What Do These Results Mean?

[cassie524]

I had some tests done and these were the results:

Anti-Gliadin Antibody Panel (IgG,IgA)

IgG=36

IgA=6

Emdomvsial Antibody Screen with Reflex to Titer

Negative

Tissue Transglutaminase Antibody=36

IgA=183

Can anyone tell me what this all means?

[jayhawkmom]

Do you have the reference ranges? Without those, it's pretty difficult to tell. The lab results should also show "normal, equivocal, out of range" levels. If you have those to post, it'll be much easier for us to help. =)

[happygirl]

Yes, please post the reference ranges so we can help determine what your numbers mean.

What did your doctor have to say about it? Were you eating gluten at the time of the testing or were you gluten free already? Were you having particular symptoms that led you to test for Celiac?

Your dr. did good----all the right tests

[cassie524]

The ranges were from 1-19 and one from something to around 200. I don't have the paper in front of me right now but she mentioned that celiac sprue was high. I was eating normally at the time. I had hemorrhoids and told my doctor that I feel sick pretty much after I eat any meal. So they started doing every test they could think of. A big problem for me is spaghetti... i haven't been able to eat it for at least 3 years now without being doubled over in pain. And also beer. I get sick if I even have a few sips. I first started feeling sick 9 years ago when I was told by a pediatrician that I was lactose intolerant. ---Who knows if I ever was. I am going back to the doctors so they can look in my stomach with a scope in 2 weeks. This doctor is really the best doctor I have ever met so I think I am in good hands. The nurse I talked to told me I can start taking gluten out of my diet, but I have also read places that you should wait till after the rest of the test are done. But, if I can start feeling better today I would like to do it. Anyone have any suggestions?

[jerseyangel]

Hi Cassie,

I would continue eating gluten until after your endoscopy/biopsy. If you begin to cut gluten before, you run the risk of skewing the result.

I know it's tempting to do it now, but it's best to wait

Good luck!

[happygirl]

Do NOT start the diet until AFTER the biopsy. They are looking for damage caused by eating gluten. When you go gluten free, the damage starts to heal. The point of the biopsy is to document/verify the damage, so you know its Celiac, and then you go gluten free. Your body begins to heal within days/a week of going gluten free, so you don't want to skew the results. Otherwise, you may have a false negative on the bloodwork (i.e., you really have Celiac, but it doesn't show up).

https://www.celiac.com/celiac-disease/how-is-celiac-disease-diagnosed-r5/

"All of the laboratory tests that can be performed are strongly affected by a gluten-free diet. Tests will return negatives if the individual has been on a gluten-free diet for some time, and there is much debate about the length of time a patient must return to a gluten-laden diet before being tested. It probably depends on many factors: the level of damage that was done before starting a gluten-free diet, the length of time the person has been gluten-free, the amount of healing that has occurred, and the sensitivity of the individual to gluten."

"Because a gluten-free diet precludes accurate testing, if you suspect celiac disease, it is advisable to have diagnostic tests performed before starting a gluten-free diet."

Also, by your post, I would say your AGA IgG and your tTG are positive. The one with the larger range is probably the total IgA.

The tTG is a pretty darn good test for Celiac.

Read up on this page: www.celiacdiseasecenter.columbia.edu ... A great resource.

Also, speak with your doctor before the biopsy and tell him that you want 4-6 biopsies taken to increase the accuracy. It is recommended by the top Celiac physicians. "The disease is patchy, this combined with the fact that all biopsy pieces may not be oriented sufficiently to assess the crypt to villous ratio means that at least 4 to 6 biopsy pieces need to be taken. " Open Original Shared Link