. That's the amount of gluten found in about 4-6 slices of wheat bread.

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      129,017
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Terrance Donald
    Newest Member
    Terrance Donald
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.1k
    • Total Posts
      71.4k
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • trents
      NEW - 7 year old daughter diagnosed but 'not officially' - negligence from NHS

      By trents · Posted

      Essentially all of our UK forum participants who are in the process of a celiac disease diagnosis report that after their blood antibody testing is done, they have to wait many months to get the endoscopy/biopsy for confirmation. My impression is that the UK/European health care models do great at addressing routine healthcare needs but poorly at specialty healthcare needs.
    • Scott Adams
      NEW - 7 year old daughter diagnosed but 'not officially' - negligence from NHS

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I think both systems have merits and faults, but in my opinion no citizen of any country should be denied health care, and it should be a basic human right, no matter your income.
    • Monkeyvat
      NEW - 7 year old daughter diagnosed but 'not officially' - negligence from NHS

      By Monkeyvat · Posted

      I want to stand up for the NHS! Yes, it has its issues, but after moving from the U.S. a few years ago, it’s been a real eye-opener to see just how much better the NHS is compared to the American healthcare system. For example, I can call my GP in the morning and often get an appointment that same day. Healthcare is provided to all UK residents, free at the point of use, no matter your income or job status. That’s a massive relief. In the U.S., people regularly go bankrupt because of medical bills—it’s one of the leading causes of financial ruin. Here, that just doesn’t happen. Plus, the UK consistently reports lower infant mortality rates and higher life expectancy compared to the U.S. No system is perfect, but the NHS deserves recognition for what it does right—and that’s a lot.  
    • Russ H
      Does anyone here also have Afib

      By Russ H · Posted

      I developed a heart arrhythmia and on several occasions had to wear a 24 hour Holter monitor. Among other things, I had premature atrial complexes (PACs) and occasional AFib. I was very fit at the time, running and cycling. This completely disappeared following my diagnosis and following a strict gluten free diet. I haven't had a single episode since, in 4 years.
    • trents
      Newly diagnosed with non celiac gluten sensitivity

      By trents · Posted

      Testing for celiac disease, whether blood antibody testing or biopsy procedure, will likely be invalidated when the gluten consumption has been discontinued ahead of the testing or the procedure for more than a couple of weeks or so. For the person with celiac disease, the consumption of gluten results in the production of specific antibodies that can be detected in the blood because the immune system is attacking the gluten as it comes in contact with the small bowel lining. The blood testing is designed to detect these antibodies. Over time, the inflammation wears down the villi that line the small bowel. The biopsy is designed to spot this damage to the lining. When gluten consumption is discontinued, these processes cease. Antibodies begin to disappear from the blood and the villi begins to rebuild. Many people begin to experiment with the gluten free diet before they seek testing and their doctors often neglect to check for this before ordering blood tests and biopsies.  If you want to be sure that you don't have celiac disease, you would need to endure a "gluten challenge" for a period of weeks. This would consist of resuming gluten consumption in the amount of at least 10g daily (the equivalent of about 4-6 slices of wheat bread) for at least two weeks and then get retested or re-biopsied. But regardless of whether you have celiac disease or NCGS (Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity) the antidote is the same: total abstinence from gluten for life.
×
×
  • Create New...