My Blood Test Results - Any Insight?

[Kitt1027]

Hello all! Ok, so I got what my Dr. called the "Celiac Panel" run a couple weeks ago on my blood. I had been trying to eat more gluten for a week before the test (but don't think I ate enough) and the week before that was almost completely gluten-free and before that I was eating whatever I wanted.

Ok, so here are my results, please provide any insight. I already know they didn't do all the tests they should have...

Tissue Transglutaminase Antibody, IGA My result: <3

Negative scale: <5

Equivocal: 5-8

Postivie: >8

Immunoglobulin A My result: 119

Reference Range: 81 - 463 mg/dl

Gliadin Antibody (IGA) My result: <3

Negative: <11

Equivocal: 11-17

Postivie: >17

Now, I know that these tests really aren't quite enough...but please let me know what you think. I remember seeing once that someone asked in here if a person could have the antibodies in their system at all if they weren't Celiac or gluten-intolerant? But, I don't remember what the answer was...

I will appreciate any feedback! Thanks!

Kitt

[ksymonds84]

Hello all! Ok, so I got what my Dr. called the "Celiac Panel" run a couple weeks ago on my blood. I had been trying to eat more gluten for a week before the test (but don't think I ate enough) and the week before that was almost completely gluten-free and before that I was eating whatever I wanted.

Ok, so here are my results, please provide any insight. I already know they didn't do all the tests they should have...

Tissue Transglutaminase Antibody, IGA My result: <3

Negative scale: <5

Equivocal: 5-8

Postivie: >8

Immunoglobulin A My result: 119

Reference Range: 81 - 463 mg/dl

Gliadin Antibody (IGA) My result: <3

Negative: <11

Equivocal: 11-17

Postivie: >17

Now, I know that these tests really aren't quite enough...but please let me know what you think. I remember seeing once that someone asked in here if a person could have the antibodies in their system at all if they weren't Celiac or gluten-intolerant? But, I don't remember what the answer was...

I will appreciate any feedback! Thanks!

Kitt

Hi Kitt

Your test shows negative but I think your week without gluten probably messed with the results. I read in dangerous grains (cant remember author) that even three days gluten free can mess with the results. I did the same thing, was gluten light for over a month (because I felt better when I didn't eat bread products) then before I was tested I was gluten free for over a week then when doc decided to test me, I ate a bunch of gluten the day before (yeah, now I know it was the wrong thing to do but neither my doc or I knew this at the time) so I had a <3 on my ttiga too. For me, i kept losing weight and very sick while trying to eat bread for a blood test so my doc said the diet is the answer itself and diagnosed me with that alone. So I would suggest eating bread everyday day ( i think its 2 slices) for at least 2 months for an accurate result but as I said, I couldn't do it and it could still be negative anyway (30% of us show a false negative). You say in your signature that the diet works for you so that would be your answer unless you need a diagnoses for insurance or something? Hope I helped Kitt (my husband has called me kitty for over 15 years now) but maybe others know more about the antibody thing you are asking but I think the tests are just hard to disprove you are not gluten intolerant. good luck!

[pinkscooby6]

According to your TTG results, it appears you don't have Celiac. When I was diagnosed my Dr. told me that anything above 30 highly suggests Celiac, from 20 to 30 is just abnormally high, but below 20 is normal. When I was diagnosed, my TTG was above 300! But also not eating enough gluten products could have messed with the results. Best advice is for you to do an upper endoscopy. Through this they can take biopsies out of your small intestine and test it for Celiac, also, they would be able to tell just by looking at your villi. Best of luck to you.

[Shaunnie]

I am also lookingfor some understanding of my daughter's test results. She is almost four yrs old. She had many symptoms such as stunted growth, lack of hair growth, hypocalcification 9loss of tooth enamel, including one tooth not even growing in) and irritability. I did some research and came up with hypothyroidism. I asked the dr. to test and it was neg. The dr. then tested for auto immune disease and it was pos. She kept mentioning lupus. It was scary. But I did more research and a friend suggest testing for celiacs. Her test came back with a 241. I know normal is below 20. Is her number as bad as it sounds? I'm hoping we can reverse some of the effects. I hope we caught it before her adult teeth have begun forming.

Shaunnie

[pinkscooby6]

I am also lookingfor some understanding of my daughter's test results. She is almost four yrs old. She had many symptoms such as stunted growth, lack of hair growth, hypocalcification 9loss of tooth enamel, including one tooth not even growing in) and irritability. I did some research and came up with hypothyroidism. I asked the dr. to test and it was neg. The dr. then tested for auto immune disease and it was pos. She kept mentioning lupus. It was scary. But I did more research and a friend suggest testing for celiacs. Her test came back with a 241. I know normal is below 20. Is her number as bad as it sounds? I'm hoping we can reverse some of the effects. I hope we caught it before her adult teeth have begun forming.

