Test Results On All Three

[Worriedtodeath]

HI!

I just recieved the blood work on the three kids and I can't figure out which numbers are the ones to pay attention to. The test was a celiac panel by Prometheus Labs

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2nd test------------------1st test for baby

assay result-----------------------kid 1(10 years)------- Kid 2(7years)---baby(19 months)--Baby tested at 14 months---range

igG Elisa (AGA IgG)----------------------5.3------------------1.3-------------3.2---------------------2.2---------------------------<10

IgA Elisa (AGA igA)------------------------.9------------------1.9-------------1.4-----------------------.1 --------------------------< 5.0

anti-human Iga ELisa (TTG IGA)----------.5-------------------.5--------------.5------------------------.5--------------------------< 4

Total IgA by nephelometry----------------84------------------70-------------48------------------------18--------------------------<3 years 8-220

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3-13 years 41-395

What is the number to pay attention to?? ANd is it odd that they all have .5 for ttg ??? I swear they are classic Celiac though as my hubby said they have never been sick enough to go to the hosipital and all appear to be completely healthy unlike many of the Celiac kids that we have heard of. As long as you take out the D, C and tummy upset every so often, my kids have no problem (except the little tyke who just isn't growing but still isn't "sick").

Now the baby's numbers have changed. Her numbers have gone up since we have been doing the gluten challenge. We do a biopsy on her in Jan but was hoping to have a more concrete reason to put the boys on gluten-free other than let's see if you feel better by cutting out gluten. My hubby suppossedly by skin prick is allergic to wheat though his mother never stopped feeding it to him since he didn't seem to "react" to it. He has C like my oldest does (go like once a week) while the other two are like me and stay in the bathroom. I have not been able to find numbers online that indicate what levels tell if it is gluten sensitive, wheat allergy, or end stage Celiac. THe ped gi said there was a gray area but never gave numbers as to where that was.

We still are going to take the baby off of wheat and by default put the boys on it and just see if 6 months down the road it makes any difference for them. Both have been dropping down the height curve for years when they should have stayed above 90th. We know the baby will reap tremendous results since we have done gluten-free with her and seen improvement. I was just hoping to have a definite blood test that wouldn't leave us looking crazy to the family for trying some radical diet.

Thanks for looking

Stacie

[ravenwoodglass]

I would make the whole house gluten-free period for at least 6 months. Blood tests and even endos are very unreliable especially in children. You should go by their response to the diet for final determination.

[nora-n]

were the tests done off gluten, or gluten-light? Then the tests are not valid.

Anyway , the tests are designed to first be positive after severe villi damage is visible on biopsies, because that is what the official definition is, or doctors think so. (it is more a clinical diagnosis, actually)

So if they still have moderate villi damage, the tests should not show up positive and that is how they want the tests.

In about 10-20 percent, the blood tests will be negative even if all the villi are gone.

You can either order enterolab tests, or just all go gluten-free. Probably much better for the baby. There was someone regretting putting a baby on gluten on a forum just to get a diagnosis and the baby did poorly afterwards and still no diagnosis.

And, if your genes are not DW2 or DQ8 you can be very sensitive to gluten but not show the "proper" villi damage. There are several like that here on the forums.

nora