Jump to content

  • 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

Childrens Iga Levels, Whats Normal?

kenyonsmommy

Recommended Posts

kenyonsmommy Rookie
kenyonsmommy
Posted

My son just had his three year old check up, where they retested his blood for IgA. Its been 7 months since his diagnosis. The post card came back that his level was 1.0, which they marked with a big red smiley face and circled "were within normal limits". Does anyone know what normal limits are? I was surprised that they came back low, because recently he has developed a rash on his groin and now it is spreading to his upper thighs, tiny blisters that I suspect is DH. I'm glad they are saying its low, because that obviously means we are doing things right, which I worry about all the time.

Any one have any ideas??? Thanks!!

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Nancym Enthusiast
Nancym
Posted

My understanding is that DH might not show up in blood test results. You need to have a skin biopsy.

jayhawkmom Enthusiast
jayhawkmom
Posted

I don't know what normal is for a child... but I do know that the "norm" varies depending on the lab you use.

An example... at the lab we go through, the normal IgA (for total syrum) is 70-400. So, for us... a 1 would be, well... nonexistent.

If you are refering to the IgA to gliadin antibodies... again, that will vary by lab and you'd have to know their "reference ranges."

My 8 year old just had his panel run, and while his total syrum IgA was perfectly fine... his IgA AB's were 37 - and anything under 11 is considered "normal."

prinsessa Contributor
prinsessa
Posted

At the lab my son was tested at, anything under 5 was considered "normal". His tests were 3, so they said he wasn't gluten intolerant. I went through Enterolab and his tests came back positive. I agree that you should have a biopsy of the DH. I think that is more reliable than the blood tests. If the tests come back positive for DH then he is gluten intolerant.

janelyb Enthusiast
janelyb
Posted
My 8 year old just had his panel run, and while his total syrum IgA was perfectly fine... his IgA AB's were 37 - and anything under 11 is considered "normal."

Sounds like my son's results but I don't rmember which one was the under 11 was normal, my son's # for that was 36, but the doc said the celiac panel was negative...but the 36 # drew concern with my doc so we are running the test again Monday.

I too am confused with the #'s....and I am wondering if I should shell out $$$ to send the blood to a speciality lab or is my insurence lab good enough????

kenyonsmommy Rookie
kenyonsmommy
Posted
  • Author
At the lab my son was tested at, anything under 5 was considered "normal". His tests were 3, so they said he wasn't gluten intolerant. I went through Enterolab and his tests came back positive. I agree that you should have a biopsy of the DH. I think that is more reliable than the blood tests. If the tests come back positive for DH then he is gluten intolerant.

I already know he is gluten intolerant, he was diagnosed last year by blood and biopsy. I think he will have to have a biopsy of the DH. The rash has now gotten worse, the blisters are larger and are cover his groin, mostly on his testicles. He has not been itching them and does not complian about them, but they look awful. I asked for a referral to the dermatologist today, so hopefully we'll get in to see one soon. I have been putting antibiotic ointment on them for infection. I also thought about chicken pox, but arent they all over the body?

jayhawkmom Enthusiast
jayhawkmom
Posted
but the doc said the celiac panel was negative...but the 36 # drew concern with my doc so we are running the test again Monday.

I'm always amused when part of the test is positive, but the doctors say it's negative. Same thing with my daughter... only 1 of the 4 parts was positive. Our allergist said the panel was negative. Her GI disagreed.

With my older son's... 3 of the 4 were positive, and yet... I was told the panel was negative. He had a positive tTg, positive IgA and positive IgG. Negative?? I don't think so.

The doctor has not yet reviewed those results... it was a nurse practitioner who gave me the results as the doctor is out of town. Cracks me up that I know more than the nurse does.

Typical though... eh?

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


kenyonsmommy Rookie
kenyonsmommy
Posted
  • Author

It concerns me that part of a test could come back positive yet they would still say negative results. I was tested last year, as was my father, after my son was diagnosed. Both came back as "negative". I have the same dr as my son, and since he was so proactive in diagnosing my son, I have to trust him on the bloodwork. He did find that I have selective IgA deficiency. My fathers doctor is an idiot, I am really going to bully him into having another test, from another Dr. His mother, my grandmother, died from Stomach cancer 7 years ago, she had problems all her life and I would not be surprised if she was celiac.

What I am realizing is that I do not know enough about my sons test to really know what it means, so I will have to ask some questions.

aikiducky Apprentice
aikiducky
Posted

Kenyonsmommy, if you are Iga deficient, how did your doctor decide that your blood test was negative? It's my understanding that an Iga deficient person would always test negative, and they need to be tested in some other way for celiac, by biopsy for example.

