Has Anyone Seen A Negative Gliaden Iga Test From Enterolab?

[Amyand2girls]

I just got back our results from Enterolab, and me and both kids came back positive, for gliaden, for tTg, for casein, for genes. We had slightly different numbers, but all positive. So my husband, the skeptic, immediately asks, "What if they tell EVERYONE they are positive?" I had gotten a positive saliva test from Diagnos-Techs, but my eldest child's came back negative on the saliva and all our blood serum tests were negative (for gliaden and tTg, total IgA was normal.) I believe these results are true, but I'm just wondering if any of you have tested yourself or your family through EnteroLab and got "normal" results? We are also waiting on IgG testing from ImmunoLab, but I know that's a whole other kettle of fish.

Thanks,

Amy

[Gentleheart]

I'm sure you will be getting some specific answers soon. But there have been many people here who have reported negative results for various family members from testing with Enterolab.

But we also have to realize that most people testing with Enterolab in the first place are people who already suspect they have gluten problems. So it stands to reason that the positives might be higher than they would be if their clientelle were a more random, uninterested cross section of the general public.

We need to look at motive as well. What would Enterolab's motive be for testing everyone positive? They aren't selling anything. Maybe it could be argued that they will want you to retest in the future so they can make more money off of you by giving you positive results. But in my case, it has been quite the opposite. I emailed them to ask whether I needed to retest after it had been a year and they said no. So it's obvious they weren't trying to sell me anything!

[Christina98]

I just got back our results from Enterolab, and me and both kids came back positive, for gliaden, for tTg, for casein, for genes. We had slightly different numbers, but all positive. So my husband, the skeptic, immediately asks, "What if they tell EVERYONE they are positive?" I had gotten a positive saliva test from Diagnos-Techs, but my eldest child's came back negative on the saliva and all our blood serum tests were negative (for gliaden and tTg, total IgA was normal.) I believe these results are true, but I'm just wondering if any of you have tested yourself or your family through EnteroLab and got "normal" results? We are also waiting on IgG testing from ImmunoLab, but I know that's a whole other kettle of fish.

Thanks,

Amy

I just got back my results as well from Enterolabs and my casein and gluten test was positive.I have to say i am wondering the same thing? (could they be just telling everyone there positive?)

I thought about it and I am doing that because I believe I am in denial.I still think I am going to have the test done else where and say nothing about having been tested for it ever before.i wanna see if it still in fact comes back positive.I am not well, never was, and am gettinf worse as the years tick on....so I wouldnt doubt its positive but I am in denial I think.

Did you say you guys are going to have the test somewhere else also to see what they say?

Christina

[Fiddle-Faddle]

I never used Enterolab, but have been on this board for about 3 years, and I have seen people report back that either they, a spouse, or a child did not test positive for IgA with Enterolab.

Enterolab does say that their tests are NOT valid after being off gluten for a certain amount of time--I think it's one year? It makes sense--at that point, you've healed, and are not producing antibodies to gluten any more since you're not consuming it.

[Amyand2girls]

I never used Enterolab, but have been on this board for about 3 years, and I have seen people report back that either they, a spouse, or a child did not test positive for IgA with Enterolab.

Enterolab does say that their tests are NOT valid after being off gluten for a certain amount of time--I think it's one year? It makes sense--at that point, you've healed, and are not producing antibodies to gluten any more since you're not consuming it.

Yes, there is still a time limit with the gluten-consumption, but theirs supposedly is still the most sensitive. We had been eating gluten and casein for about 3 months (after being off for a year and a half) before taking this, because we also had other tests done. We all had traditional blood serum testing for celiac (the whole panel), which came back negative for all of us. I and my eldest had saliva testing done through Diagnos-Techs and mine was positive, but hers was negative. She is also only 4 1/2, though-- mine's had a lot more time to build up and cause all sorts of freaky immune issues that no one can diagnose.

