Please Help Me - Interpreting Results.

[holdingthestars]

Hi everyone,

I've been searching the boards for about the last 1.5 hours and I'm just wondering if someone can tell me what these results mean?

TISSUE TRANSGLUTAMINASE IGG Your Value - 0.55 Standard Range <0.90- Index

TISSUE TRANSGLUTAMINASE IGA Your Value - 0.33 Standard Range <0.90- Index

I know this seems to be a dumb question, but does this mean I am testing negative for Celiac? Or are these even the same tests?

I have been diagnosed with IBS and because I've been having horrific stomach pains/fatigue/etc I got a second opinion from a GI doctor. I just did an endoscopy on Tuesday and am waiting biopsy results because he suspected Celiac since I am iron deficient, b-12 deficient, and vitamin d deficient as well as having these other symptoms. But now I'm discouraged because these tests appear to have come back negative

I just want the doctors to stop thinking I'm crazy and trying to shove me full of anxiety and depression medication. I wouldn't be anxious and depressed if they'd find out what's wrong with me

Thanks for any help anyone can give.

[Mother of Jibril]

Welcome to the group!

Is tissue transglutaminase the only thing you had tested (by blood)? A full celiac panel should also include antigliaden (both IgA and IgG) and endomysial antibodies (EMA). EMA is the most specific for celiac disease, but it's also the most subjective... it's just positive/negative and it's interpreted by a person (who may or may not be inclined to think that celiac disease is "rare"). You should also have your total IgA tested. If you're deficient you could be half-dead and still get "negative" test results.

Hopefully the biopsy will tell you something! Even if everything comes back negative you should give the gluten-free diet a try. It might do a lot of good.

[samcarter]

Don't be discouraged. My doctor only did the EMA test, since according to him that was the "most sensitive" for celiac. He told me it was negative. BUT i have had an overwhelmingly positive response to the gluten free diet.

Up to 20% of celiacs can test negative on EMA. Some people test negative because their intestines don't have "serious" damage "yet". Some are gluten-intolerant but non-celiac.

A gluten free diet can help IBS, whether or not you've gotten a diagnosis of celiac disease.

[nora-n]

Your tests do have a number (they are not 0), I think that means something.

If you have not eaten enough gluten in the past, then the ttg tests may not be positive enough.

nora

[Amyleigh0007]

I also have (had) IBS. The gluten free diet has helped me tremendously. My bloodtests were also negative but when I went to an allergist for a second opinion she diagnosed me with gluten intolerance. If the biopsy results come back negative try the diet and see how you feel. If you feel better then it might be gluten intolerance (which there is no test for). The treatment is the same whether it's gluten intolerance or Celiac.

Nora_n

Is it possible to be at a 0? I am just curious. I also think that if you have a number, any number besides 0, that you have a problem with gluten. Does anyone else think that way?

[leadmeastray88]

I also think that if you have a number, any number besides 0, that you have a problem with gluten. Does anyone else think that way?

I think that way.

Even tough my tTG was considered to be negative (anything over 4 was positive), I was a 1.

My thinking is that if I didn't react to gluten at all I shouldn't have ANY antibodies at all. To me, this says I have 25% of the antibodies needed before becoming "positive".

...But I'm no expert

[Amyleigh0007]

I think that way.

Even tough my tTG was considered to be negative (anything over 4 was positive), I was a 1.

My thinking is that if I didn't react to gluten at all I shouldn't have ANY antibodies at all. To me, this says I have 25% of the antibodies needed before becoming "positive".

...But I'm no expert

Great minds think alike! My tTG was 3 with anything over 5 being positive. My primary doctor said my test was negative for Celiac. I went to an allergist and she said I obviously have a problem with gluten and I could give it any name I wanted. The treatment is the same. I don't understand why some doctors don't think a number is positive. It means your body isn't happy about something!

[gfb1]

Nora_n

Is it possible to be at a 0? I am just curious. I also think that if you have a number, any number besides 0, that you have a problem with gluten. Does anyone else think that way?

allow me to jump in.

on the one hand, we have no way of knowing if there is a biological 'zero'. lots of people have intestinal damage, from either accident, surgery or disease, which might release ttg and cause your body to create antibodies.

on the other, the assay itself may not ever read 'zero' (even in the presence of some amount of ttg-ab's), because this depends on the standard curve of the assay.

nearly all clinical assays are based on a plot of known values of the 'thing being measured' (in this case, antibodies to TTG) and some numerical value corresponding to light intensity read from a machine. the plot is on an x-y axis... meaning there is an equation matching the plots. usually, but not always, this equation is linear, meaning there is a slope and a y-intercept to the line. the line does not always intersect with 'zero', or the x-y coordinate (0,0). meaning that the assay is only valid for a portion of the line.

taken to extremes, and depending on the y-intercept, it is possible to even calculate a negative serum value!!

the trend in clinical labs is to move towards colorimetric assays that can be read by the human eye in 'yes-no' fashion. these are done by using serial dilutions of your blood sample and reacting with reagents in either tubes/plates/blots to see if a color develops (similar to a home pregnancy test). you are then diagnosed by which dilution develops a color. the dilutions are ranked low/normal/high -- and that's your reading (no quantitation). i'm not a big fan of these types of assays...