Who Knows What These Test Results Mean?

[lucybear]

My nurse called this afternoon and told me no worries, I didn't have Celiac.

However, I have tons of symptoms--GI issues, Vit. D deficiency, clotting disorder that caused a miscarriage, history of unexplained infertility, and peripheral neuropathy that can't be explained. When I asked the nurse for my levels, she just kept saying the dr. (neurologist) said everything was normal. I continued to ask for the numbers, and she said, "Well, a few were high, but they're nothing to worry about." I don't know much at all about these tests. But I do know from my history of infertility to turn to the experts, people who are going through the same thing. So, here were my levels. This is from the phone conversation, so I only have some of the normal levels. I'm going Monday to pick up my copy of the lab work. What do you guys think?

Imm. A - 301 (normal range)

IgA - 1 (normal 0-4)

Ads IgG - 7 (normal 0-9)

Endomysial Antibodies - negative

Antinuclear antibodies direct 40 (normal 0-99)

Immunoglobulin M - 285 (normal 40-230)

Sed rate - 30 (normal 0-20)

I remember reading somewhere that if you are IgA deficient, you are more likely to get a negative blood test even if you have Celiac. What does IgA deficient mean?

I think I'm going to try a gluten free diet anyway, because we're trying it with my son per his pediatrician. I'm just interested in what the high Imm M and Sed rate might mean.

Thanks!

[Guest Doll]

My nurse called this afternoon and told me no worries, I didn't have Celiac.

However, I have tons of symptoms--GI issues, Vit. D deficiency, clotting disorder that caused a miscarriage, history of unexplained infertility, and peripheral neuropathy that can't be explained. When I asked the nurse for my levels, she just kept saying the dr. (neurologist) said everything was normal. I continued to ask for the numbers, and she said, "Well, a few were high, but they're nothing to worry about." I don't know much at all about these tests. But I do know from my history of infertility to turn to the experts, people who are going through the same thing. So, here were my levels. This is from the phone conversation, so I only have some of the normal levels. I'm going Monday to pick up my copy of the lab work. What do you guys think?

Imm. A - 301 (normal range)

IgA - 1 (normal 0-4)

Ads IgG - 7 (normal 0-9)

Endomysial Antibodies - negative

Antinuclear antibodies direct 40 (normal 0-99)

Immunoglobulin M - 285 (normal 40-230)

Sed rate - 30 (normal 0-20)

I remember reading somewhere that if you are IgA deficient, you are more likely to get a negative blood test even if you have Celiac. What does IgA deficient mean?

I think I'm going to try a gluten free diet anyway, because we're trying it with my son per his pediatrician. I'm just interested in what the high Imm M and Sed rate might mean.

Thanks!

This is a tough call. There is really no way to tell if you have Celiac or not. Assuming this test is correct, you have elevated Immunoglobulin M (elevated usually due to infections, and can cause abnormal blood clotting), and an elevated Sed rate (indicates inflammation, high levels MAY occur in autoimmune disease).

These in itself do not indicate Celiac. You do not have an IgA deficiency, your doctor tested you for that (the first test). So in theory, you will not have a false negative from IgA deficiency. In general, blood tests are usually fairly accurate in adults, especially if IgA deficiency has been ruled out.

*However* a small percentage of people seem to be seronegative and yet still have a positive biopsy. It is up to you if you want to go the biopsy route or not. Also, some people seem to have "leaky guts" and "gluten intolerance" but not Celiac Disease. This seems to happen most often in people who have autoimmune diseases. It looks like there are different forms of intolerance to gluten that are not well studied. Some cases are linked to infections.

It does sound like you may have some sort of infection that may be contributing to a leaky gut. Has your doctor ruled out bowel infections? Has he ever investigated why your Im. M is elevated?

Regardless, you can always try going gluten-free to see if you notice any improvement. I would follow up with your doctor. A vitamin D deficiency? Do you get regular sun exposure in addition to dietary sources? Low vitamin D levels are thought to contribute to autoimmunity (especially Type 1 diabetes and MS). Or, low vitamin D levels may simply be a symptom of the disease. The research is not clear yet. Have you been screened for MS or a Vitamin B12 deficiency (this can be caused by Pernicious Anemia, an autoimmune disease) with your neuropathy symptoms?

It sounds like you could have anything from an infection, to subclinical autoimmunity, to seronegative Celiac, to non-Celiac gluten intolerance!

You can try the diet for sure, but I would pursue further investigation, especially if you do not feel better. If you do turn out to have some sort of autoimmunity, but not Celiac, I still suggest going gluten-free.

Good luck!

[Osprey101]

Imm. A - 301 (normal range)

IgA - 1 (normal 0-4)

Ads IgG - 7 (normal 0-9)

Endomysial Antibodies - negative

Antinuclear antibodies direct 40 (normal 0-99)

Immunoglobulin M - 285 (normal 40-230)

Sed rate - 30 (normal 0-20)

I remember reading somewhere that if you are IgA deficient, you are more likely to get a negative blood test even if you have Celiac. What does IgA deficient mean?

I think I'm going to try a gluten free diet anyway, because we're trying it with my son per his pediatrician. I'm just interested in what the high Imm M and Sed rate might mean.

Thanks!

Sed rate (sedimentation rate) is the rate at which red blood cells fall in uncoagulated (non-clotted) blood in a clean glass tube. An elevated rate means inflammation- but it does not give a cause. It is a simple test that can be used with other, more powerful tests; an elevated sed rate on its own is not useful.

IgM is a bit more complicated. From Wikipedia:

"IgM antibodies appear early in the course of an infection and usually do not reappear after further exposure. IgM antibodies do not pass across the human placenta.

These two biological properties of IgM make it useful in the diagnosis of infectious diseases. Demonstrating IgM antibodies in a patient's serum indicates recent infection, or in a neonate's serum indicates intrauterine infection (e.g. congenital rubella)."

IgA (immunoglobulin A) deficiency is just that- a reduced antibody. There's a lot more on IgA and IgG here (if you can wade through it):

Open Original Shared Link

Try the diet. Be meticulous in your exclusion of wheat gluten. Canned foods (beans and franks), food specifically labeled as "wheat gluten free," fish, and so forth. Don't eat out if you can avoid it. They can test you and test you and test you until your wallet is empty, but the ultimate test is dietary exclusion, followed by a challenge- but that'll be 6-8 weeks later, if all goes well.

Good luck!

[mftnchn]

Am I wrong here or are you missing the Ttg? Check your tests with the 5 recommended on the Columbia U website. I think you are missing the most accurate and specific test, but am not sure.