Questions About Blood Test Results

[Lindsay GFMom]

My 4.5yo son was dxed gluten/dairy intolerant & has the gluten AND Celiac gene by Enterolab testing.

We just got blood test results from Prometheus lab:

AGA IgG 0.7 U/ml (normal <10.0)

AGA IgA 1.3 U/ml (norm <5.0)

TTG IgA 0.3 U/ml (norm <4.0)

EMA IgA negative

TOTAL IgA 171 mg/dl (norm for ages 3-13: 41-395, norm for ages <3: 8-220)

HLA DQ8 detected (Celiac gene)

Although these results are technically negative for active Celiac disease, someone told me that any reading above zero means that something is going on ...and that it isn't good. Has anyone else heard this?

[Jestgar]

For all of these tests there are subset of people with absolutely no problems that have a few antibodies. So they choose the "positive" cutoff level to exclude most of the normal people. This means that most people with a negative result, are really negative (or at least within normal limits), and a few people with negative results DO have Celiac.

So you can't say that "any result means a positive result" but you can wonder if your negative actually means "not yet positive". You'd have to look at diet response or biopsy to decide this.

[jayhawkmom]

I've never seen anyone get a "0" on any of the parts of the celiac panel. Even those who are decidedly and unequivocally negative.

But, I do agree that if he has the celiac gene, testing further on down the road will be recommended. My daughter was the same age when she had her testing done - and the results were much more "inconclusive" as all the numbers were right *at* the cutoff, except one. That one was elevated more than 7 times the norm.

I am seriously starting to think that the celiac blood tests are nothing more than a crap-shoot.