Christina,

Enterolab is the only lab I know of that does the stool testing that is supposedly the most sensitive, so I can't tell you where to go to double check this exact test. The IgG Elisa test we're having done by ImmunoLab really isn't the same thing. I could be IgG negative or positive and it doesn't necessarily reflect on my IgA levels, from what I understand: they are responses mediated by different parts of the immune system. IgE, IgA, IgG...it's quite confusing at first and even after a while. If I'm wrong here, someone else feel free to correct me! If you want something else to confirm that a "normal" doctor will accept, you would want to go with blood serum panel for celiac...but mine was negative, as was my biopsy. However, I do believe, deep down, that Entero's results are accurate. I KNOW my eldest responds to casein and gluten (autism like symptoms appear after being on these foods and disappear mostly when off them) and I suspected my youngest might inherit the same set of issues. You might look into Diagnos-Techs or ImmunoLab, though, because the saliva test is also supposedly more accurate than bloodwork...but I will warn you that a traditional gastrointestinal specialist will tell you that these tests "mean nothing," as he told me. Then he told me to go on the diet anyway for a year and see how that goes. So that's what we're doing, which we would have done without his suggestion. But for me, it helps to have this test showing positive, even as non-standard and unrecognized as it is among most traditional Western medicene docs...it gives me the back up my husband needed to feel at peace about the restricted diet. AND as I've just discovered Nearly Normal flour and made some awesome muffins today, I no longer feel quite as depressed about the "immediate and lifelong" aspect of the diet. Hope that helps some!

Thanks guys for the other responses-- you're right of course, Gentleheart...what would be their motiviation to show a bunch of positives? Good point!! And also an excellent point about the people who are likely to be taking this test!

[Lisa]

Not to dig up old bones here, but I have never seen an independent study as to the accuracy of Enterolabs stool testing.

[Mike M]

I just got back our results from Enterolab, and me and both kids came back positive, for gliaden, for tTg, for casein, for genes. We had slightly different numbers, but all positive. So my husband, the skeptic, immediately asks, "What if they tell EVERYONE they are positive?" I had gotten a positive saliva test from Diagnos-Techs, but my eldest child's came back negative on the saliva and all our blood serum tests were negative (for gliaden and tTg, total IgA was normal.) I believe these results are true, but I'm just wondering if any of you have tested yourself or your family through EnteroLab and got "normal" results? We are also waiting on IgG testing from ImmunoLab, but I know that's a whole other kettle of fish.

Thanks,

Amy

I personally know of 2 people that tested negative via Enterolab. One had symptoms of celiac and/or a gluten intolerance. Test came back negative and still having issues, she then went to the GI. Last month she was diagnosed with Crones disease. The other was curious and just wanted to be tested. Mike

[jitters]

My husband, my daughter, and I all got tested. They both came back positve and I came back negative. I am the one with obvious gluten issues...

My daughters specialist said enterolab is "voodoo". I'm not sure what to think about it. I had been eating gluten for a long time before I did that test and I was SO sick from it. I even put in their little thing that I have family members with it. Part of me thinks that if they did make up results they would have definitely put me as postive. The other part of me thinks that maybe it isn't as great as people think and they just picked me to come back negative. Hard to say!

In defense of enterolab I DO think my husband has issues, and my daughter as well although they are not as obvious as mine.

[Amyand2girls]

Yes, I'm aware that he has not pursued publications in journals, for whatever reason. I knew that going in-- I think I'm just curious if there is perhaps many, many more people with a minor response to gluten that would show up in their stool that might never, ever be strong enough to show up in a serum test. In other words-- does this low level of response, only showing up in a stool test, truly mean "an immediate and life-long adherence to a gluten free diet."

My husband, for example, based on our daughter's gene test, probably has at least one gene for gluten sensitivity, but he has no symptoms at all. I think we are going to get him tested, sort of as a control-figure, though it would probably undermind his belief in this test even further if he DID come back positive. His mom, though, I'm sure is positive to gluten, but she wont' believe me. Rhuemtoid arthritus, fibra mialgia (sp), a host of other autoimmune issues...if he came back positive, she'd at least get a regular, traditional celiac test done. She's in such poor health, it wouldn't surprise me if it came back positive, despite a negative biopsy (since we know those are not truly conclusive with a negative.)

So I didn't mean to stir the water about their testing methodology being trustworthy or not...though I guess I DID wonder about their scrupulousness abut actually doing the test they describe on each person honestly. Their logic about why they test the stool makes sense to me, so that part doesn't bother me. Thanks for the warning, though!