Pauliina

kenyonsmommy Rookie
kenyonsmommy
Posted
  • Author

I had to have another blood test, where he checked for other antibodies. I'm not sure what exactly, but he told me it was negative for celiac. He did alot of research to figure out what to do, as I was the first patient he has had with Selective IgA deficiency, and my son was his first pediatric celiac patient, he had some adults, but no children. He was very good about getting the info and contacting specialists. We live near Strong Hospital/University of Rochester, and they have some special projects going on in regards to these subjects, so I guess he was able to gather some good info.

aikiducky Apprentice
aikiducky
Posted

Sounds like a good thorough doc then! :)

Pauliina

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. trents
      - trents replied to KathyR37's topic in Coping with Celiac Disease
      3

      New here

      @KathyR37, I would suspect that in addition to gluten intolerance, you have other food intolerances/sensitivities. This is very common in the celiac community. The most common offenders are oats, dairy, soy, corn and eggs with dairy and oats being the big two. Have you considered this? Have you tried keeping a food diary to detect patterns?
    2. Theresa2407
      - Theresa2407 replied to Theresa2407's topic in Gluten-Free Foods, Products, Shopping & Medications
      2

      Probiotics

      thank you for your advice. I have always taken them and I use Stonehedge because they are in a glass bottle, but don't have to be refrigerated. I also like they are 3rd party tested and state gluten free. But you never know if something better has come alone over the years.
    3. KathyR37
      - KathyR37 replied to KathyR37's topic in Coping with Celiac Disease
      3

      New here

      Thank you for your response. I have already learned about the info you sent but i appreciate your effort. I am the only one in my family cursed by this disease. I have to cook for them too. I make sure that my utensils are free of gluten and clean after using them for other food. I use non-porous pots and pans and gloves when cooking for them. One huge problem...
    4. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to KathyR37's topic in Coping with Celiac Disease
      3

      New here

      What you've described—the severe weight loss, the cycle of medications making things worse, and the profound fear of eating before leaving the house—is a heavy burden to carry for 15 years. It is absolutely not your fault. While everyone's journey with celiac is different, the struggles with the learning curve, social isolation, and dietary grief are fee...
    5. KathyR37
      - KathyR37 posted a topic in Coping with Celiac Disease
      3

      New here

      I am new here but celiac disease is not new to me. I was diagnosed with it at age 60. At the time I weighed a whopping 89 pounds. I was so ignorant to celiac so I buried myself in learning all about it and looking for food I could eat. I lost so much weight and stayed sick all the time. So to combat the sickness I was give all sorts of meds for loose bowels...
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,812
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Papa Emeritus 79
    Newest Member
    Papa Emeritus 79
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • trents
      New here

      By trents · Posted

      @KathyR37, I would suspect that in addition to gluten intolerance, you have other food intolerances/sensitivities. This is very common in the celiac community. The most common offenders are oats, dairy, soy, corn and eggs with dairy and oats being the big two. Have you considered this? Have you tried keeping a food diary to detect patterns?
    • Theresa2407
      Probiotics

      By Theresa2407 · Posted

      thank you for your advice.   I have always taken them and I use Stonehedge because they are in a glass bottle, but don't have to be refrigerated.  I also like they are 3rd party tested and state gluten free. But you never know if something better has come alone over the years.
    • KathyR37
      New here

      By KathyR37 · Posted

      Thank you for your response. I have already learned about the info you sent but i appreciate your effort. I am the only one in my family cursed by this disease. I have to cook for them too. I make sure that my utensils are free of gluten and clean after using them for other food. I use non-porous pots and pans and  gloves when cooking for them. One huge problem I have is a gag reflex out of this world and if something doesn't taste good it is not going down. Most commercially made breads and such taste like old cardboard.Pastas are about the same. I did find one flour that I like and use it regularly, but it is so expensive! All gluten free food is way more expensive. I only eat twice a day because I cannot afford to buy all that. We live on a very low income so my food purchases are quite limited.
    • Scott Adams
      New here

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      What you've described—the severe weight loss, the cycle of medications making things worse, and the profound fear of eating before leaving the house—is a heavy burden to carry for 15 years. It is absolutely not your fault. While everyone's journey with celiac is different, the struggles with the learning curve, social isolation, and dietary grief are feelings many in the community know all too well. Your question about whether you should just eat what you want and manage the symptoms is a heartbreaking one, born from years of frustration. It's crucial to know that the diarrhea is a sign of ongoing damage to your small intestine from gluten, and simply managing the symptom with Imodium doesn't stop that internal harm or the risk of other complications. The fact that you are still getting sick within an hour of eating, even while trying to be gluten-free, is a huge red flag that something isn't right. This could be due to cross-contamination in your kitchen (e.g., using a shared toaster, colander, or condiment jars), hidden gluten in foods, or the possibility of another concurrent condition like refractory celiac disease. Don't give up!  This article has some detailed information on how to be 100% gluten-free, so it may be helpful (be sure to also read the comments section.):    
    • KathyR37
      New here

      By KathyR37 · Posted

      I am new here but celiac disease is not new to me. I was diagnosed with it at age 60. At the time I weighed a whopping 89 pounds. I was so ignorant to celiac so I buried myself in learning all about it and looking for food I could eat. I lost so much weight and stayed sick all the time. So to combat the sickness I was give all sorts of meds for loose bowels and vomiting. All that just made me sicker. Eventually I chucked it all and went back to eating like I had all my life. Now I am from the south and biscuits and gravy are a big part of our food, as are breaded foods, pasta, and sandwich bread. Through the years I would try to do the gluten free thing again and am doing it now. It has not helped any. Within and hour of eating I have to run to the bathroom. I am now 75 and am wondering if I should just forget it and eat what I like, take Immodium and live the best I can. I cannot eat before going anywhere for fear of embarrassing myself. Family and church dinners are out of the question unless I eat and run straight home. I am so frustrated I just want to sit down and cry or throw something. Does everyone go through all this?
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.