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

Blood Tests And Gluten Challenge

Elsie L

Recommended Posts

Elsie L Newbie
Elsie L
Posted

Hi. I'm new to the forum, but not new to celiac disease. My daughter, now 46 was born with it. I was told I probably had it (by a physician) but never tested until this yr. First test I had been strictly gluten -free for 2 mos. IGA and IGG were negative. So was the endomesial antibody IGA.

So I did a gluten challenge for three weeks. Tested again. Everything negative but Endomesial antibody went up to just enter the positive range, exactly 1:5.

I'm thinking now I should be on gluten a longer time and test again, because the longer I am on a ciet containing gluten, the more digestive distress I am having.

1. Can anyone explain what the higher endomesial antibody test results might indicate? Should I pursue more testing after a longer gluten challenge?

2. What is an ARA test? Should I have had it or did I already under one of the other names?

3. The nurse read my report to me over the phone, at my request, and mentioned a term that included the words tissue transference (not sure I got it right, but the number she gave me on that was 13, whatever that may mean.

I will meet with my dr. and get these things clear, but frankly I don't think she knows that much about celiac disease or the tests.

I'd like to go armed with the right questions to ask! :)

Thanks for sharing iwhatever nformation you can. Elsie

p.s. I've suffered digestive problems all my life, sometimes called colitis and more recently irritable bowel or "food sensitivities." After being treated for non-hodgkins lymphoma two yrs. ago and learning the higher risk for that among Celiac patients I feel I need to get serious about a definite diagnosis to preserve my present health.

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


karen149 Rookie
karen149
Posted

Here's a great site for explaining all those acrnyms:

Open Original Shared Link

I hope you find an answer soon. It sounds like you would definitely benefit from a gluten-free lifestyle.

Hope this helps!

Karen

Elsie L Newbie
Elsie L
Posted
  • Author

Karen, thanks. I checked the site and obtained some useful information. Elsie

Carriefaith Enthusiast
Carriefaith
Posted

I think I may be able to help.

I think the test (#3 on your list) is called Tissue transglutamase

Here is a link to a laboratory test information guide for this test:

Open Original Shared Link

If this was the test you had and you had a reading of 13 than I think it means you MAY have tested positive for celiac (I'm not a doctor!). It says on the website that a normal reading is less than 10 U/ml. But it also says "Tissue Transglutamase may give persistent mildly elevated results in the absence of disease". Definitely worth looking into! Of coarse check this info with your doctor.

Tissue transglutamase is the blood test that I had and I was told that this blood test is vey specific for celiac disease.

gf4life Enthusiast
gf4life
Posted

Different labs use a different reference range. For the Tissue Transglutaminase test most labs say under 20 is negative, a few use under 10 as negative. It is the most specific bloodtest for Celiac.

ARA is Anti-Reticulin Antibody. It is as far as I can tell an outdated bloodtest that very few doctors or labs rely on anymore for Celiac testing. It is still included in some celiac panels though. On mine it said I was negative for the screening test for it, so the actual test was never performed.

The fact that your IgA endomysial antibody went up when you went back on gluten is an indication that gluten may be causing your symptoms, but if you want a definative diagnosis you would have to go back on gluten for anywhere from 3-6 months or more to get more accurate test results. Otherwise you could just continue on the gluten free diet and see if it helps. I went back on gluten for two months and it was not long enough to show my doctor the damage she wanted to see to give the diagnosis of Celiac. I opted for Enterolab testing to get my answers. I am very happy with their testing methods and it is certainly an option. You can check them out at Open Original Shared Link

God bless,

Mariann

tarnalberry Community Regular
tarnalberry
Posted

ARA can - as far as I've been able to discover - indicate either autoimmune kidney problems as well, but usually celiac. It's actually relatively specific (in theory), but not very sensitive. (Plenty of celiacs won't have it raised.) That, actually, was my only positive test. (I couldn't get any values on the rest, so I don't know if they were borderline.) When I combined that with a positive result when going on the diet - and doing a dietary challenge - I took that as my answer. It is an indirect test though, and definitely not too many doctors run it any more.