Shaunnie

With a 241 it is HIGHLY likely she does have Celiac. However, an upper endoscopy should still be done to make sure. They will need to take biopsies and actually test them to know for sure, but with that high of a number, she probably does have it.

[Shaunnie]

With a 241 it is HIGHLY likely she does have Celiac. However, an upper endoscopy should still be done to make sure. They will need to take biopsies and actually test them to know for sure, but with that high of a number, she probably does have it.

Thank you for your reply. I have now made an appointment with a gastroenterologist. We will see him for a consult on Friday. The biopsy has been suggested by the primary dr. I am worried about putting my daughter through such a test. It seems invasive and I am concerned about her being put under anesthesia.

Shaunnie

[ChristinaEve]

Thank you for your reply. I have now made an appointment with a gastroenterologist. We will see him for a consult on Friday. The biopsy has been suggested by the primary dr. I am worried about putting my daughter through such a test. It seems invasive and I am concerned about her being put under anesthesia.

Shaunnie

I was tested last september and my results came back negative but still questionable for Celiac's. The tests were drawn after my being sick for several days and not eating hardly a thing! Which I now know can affect the results. My Doctor suggested the needle biopsy, but like you, I did not want to have that kind of procedure. Now, I live my life as a Celiac and haven't had any symptoms since being gluten free. While, the test is a good idea, for me it wasn't necessary. I knew within the first week of being gluten free what my problems were stemming from.

[ravenwoodglass]

With a 241 it is HIGHLY likely she does have Celiac. However, an upper endoscopy should still be done to make sure. They will need to take biopsies and actually test them to know for sure, but with that high of a number, she probably does have it.

There are unfortunately a lot of false negatives with biopsies. We have 22 ft of small intestine and the damage can be patchy and if the right place is not biopsied then a false negative results. There are also changes that precede the total villi destruction that not all doctors recognize. With an antibody level of 241 that is pretty conclusive. No matter what the results of the biopsy a gluten free diet should be strictly done.

[Shaunnie]

There are unfortunately a lot of false negatives with biopsies. We have 22 ft of small intestine and the damage can be patchy and if the right place is not biopsied then a false negative results. There are also changes that precede the total villi destruction that not all doctors recognize. With an antibody level of 241 that is pretty conclusive. No matter what the results of the biopsy a gluten free diet should be strictly done.

Thank you for your help. I have gotten some more test results on my almost four year old daughter. One of the concerns that I had was with her hight. She has an alkaline phosphatase (growth hormones) of 238. An adult who has finished growing should have a normal number range of 240 - 530. Children's should be higher while growing. That means that she is not producing the growth hormone that she needs to be able to grow. I know that short stature is associated with celiacs. Is it possible to regain that hormone when the intestines are working properly? Her ANA tests also came back as possible pos. to lupus and schleroderma. She doesn't seem to show any symptoms for those. Can all of these things be false pos. due to the celiacs?

Thank you ffor your help

Shaunnie

[mftnchn]

Shaunnie, I think you really need to get her off gluten very very strictly. Other autoimmune diseases are associated with celiac, especially untreated. Hopefully removing gluten will allow these other things to normalize.

Also it would be wise to try to supplement her deficiencies, but that needs to be done wisely and according to her needs. Most docs aren't good at that area.

Positive ttg is very reliable, negative is not. Many docs are no longer requiring biopsy with such conclusive results. Ttg goes up when there is villi damage.

[Gemini]

Thank you for your help. I have gotten some more test results on my almost four year old daughter. One of the concerns that I had was with her hight. She has an alkaline phosphatase (growth hormones) of 238. An adult who has finished growing should have a normal number range of 240 - 530. Children's should be higher while growing. That means that she is not producing the growth hormone that she needs to be able to grow. I know that short stature is associated with celiacs. Is it possible to regain that hormone when the intestines are working properly? Her ANA tests also came back as possible pos. to lupus and schleroderma. She doesn't seem to show any symptoms for those. Can all of these things be false pos. due to the celiacs?

Thank you ffor your help

Shaunnie

Shaunnie.....the ANA test is just a general test for inflammation in the body....it does not diagnose any one disease. From personal experience, doctors rely too heavily on this and do not look at other factors, including NOT having any symptoms of those particular two. My RH factor and ANA are very high but I have full blown Celiac and was at end stage at the time of diagnosis. I have recovered my health almost completely with the diet yet these 2 numbers are still high. I also have absolutely no symptoms of either lupus or rheumatoid arthritis.

