Lab results

[daniellelawson2011]

After struggling with many different symptoms for years with no diagnosis, I decided to do my own research and I stumbled upon an article about celiac disease. I asked my PCP to order a ttg and iga. The results: the iga was high at 638. The ttg was negative. Of course I will discuss with my doctor, but i would like to hear from people that have went through the process of diagnosis to maybe give me some insight on what this means and where to go from here. Also of note, i had a brain mri which showed white lesions which arent typical at 44 years old. I have many MS symptoms. I go to the neurologist on Tuesday, but just curious if anyone knows if there is a correlation between iga and MS. I appreciate any help! Thanks!

[trents]

Welcome to the forum, @daniellelawson2011!

First, we need to deal with terminology here. When you refer to the "ttg" test I take that to mean the ttg-iga. And when you refer to the "iga" test I take that to mean total iga since the magnitude of the score would suggest that. Total iga is not a test for celiac disease per se. It is run in order to check for iga deficiency. If you are iga deficient, then the ttg-iga and other iga tests that are specific for celiac disease will be abnormally low and this would potentially produce false negatives. You are not iga deficient but, rather, your total iga is abnormally high. This can suggest underlying health conditions, some of them can be serious in nature. 

https://labs.selfdecode.com/blog/high-iga/

"High IgA usually points to chronic infections or inflammation, though many disorders can raise its levels. High IgA does not cause symptoms. People show symptoms from their underlying health problem."

One thing I might add and that is you must have been eating normal amounts of gluten for weeks/months prior to the blood draw for antibody testing. Testing while on a gluten free or gluten reduced diet will not yield valid results.

Also, here is a primer outlining the various antibody tests that can be ordered to check for celiac disease:

 

Edited June 1 by trents

[daniellelawson2011]

Thank you for the welcome and reply. The first test was tissue transglutaminase IGA and it was normal. The second test just simply says IGA and it was 638. You definitely answered my question, it sounds like im negative for celiac since the 1st test was normal, and that another condition has caused the abnormal result of the IGA. That's exactly what I was wondering. Im almost positive I have MS and I've read results are higher like that with early onset. Or it could be IBS. Hopefully the visit with the neurologist will give me even more answers and point to a final diagnosis. I really appreciate you taking the time to reply and for helping. Thank you so much!

[Scott Adams]

While your negative tTG-IgA result suggests celiac disease is unlikely, the elevated total IgA (638) is notable and warrants further investigation. High IgA can occur in various conditions, including chronic infections, autoimmune disorders (like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis), or even liver disease—but it’s not typically linked directly to MS. That said, your brain MRI findings (white matter lesions at 44) and MS-like symptoms are concerning and should absolutely be prioritized with your neurologist. MS and celiac are distinct conditions, though both involve immune dysregulation; some studies hint at a slightly higher risk of autoimmune comorbidities in celiac patients, but no strong evidence ties IgA elevation specifically to MS. Given your symptoms, ruling out MS through neurological evaluation (possibly including a lumbar puncture or additional imaging) is wise. The IgA spike could also align with IBS or another inflammatory process, so collaborating with both your PCP and neurologist to explore all angles—perhaps even a rheumatology consult—might help piece this puzzle together. Wishing you clarity and answers after your upcoming appointment, and hoping you’re one step closer to effective management!

[daniellelawson2011]

Thank you Scott, I appreciate your reply to my questions. I am definitely nervous about my neurology appointment tomorrow. I have kind of lost faith in physicians, I've had symptoms for 15 years and switched PCPs several times and I've just wondered if I'll ever have answers. I was sent to rheumatology first and that physician tried to tell me I wasnt having the symptoms I told him about and joked that all of us have memory problems as we age and that its normal to have white lesions at my age. I know its not normal (im an xray tech and use to do CT). My memory is definitely not the norm for a 44 year old. I have just had to fight, push, advocate, and research things myself. I sometimes feel like a little hamster in a wheel lol. My legs shake so bad going down stairs, sometimes I have to hold onto the wall. I just feel like no one listens. That's in part why I wanted to post on here and hear from people that might have gone through the same thing. I read a few articles about high iga at the early onset of MS, and iga being in CSF also, so im thinking a lumbar puncture is what I need the most, as much as im not looking forward to that. But at this point, I just want answers so we can hit this head on and try to keep it from progressing. I just hope and pray this neurologist will hear me and I can finally get some answers! Thank you again for reaching out!

[Scott Adams]

You might find some of these articles interesting--research that shows a connection between celiac disease and some cases of MS:

https://www.celiac.com/celiac-disease/celiac-disease-amp-related-diseases-and-disorders/multiple-sclerosis-and-celiac-disease/