Archived

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

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,133
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Exhausted-momma
    Newest Member
    Exhausted-momma
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • knitty kitty
      High DGP-A with normal IGA

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @rei.b,  I understand how frustrating starting a new way of eating can be.  I tried all sorts of gluten-free processed foods and just kept feeling worse.  My health didn't improve until I started the low histamine AIP diet.  It makes a big difference.   Gluten fits into opioid receptors in our bodies.  So, removing gluten can cause withdrawal symptoms and reveals the underlying discomfort.  SIBO can cause digestive symptoms.  SIBO can prevent vitamins from being absorbed by the intestines.  Thiamine insufficiency causes Gastrointestinal Beriberi (bloating, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea or constipation).  Thiamine is the B vitamin that runs out first because it can only be stored for two weeks.  We need more thiamine when we're sick or under emotional stress.  Gastric Beriberi is under recognised by doctors.  An Erythrocyte Transketolace Activity test is more accurate than a blood test for thiamine deficiency, but the best way to see if you're low in thiamine is to take it and look for health improvement.  Don't take Thiamine Mononitrate because the body can't utilize it well.  Try Benfotiamine.  Thiamine is water soluble, nontoxic and safe even at high doses.  I thought it was crazy, too, but simple vitamins and minerals are important.  The eight B vitamins work together, so a B Complex, Benfotiamine,  magnesium and Vitamin D really helped get my body to start healing, along with the AIP diet.  Once you heal, you add foods back in, so the AIP diet is worth doing for a few months. I do hope you'll consider the AIP diet and Benfotiamine.
    • captaincrab55
      Finding gluten free ingredients

      By captaincrab55 · Posted

      Imemsm, Most of us have experienced discontinued, not currently available or products that suddenly become seasonal.   My biggest fear about relocating from Maryland to Florida 5 years ago, was being able to find gluten-free foods that fit my restricted diet.  I soon found out that the Win Dixie and Publix supper markets actually has 99% of their gluten-free foods tagged, next to the price.  The gluten-free tags opened up a  lot of foods that aren't actually marked gluten-free by the manufacture.  Now I only need to check for my other dietary restrictions.  Where my son lives in New Hartford, New York there's a Hannaford Supermarket that also has a gluten-free tag next to the price tag.  Hopefully you can locate a Supermarket within a reasonable travel distance that you can learn what foods to check out at a Supermarket close to you.  I have dermatitis herpetiformis too and I'm very sensitive to gluten and the three stores I named were very gluten-free friendly.  Good Luck 
    • rei.b
      High DGP-A with normal IGA

      By rei.b · Posted

      Okay well the info about TTG-A actually makes a lot of sense and I wish the PA had explained that to me. But yes, I would assume I would have intestinal damage from eating a lot of gluten for 32 years while having all these symptoms. As far as avoiding gluten foods - I was definitely not doing that. Bread, pasta, quesadillas (with flour tortillas) and crackers are my 4 favorite foods and I ate at least one of those things multiple times a day e.g. breakfast with eggs and toast, a cheese quesadilla for lunch, and pasta for dinner, and crackers and cheese as a before bed snack. I'm not even kidding.  I'm not really big on sugar, so I don't really do sweets. I don't have any of those conditions.  I am not sure if I have the genes or not. When the geneticist did my genetic testing for EDS this year, I didn't think to ask for him to request the celiac genes so they didn't test for them, unfortunately.  I guess another expectation I had is  that if gluten was the issue, the gluten-free diet would make me feel better, and I'm 3 months in and that hasn't been the case. I am being very careful and reading every label because I didn't want to screw this up and have to do gluten-free for longer than necessary if I end up not having celiac. I'm literally checking everything, even tea and anything else prepacked like caramel dip. Honestly its making me anxious 😅
    • knitty kitty
      High DGP-A with normal IGA

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      So you're saying that you think you should have severe intestinal damage since you've had the symptoms so long?   DGP IgG antibodies are produced in response to a partial gluten molecule.  This is different than what tissue transglutaminase antibodies are  produced in response to.   TTg IgA antibodies are produced in the intestines in response to gluten.  The tTg IgA antibodies attack our own cells because a structural component in our cell membranes resembles a part of gluten.  There's a correlation between the level of intestinal damage with the level of tTg antibodies produced.  You are not producing a high number of tTg IgA antibodies, so your level of tissue damage in your intestines is not very bad.  Be thankful.   There may be reasons why you are not producing a high quantity of tTg IgA antibodies.  Consuming ten grams or more of gluten a day for two weeks to two months before blood tests are done is required to get sufficient antibody production and damage to the intestines.  Some undiagnosed people tend to subconsciously avoid lots of gluten.  Cookies and cakes do not contain as much gluten as artisan breads and thick chewy pizza crust.  Anemia, diabetes and thiamine deficiency can affect IgA antibody production as well.   Do you carry genes for Celiac?  They frequently go along with EDS.
    • rei.b
      High DGP-A with normal IGA

      By rei.b · Posted

      I was tested for celiac at the same time, so I wasn't taking naltrexone yet. I say that, because I don't. The endoscopy showed some mild inflammation but was inconclusive as to celiac disease. They took several biopsies and that's all that was shown. I was not given a Marsh score.
×
×
  • 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.