Symptoms And Negative Tests

[alexx6520]

Anti-gliadin antibodies (AGA) both IgA and IgG

Anti-endomysial antibodies (EMA) - IgA

Anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies (tTG) - IgA and IgG

Total IgA level

Deamidated Gliadin Peptide (DGP) Antibodies, IgA & IgG (this is a newer test)

Can all of this be in a normal range but still have celiac? His most recent test was the deamidated gliadin which I think was 7. I have a very constipated 4 year old with lots of celiac symptoms including a positive hla dq2 and family history. Gi has pretty much ruled out celiac but I'm still wondering. Considering having his random rashes checked. What is the normal pattern for dh? Does it come and go? What are the triggers if you're still eating gluten? Thanks.

[mushroom]

Yes, as I understand it, DH can come and go, but when it goes it normally leaves some scarring (altough I guess there are some kinds that don't - the patterns vary). Iodine is a huge trigger for DH, both in iodized salt, shellfish,and whatever other foods it occurs in naturally.

Yes, if his tests are negative, they do rule out celiac (except for the false negative 20% rate ) There is also more commonly coming to be accepted that there is such a diagnosis as non-celiac gluten intolerant - which merely means that you don't tolerate gluten either, but they haven't devised a test for it. Most doctors don't accept this diagnosis because if you can't test for it, how can you define it? But the problem is, they haven't figured out the nature of this non-celiac gluten intolerance, so how can they devise a test for it. This kind of gluten intolerance tends (from my observations only and certainly by no means exclusively)to involve the less commonly accepted symptoms of gluten intolerance, such as migraines, gluten ataxia, MS-type symptoms. DH, and gluten intolerance which has already produced other autoimmune diseases.

All that being said, testing is notoriously unreliable in children under five, so it doesn't really mean much. Tell us more about his rashes.

Edited by Mushroom today to add:

See this study just reported today from Australia: https://www.celiac.com/articles/22430/1/Study-Shows-Gluten-Intolerance-Without-Celiac-Disease/Page1.html

[ravenwoodglass]

Yes things can be negative and he can still have an issue with gluten. Have you gotten your hands on the actual test results? Some doctors will call a low positive a negative. Regardless if he is done with testing give the diet a try. It won't hurt anything and it may help.

[alexx6520]

Iodine is a huge trigger for DH, both in iodized salt, shellfish,and whatever other foods it occurs in naturally.

Funny because I just switched to iodized salt because I was concerned about his thyroid due to our family history. He has eczema, but he also gets sores on his face and neck that look blistery and are terribly itchy. He's had 3 or 4 of these patches over the last few months. He scratches them raw and then they get oozy and gross. He also just started getting little sores mostly on his back that look like little bites. There are a few on his legs too. Last year while on omnicef he broke out in blisters all over his body including his lips. We think it was an ellergic reaction to the omnicef.

I was concerned that the deamiated(SP?)gliadin was 7 and not 0 but someone commented the other day that it can bind or react to other things.

We are going for a brain and lower spine mri on monday to try and figure out the constipation, fatigue, and arm & leg pain.

[mushroom]

What does his doctor say about the sores/rash? If he were to biopsy the skin next to one of these active sores (preerably not one on the face ) and it were positive, that would represent a diagnosis of celiac disease. It is not uncommon for DH celiacs to test negative on the ordinary blood work or even intestinal biopsy.

[Marlie]

Have you seen the DGP test results. I think the 7 is out of range (at least on the one we had done) and was considered a positive. You might want to look at the ranges and double check.

[alexx6520]

According to Quest anything under 20 is negative but I've seen other stuff online that says 7-10 is suspicious. I dont know enough about it to even know if it's the same test. I also don't know if age is a factor. Who tests the rashes? Dermatologist, Gi, Allergist?

[mushroom]

Usually a dermatologist, although many do not recognize the rash or know how to test for it You have to take the biopsy sample from the skin immediately adjacent to the lesion, not of the lesion itself, because the antibodies are in the skin, not in the lesion. And you have to do a special celiac stain for it.