Antigliadin Abs, Igg

[Guest Karabear20]

On my blood work it said that IgG in the normal range was <9 and my score was a 33....

I have no idea what that means...or what those letters mean or whatever... and I asked the gastroenterologist and he had NO idea how to explain it to me because he's an idiot..but yeah...is that a good indicator that I have celiac?

[Suzie-GFfamily]

On my blood work it said that IgG in the normal range was <9 and my score was a 33....

I have no idea what that means...or what those letters mean or whatever... and I asked the gastroenterologist and he had NO idea how to explain it to me because he's an idiot..but yeah...is that a good indicator that I have celiac?

IgG is the abbreviation for Immunoglobulin G

Immunoglobulins (AKA antibodies) are produced by your immune system, there are many different types: IgG, IgA, IgM, IgE, IgD

Within the IgG class of immunoglobulins there are many different kinds. You were probably tested for an IgG specific to a particular substrate- such as anti-gliadin IgG or anti-tissue transglutaminase IgG, etc.

In order to be able to interpret your blood work, you would need to know this information.

Suzie

[Suzie-GFfamily]

IgG is the abbreviation for Immunoglobulin G

Immunoglobulins (AKA antibodies) are produced by your immune system, there are many different types: IgG, IgA, IgM, IgE, IgD

Within the IgG class of immunoglobulins there are many different kinds. You were probably tested for an IgG specific to a particular substrate- such as anti-gliadin IgG or anti-tissue transglutaminase IgG, etc.

In order to be able to interpret your blood work, you would need to know this information.

Suzie

Sorry- I just noticed that the subject of your post said that it was antigliadin IgG. This is not considered to be a good indicator for celiac disease- you should get a copy of Dr. Peter Green's book "Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic" because he discusses the different blood tests.

I believe that anti-tissue transglutaminase would be a better indicator of celiac disease.

[Guest Karabear20]

Sorry- I just noticed that the subject of your post said that it was antigliadin IgG. This is not considered to be a good indicator for celiac disease- you should get a copy of Dr. Peter Green's book "Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic" because he discusses the different blood tests.

I believe that anti-tissue transglutaminase would be a better indicator of celiac disease.

okay well that was positive too, but not nearly as much as that... another question...now since it was positive, why on earth would a dr., if he knew anything about celiac disease, tell you to eat gluten free BEFORE goin to see a gastroenterologist..? I swear...these people know nothing.

[Nic]

okay well that was positive too, but not nearly as much as that... another question...now since it was positive, why on earth would a dr., if he knew anything about celiac disease, tell you to eat gluten free BEFORE goin to see a gastroenterologist..? I swear...these people know nothing.

Probably because alot of doctors will not take the blood test for a final diagnosis. Some think the biopsy is the way to be conclusive and you have to be eating gluten to get a positive biopsy.

Nicole

[happygirl]

however, a positive AGA IgG is indicative of a response to gluten. I'm not saying a Celiac response, but it might indicate a gluten intolerance. IgG food "allergy" testing (delayed food allergy=intolerance) is used for other foods besides gluten, as well.

You need to have the FULL Celiac panel run while still eating gluten.

[Guest Karabear20]

however, a positive AGA IgG is indicative of a response to gluten. I'm not saying a Celiac response, but it might indicate a gluten intolerance. IgG food "allergy" testing (delayed food allergy=intolerance) is used for other foods besides gluten, as well.

You need to have the FULL Celiac panel run while still eating gluten.

Okay, but this doctor told me to go gluten free right after the blood work, before the GI... so it screwed up chances for a positive endoscopy....

and now that i've been gluten free for so long....to me ...it feels like it would be stupid to go back to eating gluten for several weeks and have it send my stomach in to hell...i dunno. If you were me... would you stay on the gluten-free diet to feel better... or would you go back on Gluten to get that positive diagnosis.

[wolfie]

Okay, but this doctor told me to go gluten free right after the blood work, before the GI... so it screwed up chances for a positive endoscopy....

and now that i've been gluten free for so long....to me ...it feels like it would be stupid to go back to eating gluten for several weeks and have it send my stomach in to hell...i dunno. If you were me... would you stay on the gluten-free diet to feel better... or would you go back on Gluten to get that positive diagnosis.

