Enterolab Results And Questions

[jannamin]

My husband and I did the Mark Hyman elimination diet in January, and when I added wheat back to my diet, I noticed it was a problem. I stayed fairly gluten free for a few more months, ate matzah balls and matzah for two Passover seders, and did I ever regret it! After reading up on tests and not being willing to eat gluten again, I did the Enterolab panel. It's clear I have to stay away from gluten. My sister has DH which healed on a gluten-free diet, so she has a diagnosed case of celiac - but she never had any gene or other tests done as far as I know. After reading up on celiac symptoms, I'm convinced the DQ8 gene is from my father. Every one of his symptoms (15 or more before he died of kidney failure) is listed in Recognizing Celiac Disease.

My question is - what tests should I do for my kids? Clearly they have either the DQ8 or the DQ2 gene. I've made my home gluten free - and my 15 year old isn't wanting to be compliant, but he already has trouble keeping fungal infections at bay. Should I have the pediatrician run tests? If so, which ones? Should I have Enterolab test them too? Even though I have been taking supplements for 15 years, I came up deficient in several areas - all indicative of my poor fat absorption and very likely undiagnosed celiac.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Fecal Anti-gliadin IgA 18 Units (Normal Range is less than 10 Units)

Fecal Anti-tissue Transglutaminase IgA 11 Units (Normal Range is less than 10 Units)

Quantitative Microscopic Fecal Fat Score 716 Units (Normal Range is less than 300 Units)

Fecal Anti-casein (cow

[ravenwoodglass]

It is good that you are making your home gluten free. Your children need to be tested with a celiac panel by their doctor before you enforce the gluten free diet. Once they are gluten free any testing will be a false negative even if they are celiac. Celiac is strongly genetic and if they test negative this time around make sure the kids know to retest if any symptoms develop. You could do the Enterolab testing of course but do keep in mind that they do not diagnose celiac or gluten intolerance, they just tell you that antibodies are being formed.

[nora-n]

That is the other main celiac gene, HLA DQ8, and the not-so -often celiac prone gene HLA DQ 2,2. (beta chain is 0202)

The main celiac gene is beta 0201 and is nowadays called HLA DQ2,5 since the alpha chain is 0501.

[jannamin]

So the kids have either the DQ8 or the HLA DQ2.2, and the Enterolab results suggest either would cause gluten sensitivity for them. Of course I have no idea what genes their father contributed.

How accurate are the celiac blood panels for teenagers who are asymptomatic - or at least they believe they are? From my point of view my son shows symptoms - likely vitamin A deficiency, fungal skin problems that won't go away, and mouth sensitivity to eating cheese.

The local lab tests for total IgA to rule out deficiency, and if it's low, the next test is TTG-IgG anti-gliadin IgG, if IgA is normal, the next test is TTG-IgA. Are there other tests I should order from the pediatrician? At what point does it make sense to do genetic testing, especially with a family history of celiac disease?

[ksymonds84]

So the kids have either the DQ8 or the HLA DQ2.2, and the Enterolab results suggest either would cause gluten sensitivity for them. Of course I have no idea what genes their father contributed.

How accurate are the celiac blood panels for teenagers who are asymptomatic - or at least they believe they are? From my point of view my son shows symptoms - likely vitamin A deficiency, fungal skin problems that won't go away, and mouth sensitivity to eating cheese.

The local lab tests for total IgA to rule out deficiency, and if it's low, the next test is TTG-IgG anti-gliadin IgG, if IgA is normal, the next test is TTG-IgA. Are there other tests I should order from the pediatrician? At what point does it make sense to do genetic testing, especially with a family history of celiac disease?

The celiac blood panel test is not perfect. 30% of people with celiac will show a false negative children even higher but not sure about teenagers. I would suggest that you have the panel run by a doctor that knows to test the FULL panel. If it shows negative and they are still having symptoms and you don't want to do an endoscopy you could then maybe do enterolab to see if they are carrying the antibodies or just do a trial of gluten free to see if makes their symptoms go away. I know teenagers are hard. My 19 year old is gluten free but is still struggling with being 100% gluten free. She gets rashes so I know when she cheats in about an hour...lol so she cant hide it that easy!