Biopsy And Lymphocyte Count

[ginnym]

I had an endoscopy in March which reported "no convincing villous atrophy" but also said that the "intraepithelial lymphocytes are towards the upper normal range and the chronic inflammatory cells are also towards the upper range".

After lots of asking, I've finally got the patholgist to do an IEL count on the sample and have been told that it was 35-40. I think I've seen articles which have said that Coeliac was previously diagnosed if the count was over 40 but that a count of over 25 is now regarded as low grade Coeliac, even without villous atrophy. This would obviously put me into the Coeliac group (my bloods were negative but a gluten-free diet is working wonders).

Does anyone have any experience of IEL counts who could confirm whether or not 35-40 is high enough to be considered early stage Coeliac?

In some respects it doesn't matter as I know that a gluten free diet is helping but I can't get foods on prescription without a formal diagnosis, plus I'd like to understand what's going on.

[Cboogy]

I had an endoscopy in March which reported "no convincing villous atrophy" but also said that the "intraepithelial lymphocytes are towards the upper normal range and the chronic inflammatory cells are also towards the upper range".

After lots of asking, I've finally got the patholgist to do an IEL count on the sample and have been told that it was 35-40. I think I've seen articles which have said that Coeliac was previously diagnosed if the count was over 40 but that a count of over 25 is now regarded as low grade Coeliac, even without villous atrophy. This would obviously put me into the Coeliac group (my bloods were negative but a gluten-free diet is working wonders).

Does anyone have any experience of IEL counts who could confirm whether or not 35-40 is high enough to be considered early stage Coeliac?

In some respects it doesn't matter as I know that a gluten free diet is helping but I can't get foods on prescription without a formal diagnosis, plus I'd like to understand what's going on.

I will reply even though this is from 2008... I just got diagnosed with Celiac Disease because my IELs were "greater than 30." I do not improve on a gluten free diet. My bloodwork is all negative. All my blood vitamin and mineral levels are normal. I have the DQ2 gene so given that it's possible for me to have Celiac they went ahead with the diagnosis of celiac disease.

 

So based on my diagnosis, if you have more than 30 IELs/100 AND you feel better on gluten-free diet, you probably have celiac disease.