How Do You Know If You Are Iga Deficient?

[nw0528]

I just got my bloodwork back from my primary care dr. She said negative for celiac, much to her surprise and mine. I have read on this Forum that a person might get a false negative for celiac if they are IgA deficient. How would I know if I were IgA deficient????

Thanks for any help you can give - I have a GI appt. at the end of the week.

Nicole

[Jestgar]

A total IgA test should have been performed along with the Celiac panel. Not all docs know to do this. You could call the office and find out if they did it. Also ask about IgG responses from your testing.

[nw0528]

I am looking at my lab report. This is what it says

Gliadin Ab, Eval

Gliadin, Ab, IgA 2.4

(refence value indicates that less tahn 20 is negative)

Gliadin Ab, IgG and that came back 6.8 (again less than 20 is negative).

I don't see ANYTHING on this lab report referring to a TOTAL IgA.

Nicole

A total IgA test should have been performed along with the Celiac panel. Not all docs know to do this. You could call the office and find out if they did it. Also ask about IgG responses from your testing.

[Jestgar]

You could ask them to run it, but if you're going to get scoped anyway, it probably doesn't matter.

[Tallforagirl]

You could ask them to run it, but if you're going to get scoped anyway, it probably doesn't matter.

The Celiac blood test panel should include the following:

1. Antigliadin IgA and IgG*

2. Anti-tissue Transglutaminase Antibody (tTG), IgA and/or anti-endomysial IgA (these are both more reliable than the antigliadin tests, the endomysial one is more specific to celiac disease (almost 100 per cent), but the tTG is more sensitive)

3. Total serum IgA (this is the one that rules out IgA deficiency)

I would ask for the full panel to be run whether or not you're having an endo. There can be problems with the biopsies taken not necessarily showing villi damage because the damage can be patchy.

[lizard00]

I am looking at my lab report. This is what it says

Gliadin Ab, Eval

Gliadin, Ab, IgA 2.4

(refence value indicates that less tahn 20 is negative)

Gliadin Ab, IgG and that came back 6.8 (again less than 20 is negative).

I don't see ANYTHING on this lab report referring to a TOTAL IgA.

Nicole

The doc who ordered your blood work didn't order the most important tests. Make sure to take this with you to your GI appt so that the GI knows you really haven't had a complete blood workup. Hopefully, they will order the complete panel (what tallforagirl posted). I'm not sure where you are, but if they use a lab like Prometheus (I say them because that's who my GI uses) they can do a celiac panel AND a genetic panel together.

What they should order and what they do order are sometimes two completely different things.