I had a very similar situation happen to me. My PCP Dr told me that my results (AGA IgG was positive, others neg, but they did not do a total serum IgA, so I could be deficient there, which would skew the other results) indicated Celiac and that I needed to go gluten-free. She said that I could see a GI if I wanted, but didn't need to. I told her that I would like to see the GI and got a referral. In the meantime I did start the gluten-free diet, as I was told to. GI wanted to do the endoscopy/biopsy to confirm Celiac, but I was already gluten-free and feeling a lot better. After lots of going back & forth, I decided to stay on the diet as I obviously had an issue with gluten whether it was Celiac or gluten intolerance. I spoke with my GI's office about this and they agreed that as long as I was feeling better that there was no reason to torture myself. They did tell me to call back if I started to not feel well again. It has now been over a year and I am feeling better now than I have felt in years. It is so nice to eat and not have it hurt. I did have my kids tested and my son was diagnosed with Celiac (biopsy was positive...I knew better than to put him on the diet first by then), so I suspect that I do in fact have Celiac, I just can't prove it. It doesn't matter to me either way, I know that I have to avoid gluten for the rest of my life.

[confused]

okay well that was positive too, but not nearly as much as that... another question...now since it was positive, why on earth would a dr., if he knew anything about celiac disease, tell you to eat gluten free BEFORE goin to see a gastroenterologist..? I swear...these people know nothing.

Do you know the numbers for the other test that he ran?

paula

[gfp]

okay well that was positive too, but not nearly as much as that... another question...now since it was positive, why on earth would a dr., if he knew anything about celiac disease, tell you to eat gluten free BEFORE goin to see a gastroenterologist..? I swear...these people know nothing.

Happygirl already explained that.

however, a positive AGA IgG is indicative of a response to gluten. I'm not saying a Celiac response, but it might indicate a gluten intolerance. IgG food "allergy" testing (delayed food allergy=intolerance) is used for other foods besides gluten, as well.

You need to have the FULL Celiac panel run while still eating gluten.

I just want to add a little....

If you are making the antibodies then you have a sensitivity.... full blown celiac disease or gluten intolerance doesn't really matter...as far as treatment....

You can't just pop a sandwhich before the test... you have to be eating gluten for a reasonably* long time and in reasonably* large amounts.

*reasonable: Yep wish I could say for definate what that is.... the problem is it varies between people and probably even in the same person at different times of their life or general health. This applies equally for biopsy and blood.

A good time frame is 1-2 months... but its not cast in stone.... and regarding biopsy there is no way to guarantee because the samples are a very small and unrepresentative part of your whole intestine... the more you deliberatly damage it they better the chances of finding a sufficiently damaged part....

You might want to reread that again....

Yes.. the aim of the biopsy and challenge is to deliberatly damage one of your bodies major organs ...so someone can take a sample and say "hey you won" ...

The dangers of this are multifold....

Firstly just how much and how long? Some people with celiac disease NEVER have a positive biopsy... but still get serious and fatal conditions from it... because the intestine is only one area celiac disease expresses itself... to illustrate this...

Imagine you had a blood test showed with 98% accuracy you had cancer...

The MD says well the most common area for a woman is the breasts, lets run an MRI... the MRI comes back negative yet your platelet count indicates you have cancer.

Its not definitive... they have no other firm explanation... would you be happy with that diagnosis?

I'll presume not...

So they tell you it might be some other form of cancer... they recommend you start a course of medication designed to make the cancer spread so its easier for them to find because ... well MRI time is expensive.. Oh and the medication os going to make you feel like crap!

You would be right to be concerned... what if the cancer growth is then inoperable?

Wouldn't running a few more expensive tests be safer....

This is the situation for the biopsy although less extreme.... I just used an extreme example to illustrate...

Your villi might never recover, you might get long term neurological issues or even non hodgekins lymphoma... its unlikely but why take that risk and make yourself ill.

A challenge biopsy is simply this... its a cop out and a way that you the patients discomfort and health is subsidiary to the costs of doing the job properly... in this case you should have been TOLD... you need to eat gluten... and then ALL the tests run...

The time delay for blood is by definition shorter.... you can't start villi damage UNTIL you have the antibodies... AND they can test every week for antibodies... its just a prick. As soon as its comfirmed, its comfirmed... you can stop taking that "medication making you ill" .. and the thing is once you have antibodies the villi just don't dissapear... they get attacked, they divide and repair... and its not until they are being destoryed faster than repaired that any significant villi damage will be found...

HOWEVER .. your risk of cancer is not linked to them being destroyed, it is linked to them being repaired... mytosis is the birth of cancer .. The risk is not large from a single 3 month challenge but its not ZERO either... however lots of other nasties are also possible including thyroid damage or neurological problems and in the end... the biopsy might be taken badly and negative so they send you away for another month...?

The use of cancer is not to scare you here, its extermely unlikely BUT the risk of other less serious complications isn't...

What you need IMHO is either a diagosis of what they got or a scheduled FULL celaic panel at weekly intervals... up to a maximum of 1-2 months...