High Serum Iga - Everything Else Normal

[Jack Ezel]

I am a moderately heavy man who was diagnosed with severe osteoporosis when I was 41 years old (which is relatively abnormal). I have fractured 8 vertebrae in the past 3 years and my osteoporosis is getting worse. I have always consumed a lot of dairy products and bread with no problems.

My MD tested me for Celiac, but when she got these results, she told me I did not have it. She told me not to worry about the overall HIGH serum IGA.

My scores are:

TTG IGG was TNP (Doc told me that mean not enought to test?)

TTG IGA was <3 (<5 is negative)

Gliadin IGA was 4 (<11 is negative)

IGA was 513 (Normal is 81-463) and HIGH

Does anyone know what the HIGH serum/total IGA means? Celiac? Gluten sensitivity?

I have been searching for answers for the past 3 years as to why my bones are breaking, and have seen multiple MDs, endocrinologists, and orthopedic doctors and none of them have an answer. All of my other hundreds of tests have come back normal.

I have searched all through this forum and could only find one other post on this topic and no one could answer that posters question. Hopefully someone can help me.

Jack

[tarnalberry]

I'm sorry. I have no idea what high serum IgA means.

I'd agree that, with those results, it doesn't seem likely that you have celiac.

But if you have any other symtpoms besides osteoporisis (and look up the full, 200-symptom list before saying no as many of them are *not* intestinal at all), then I'd encourage trying the gluten-free diet for six months, retesting your bone density, and seeing if it made any difference. (I say six months because you're looking for a change in something that's very slow to change. If you had other symptoms, I wouldn't say for as long.)

[Ursa Major]

Hi Jack, and welcome to this board.

The high serum IGA obviously means SOMETHING, and it would be good to find out what it is. Try doing some Internet research on that, to see what you come up with.

Osteoporosis is extremely common for celiac disease, and can sometimes be the only obvious symptom. But it can also be a symptom of a casein intolerance. That milk you are drinking might actually be causing your osteoporosis. Because, rather than GIVING your body calcium, it leaches calcium out of your bones. The calcium that is in cow's milk can not be used by the human body at all. That is a tragic myth perpetuated by the dairy industry.

Quite a few studies have been done on the possible link of dairy and osteoporosis. And it has been found that America has the highest intake of dairy, but also the highest incidence of osteoporosis. In countries were dairy intake is the lowest (or non-existent), osteoporosis is virtually unheard of.

My husband's grandmother was severely dairy intolerant, and never consumed any dairy in all her almost 100 years (she died six weeks short of 100). When she fell and broke her femur near her hip at the age of 98, they checked her bone density and found that she had PERFECT bones, not the slightest trace of osteoporosis. She walked again within six months.

I agree with Tiffany on trying the gluten-free diet. But I would also suggest eliminating dairy at the same time.

If you want to really know about celiac disease and dairy, get the test from Open Original Shared Link. If you get the full testing, which includes gluten, dairy, soy intolerance and malabsorption as well as finding out if you have the celiac disease or gluten sensitivity genes, you would know for sure what is going on. Or at least you would know if celiac disease or dairy is a problem. You don't have to be eating gluten for those tests to be accurate.

Osteoporosis is a malabsorption problem. Somehow you must not be absorbing calcium from your diet. Calcium is absorbed in your small intestine, which is where gluten and/or dairy, as well as soy, will either gum up or destroy your villi, resulting in your inability to absorb vital nutrients. Those also include vitamin D, iron, potassium and a few others.

You ought to have your levels of essential nutrients tested. You might be deficient in vitamin D as well. Your body can't use calcium without vitamin D.

[tarnalberry]

You ought to have your levels of essential nutrients tested. You might be deficient in vitamin D as well. Your body can't use calcium without vitamin D.

And magnesium. The majority of the American population operates on a slight magnesium deficiency (even on a very healthy, well rounded diet, it can be difficult to get enough magesium on a regular basis, and it's mandatory for bone metabolism). You should get magnesium in a 1:2 ratio with calcium.

[Jack Ezel]

Thanks for all your advice, but I hope someone out there can answer my question:

What does HIGH SERUM/TOTAL IGA mean?

Since I am symptom free, I don't want to go on a Gluten Free - Dairy Free diet for a year to find out if my bones become denser, when that might not be the problem.

Meanwhile my bones may be getting worse and breaking even more.

