Confused By Sons Test Results Help!

[catsintrbleagn]

I've suspected my 9 year old has celiac since self diagnosing myself last year. He abruptly stopped growing around the time he started solid foods as a baby and we ran all the tests and spent a ton of time at Children's hospital doing sweat tests and getting bone scans and nothing came up. He began to follow a growth curve again but now at 9 he is just going into a size 7. I decided to have him tested for celiac and they have come back negative. I just don't understand the numbers. Can someone explain? Thank you!

IgA 10

IgG 17

Anti tTransglutaminase 4

[happygirl]

Can you give us a little bit more info? What is the reference range for the tests, and is there more info listed for the IgA and IgG tests?

Welcome to the board!

[catsintrbleagn]

Can you give us a little bit more info? What is the reference range for the tests, and is there more info listed for the IgA and IgG tests?

Welcome to the board!

Thank you! I'm so confused, this is why I didn't go into the medical profession!

Anti endomysial, IgA Negative

Anti Gliadin, IgA 10 (low 0 High 19)

(<20 U negative, 20-30 U low positive, >30 U positive)

Anti Gliadin, IgG 17 (low 0 High 19)

(<20 U negative, 20-30 U low positive, >30 U positive)

Anti tTransglutaminase, IgA 4 (low 0 High 19)

(<20 U negative, 20-30 U low positive, >30 U positive)

Anti tTransglutaminase, IgG Negative

[happygirl]

You are doing great!

So he had five tests done -

EMA IgA: negative

tTG IgA: negative

tTG IgG: negative

AGA IgA: negative

AGA IgG: negative

The only one that appears even *close* to positive is the AGA IgG. They didn't run the total IgA test, which is not a Celiac test, but helps evaluates if you make IgA antibodies. If you don't make IgA antibodies (IgA deficient), any IgA based tests decrease in accuracy. However, they did run two IgG based tests, which are negative (AGA IgG and tTG IgG) which is what they would run if he was IgA deficient.

Given the fact that you self diagnosed (meaning, you don't know if you have "classic" Celiac or a non-Celiac gluten sensitivity), you don't know if his is genetic. You could ask for the gene testing - the absence of the HLA DQ2 or HLA DQ8 gene in him significantly decreases the chance of your son having Celiac, as research shows that 95-98% of Celiacs have one/both genes. But, just having the gene does not mean that he has Celiac - 30-40% of the American population has the gene, but only 1 in 133 have Celiac.

Or, you could do a trial for him on the gluten free diet, and see if his symptoms respond.

Hope this helps.

[catsintrbleagn]

You are doing great!

So he had five tests done -

EMA IgA: negative

tTG IgA: negative

tTG IgG: negative

AGA IgA: negative

AGA IgG: negative

The only one that appears even *close* to positive is the AGA IgG. They didn't run the total IgA test, which is not a Celiac test, but helps evaluates if you make IgA antibodies. If you don't make IgA antibodies (IgA deficient), any IgA based tests decrease in accuracy. However, they did run two IgG based tests, which are negative (AGA IgG and tTG IgG) which is what they would run if he was IgA deficient.

Given the fact that you self diagnosed (meaning, you don't know if you have "classic" Celiac or a non-Celiac gluten sensitivity), you don't know if his is genetic. You could ask for the gene testing - the absence of the HLA DQ2 or HLA DQ8 gene in him significantly decreases the chance of your son having Celiac, as research shows that 95-98% of Celiacs have one/both genes. But, just having the gene does not mean that he has Celiac - 30-40% of the American population has the gene, but only 1 in 133 have Celiac.

Or, you could do a trial for him on the gluten free diet, and see if his symptoms respond.

Hope this helps.

Thank you! Since me and one of my daughters are already gluten free we'll just start him and see what happens. I appreciate your response