Ttg: Doctor Said It Doesn't Have To Be In My System

[revenant]

My mother recently asked a doctor at the hospital if I could have a test done for gluten intolerance/celiac even though I have not eaten gluten for around 1-2 months now. He replied with "Yes, through a ttg, that that will show you whether you have celiacs even though you are on a gluten free diet"

Thanks to him my mother is thoroughly perusaded that I don't have any gluten issues because I still refuse to get tested. I assume that he doesn't know what he's talking about... right?

[cassP]

i would assume being on a gluten free diet would possibly give you a false negative on your tests. i mean Celiacs go back for testing after eating gluten free to see if those numbers have gone down- right??

[mushroom]

The University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center states the following:

What tests are needed to follow up appointments? How are they interpreted?

New guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of celiac disease by the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition state that tTG-IgA testing should be used for follow-up care. Interpreting this test result is straightforward-a celiac on the gluten-free diet should have a negative test. The numerical value of the test is not important.

[plumbago]

i would assume being on a gluten free diet would possibly give you a false negative on your tests. i mean Celiacs go back for testing after eating gluten free to see if those numbers have gone down- right??

Right. However, there are some tests that supposedly measure if gluten has been in the system, say, for the last six months. But that might vary, it might be less time. So for sure a lot of research is in order for the original poster. That test might show gluten, it might not. Another kind of test, the EMA, measures antibodies reacting against the endomysial tissue (I think I have that right), but on a short-term basis, meaning if you stop eating gluten then in all likelihood (90%), that test will have a negative reading for those antibodies activated by gluten. But that is the EMA test. The ttg is different.

Research it!

[plumbago]

The University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center states the following:

What tests are needed to follow up appointments? How are they interpreted?

New guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of celiac disease by the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition state that tTG-IgA testing should be used for follow-up care. Interpreting this test result is straightforward-a celiac on the gluten-free diet should have a negative test. The numerical value of the test is not important.

I wonder about this. I've heard conflicting things on this board and others. Some like these guidelines say it doesn't matter what the number is, you're either pregnant or not is a similar analogy. Others say that if your numbers are going down, that is a step in the right direction. If the latter is not the case, then why do the tests have different gradations? Why not just negative or positive?

ADDED: Unless it's that after the time all the antibodies are supposed to have left your body, then your tests should be absolutely negative?

[Skylark]

It would be unusual for a high TTG titer to fall in 1-2 months. A low titer could fall to normal levels more quickly. Since your doctor does not know what your TTG was before you stopped eating gluten, I don't see how he can expect to have an accurate diagnostic test.