My doctor is all concerned about it and wanted me referred to a rheumatologist. She thinks I have RA and I do not believe I do. After talking with another specialist about it all, I am convinced autoimmune and inflammatory numbers may never return to normal for a Celiac. What those high numbers mean is that I have Celiac and nothing else. Usually if a person develops either disease, they will have symptoms first and then high blood work. I have the high blood work and absolutely no symptoms of either disease and I am 49 years old. I have made this connection yet this is not what doctors are taught in medical school. I am at the point where I think they will never get it.

What your daughter's ANA shows is that she has inflammation in her body somewhere and from what you have described, it sure sounds like celiac disease. Her growth should return to normal after she is on the gluten-free diet and I have had this proven to me by all those Mommy's out there who see it with their own eyes in their own kids. Do not take whatever the doctor's tell you to heart because if there is one disease that many of them are clueless about, it's celiac disease. Keep an eye on your daughter but I wouldn't worry about lupus or schleroderma unless she starts to show symptoms of.....which she probably won't. Get her on the gluten-free diet soon and good luck!

[Shaunnie]

Shaunnie.....the ANA test is just a general test for inflammation in the body....it does not diagnose any one disease. From personal experience, doctors rely too heavily on this and do not look at other factors, including NOT having any symptoms of those particular two. My RH factor and ANA are very high but I have full blown Celiac and was at end stage at the time of diagnosis. I have recovered my health almost completely with the diet yet these 2 numbers are still high. I also have absolutely no symptoms of either lupus or rheumatoid arthritis.

My doctor is all concerned about it and wanted me referred to a rheumatologist. She thinks I have RA and I do not believe I do. After talking with another specialist about it all, I am convinced autoimmune and inflammatory numbers may never return to normal for a Celiac. What those high numbers mean is that I have Celiac and nothing else. Usually if a person develops either disease, they will have symptoms first and then high blood work. I have the high blood work and absolutely no symptoms of either disease and I am 49 years old. I have made this connection yet this is not what doctors are taught in medical school. I am at the point where I think they will never get it.

What your daughter's ANA shows is that she has inflammation in her body somewhere and from what you have described, it sure sounds like celiac disease. Her growth should return to normal after she is on the gluten-free diet and I have had this proven to me by all those Mommy's out there who see it with their own eyes in their own kids. Do not take whatever the doctor's tell you to heart because if there is one disease that many of them are clueless about, it's celiac disease. Keep an eye on your daughter but I wouldn't worry about lupus or schleroderma unless she starts to show symptoms of.....which she probably won't. Get her on the gluten-free diet soon and good luck!

Thank you all fo your help and concern. This is a bit scary to have your child go through. You are all giving great feedback that is helping to calm me a little. I have taken all gluten out of my daughter's diet (or at least I am trying. I found that they hide gluten in many areas). So we are definately trying to get all gluten out. She is a trooper and is accepting it well. I am sure the gastroenterologist will want new blood work so hopefully we will see some change in her numbers. It has now been about 2 1/2 weeks that she has been gluten free.

Thank you,

Shaunnie

[Shaunnie]

I took my daughter to the gastroenterologist and he said there was no need for a biopsy because her numbers were conclusive that she does have celiacs. He also said that the other pos. results (lupus and scleraderma) were probably because her celiacs has messed up her immune system so much. After 3 months on the gluten free she will go back and have the blood tests redone. Hopefully eveything will go back to normal. I am looking forward to seeing improvement in her. I am excited for her to feel better!

Shaunnie

[Gemini]

I took my daughter to the gastroenterologist and he said there was no need for a biopsy because her numbers were conclusive that she does have celiacs. He also said that the other pos. results (lupus and scleraderma) were probably because her celiacs has messed up her immune system so much. After 3 months on the gluten free she will go back and have the blood tests redone. Hopefully eveything will go back to normal. I am looking forward to seeing improvement in her. I am excited for her to feel better!

Shaunnie

Shaunnie....do not be surprised if those other numbers do not go back to normal.....it does not mean she has those diseases, either. Although, being just 4 years old, she's a lucky girl and I would guess her damage is no where in the range of older, diagnosed Celiacs. Sounds like you have a wonderful doctor who truly "gets it" and I am pleased he did not push for a young child to go thru an endo. He obviously is more interested in really helping his patients than in making money from testing.

Good luck to you and job well done!