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Tissue Transglutaminase Test In Canada...

fogged

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fogged Newbie
fogged
Posted

I have been suffering since the new year with copious amounts of bone and joint pain, terrible bowel movement irregularities and brain fog to name a few. I was finally able to see a specialist/diagnostician in July. I have had a Tissue Transglutaminase test performed twice. I was never informed about my "number" the first time I was tested as I never was able to actually see the doctor, simply received a letter in the mail informing me to have the test taken again in one month and eat a "regular" diet. I called the dr's office today to possibly receive some news and I was informed that my results where "19" 0-20 is the range. I wish I could provide more information but I cannot until the doctor has some time to read my results (hopefully within the year but hey, it is Canada, I guess I'll just keep waiting...)

Most of the posts I read have ranges for this test between 0-10....Any idea on why mine is 0-20?

Thanks!

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mushroom Proficient
mushroom
Posted

Hello, and welcome to the forum.

Each lab has its own testing range (and don't ask me why this is - maybe Jestgar can tell you - something to do with sampling frequency maybe) but at any rate the rates for the labs differ but are reliable within their specified ranges. So it sounds like for your lab the range of 0-20 is the negative range; normally there is an intermediate range which is mildly positive, and beyond that range is a definitive positive. So your results fall just below mildly positive.

Bear in mind, however, that there is a 20% error rate on blood testing. And normally there are four or five different tests run for celiac of which tissue transglutaminase is just one. This result does not mean that you do not have a problem with gluten; in fact being just below the mildly positive range it may well indicate that you do. Unfortunately, there is a large group of people who test negative for celiac but who are gluten sensitive/intolerant and for whom a gluten-free diet is not only desirable, but required for good health. Since you are in Canada you may not be able to persuade your doctor to run any of the other celiac tests. I believe you have a Biocard test you can order through the mail which might be worth pursuing.

But when all the medical testing is done, the ultimate test ix whether or not eliminating gluten from your diet makes you feel better. You do not want to take this step until you have pursued all the testing available to you, but if all else fails than a good three-month trial of the gluten free diet is the best test there is as to your gluten sensitivity.

  • 2 weeks later...
fogged Newbie
fogged
Posted
  • Author

So supposedly in Canada the tissue transglutaminase is the only thing they bank their "Celiac" diagnosis on. If the blood test isn't over the "20" rating then they rule out Celiacs. It has been decided that I need to take a Protein Pump Inhibitor by the specialist even though my first test was 17 and then second blood test was 19. I've even felt improvements by not consuming gluten for a week but once back to gluten terrible bone pain and diarrhea returned...When commenting to the specialist about what I have read and tried I was told I have to visit my family doctor to be referred to a G.I. specialist. More waiting and suffering...ahhh how Canada's health care system is so poor and frustrating...

curiousgeorge Rookie
curiousgeorge
Posted

So supposedly in Canada the tissue transglutaminase is the only thing they bank their "Celiac" diagnosis on. If the blood test isn't over the "20" rating then they rule out Celiacs. It has been decided that I need to take a Protein Pump Inhibitor by the specialist even though my first test was 17 and then second blood test was 19. I've even felt improvements by not consuming gluten for a week but once back to gluten terrible bone pain and diarrhea returned...When commenting to the specialist about what I have read and tried I was told I have to visit my family doctor to be referred to a G.I. specialist. More waiting and suffering...ahhh how Canada's health care system is so poor and frustrating...

The scale they used for me (Ontario) was 0-20 (neg) and 20-25 was borderline and over 25 was positive. At 19, you do fall into the neg category. I also had anti-gliadin IgA and IgG done. So no, its not all TTG in Canada. From blood test to biopsy, it was just over 3 weeks for me but that was because I was on vacation. My TTG was wickedly positive at 74. BTW I had a family doc refer me to an internest who referred me to the GI so your specialist is giving you the run around and could refer you to a GI.

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