I have had a ton of Blood/Urine tests done and the only marker that is abnormal is the SERUM/TOTAL IGA. My iron, vitamins, even blood calcium levels are normal. Every other test is normal. None of my doctors know what my problem is, but since my Celiac markers were also normal, they don't want to do a biopsy.

So, does anyone out there know what HIGH SERUM/TOTAL IGA means?

TTG IGG was TNP (Doc told me that mean not enought to test?)

TTG IGA was <3 (<5 is negative)

Gliadin IGA was 4 (<11 is negative)

IGA was 513 (Normal is 81-463) and HIGH

Thanks,

Jack

[GFAngel]

Thanks for all your advice, but I hope someone out there can answer my question:

What does HIGH SERUM/TOTAL IGA mean?

Since I am symptom free, I don't want to go on a Gluten Free - Dairy Free diet for a year to find out if my bones become denser, when that might not be the problem.

Meanwhile my bones may be getting worse and breaking even more.

I have had a ton of Blood/Urine tests done and the only marker that is abnormal is the SERUM/TOTAL IGA. My iron, vitamins, even blood calcium levels are normal. Every other test is normal. None of my doctors know what my problem is, but since my Celiac markers were also normal, they don't want to do a biopsy.

So, does anyone out there know what HIGH SERUM/TOTAL IGA means?

TTG IGG was TNP (Doc told me that mean not enought to test?)

TTG IGA was <3 (<5 is negative)

Gliadin IGA was 4 (<11 is negative)

IGA was 513 (Normal is 81-463) and HIGH

Thanks,

Jack

Hello Jack,

I see this is an old thread, but I googled for info re: same subject and then found this link, so I thought I'd add it in case it might steer someone else (and you):

Open Original Shared Link . My neighbor had high IGA on her negative celiac panel (hence my googling around) and she has blood sugar issues, likely gastroparesis (she is not heavy, but does seize when eating too much fruit - she also likes her desserts, but I've only heard her say her gut seizes with fruit). I know her A1C was 5.4 on same lab; I don't know if she tests her blood sugars. She might be hypoglycemic as I've heard her wonder aloud.

Also, I agree with Ursa Major re: dairy. Dairy, grains and meat are acidic. To gain bone strength one should eat more alkaline foods: GREENS, veggies and fruit. I'm not saying to discontinue any food, to just eat double or more of the alkaline.

[GFAngel]

Hello Jack,

I see this is an old thread, but I googled for info re: same subject and then found this link, so I thought I'd add it in case it might steer someone else (and you):

Open Original Shared Link . A friend had high IGA on her negative celiac panel (hence my googling around) and she has blood sugar issues, likely gastroparesis (she is not heavy, but does seize when eating too much fruit - she also likes her desserts, but I've only heard her say her gut seizes with fruit). I know her A1C was 5.4 on same lab; I don't know if she tests her blood sugars. She might be hypoglycemic as I've heard her wonder aloud.

Also, I agree with Ursa Major re: dairy. Dairy, grains and meat are acidic. To gain bone strength one should eat more alkaline foods: GREENS, veggies and fruit. I'm not saying to discontinue any food, to just eat double or more of the alkaline.

[GFAngel]

Hello Jack,

I see this is an old thread, but I googled for info re: same subject and then found this link, so I thought I'd add it in case it might steer someone else (and you):

Open Original Shared Link . A friend had high IGA on her negative celiac panel (hence my googling around) and she has blood sugar issues, likely gastroparesis (she is not heavy, but does seize when eating too much fruit - she also likes her desserts, but I've only heard her say her gut seizes with fruit). I know her A1C was 5.4 on same lab; I don't know if she tests her blood sugars. She might be hypoglycemic as I've heard her wonder aloud.

Also, I agree with Ursa Major re: dairy. Dairy, grains and meat are acidic. To gain bone strength one should eat more alkaline foods: GREENS, veggies and fruit. I'm not saying to discontinue any food, to just eat double or more of the alkaline.

P.S. I also found these re: ankylosing spondylitis Open Original Shared Link (& from google search Open Original Shared Link ): Open Original Shared Link , Open Original Shared Link

...and come to think of it, re the friend I spoke about earlier? She has severe bone problems, the nature of which (dx) I couldn't really comment; just to say she had multiple surgeries to correct her legs/feet when she was a child; and she currently complains of lower back pain. Conjecture at this point. (I don't seem to know how to post yet, forgive me.)