Confusion On Interpreting Celiac Panel Results

[daisymae106]

Here are my celiac panel results:

IgA: Sufficient

Gliadin IgA Ab: 8

Tis.Transglut.Ab IgA: 75

(Positive is indicated as >30)

That is all my test results are telling me and I am trying to figure out if I can be celiac if my IgA and Gliadin IgA Ab numbers seem to be in the normal range, yet my ttg numbers are 75. Thanks for your help! I had an endoscopy yesterday which looked normal to the doctor, but he took several biopsies of my small intestine to send off and check for celiac damage. He said my elevated ttg are not the usual markers for celiac, yet in my own research, I thought that elevated ttg was the MAIN marker for celiac? I am confused and have to wait a week for the results. Any input out there? Thanks! signed.... CONFUSED!

[ravenwoodglass]

You can have celiac and have all celiac panel and biopsy results in the negative range. The best thing you can do is to go gluten free and see if it helps. You need to be strict with the diet and avoid CC. Since you have had the biopsy you can start the diet now you don't need to wait on the results. You may find you get some relief before the results are even in.

[nora-n]

Here it is the ttg test that counts, and it is very positive.

Please do not get confused by the old-fashioned gliadin Ab test having a low number, as it is the ttg test that matters here.

Your biopsy will 99% sure be positive.

[daisymae106]

Hello!! Thank you BOTH so much for answering my post! I would have replied sooner but didn't realize the notification had been turned off for my email. Anyway, I will let you know what I find out. I am going to try going gluten free to see if it helps. The pain I have been experiencing off and on over the last 5 years or so is in the upper center abdominal region and shoots straight through to my back. It ranges from mild to severe. It's almost like that area goes into a spasm or something. I don't know if this is typical celiac pain, but it is my major symptom. I also have other symptoms. So, thank you again for listening! I will update later this week when I hear something. Have a blessed week.

[daisymae106]

Nora, you were right! My doctor called tonight and confirmed the diagnosis. He said he couldn't be 100% sure, but based on some abnormalities in my biopsies along with the high ttg in the bloodwork, he feels almost certain that I have celiac. He put me on a strict gluten free diet and urged me to have my children tested, as well as my parents and brother. I am a bit overwhelmed, but mostly relieved that I finally have an answer. I hope I can finally start feeling normal again! Thanks again for everyone who replied to my post. Blessings on your journey living with celiac disease.

[lucky28]

Hi daisy-I've been kinda following your post- my bloodwork came back with the same results as you. ttg elevated, the rest normal and in addition my dr ordered genetic testing that came back positive. I am not scheduled for my biopsy for almost a month-aug 9th. I am actually hoping that it comes back positive-I have been feeling so miserable lately-especially since I've upped my gluten intake trying to use up all the pasta in the cabinets before my procedure-I think I'm gonna take the advice that was given to you and go gluten free after the biopsy. Good luck with everything!

[lucky28]

Hi daisy-I've been kinda following your post- my bloodwork came back with the same results as you. ttg elevated, the rest normal and in addition my dr ordered genetic testing that came back positive. I am not scheduled for my biopsy for almost a month-aug 9th. I am actually hoping that it comes back positive-I have been feeling so miserable lately-especially since I've upped my gluten intake trying to use up all the pasta in the cabinets before my procedure-I think I'm gonna take the advice that was given to you and go gluten free after the biopsy. Good luck with everything!

Oh as you can see by my original registration date- I thought for a long time that I may have celiac- my original gastro sent me for bloodwork in 05 that came back negative-he didn't pursue it and I wasn't proactive! Only went to this new one after my "ibs" was starting to interfere with my daily life, vitamin b and d deficiencies, exhaustion etc.

[daisymae106]

Lucky, I am so sorry you are going through this!! I am sorry you have to wait for your biopsy. I had to wait 2 months! ugh! I am pretty sure your biopsy will come back positive like mine. Mine wasn't even as positive as some are, but the results were just enough that the doc thinks I have it. Today is my first day to go gluten free. I think I am already feeling better! Good luck to you too and I pray you get relief soon! Thanks for posting!

[daisymae106]

UPDATE! Hello everyone!! I can't tell you how much the celiac community here at celiac.com has helped me. I so appreciate everyone who reads and responds to my posts! I took the advice of my doctor and had my children blood tested. My daughter is 15, and her test came back negative. My son is 11, and his test came back with a weak positive. Here are his results:

IgA: Sufficient (In Range)

Gliadin IgA Ab: 11 (In Range)

Tis.Transglut.Ab IgA: 23 (Out of Range)

Negative... <20

Weak Pos.. 20-30

Postive...... >30

(Reference Range 0-19)

As I said before, my daughter's test was negative with her results below:

IgA: Sufficient

Gliadin IgA Ab: 9

Tis.Transglut.Ab IgA: 7

So, my question is two-fold. First, what exactly does a "weak-positive" mean? When the nurse called to tell me, she didn't say that my son had celiac disease, she just said "you may want to put him on a gluten free diet." This is so confusing to me! My GI doc told me that my kids don't have to have a biopsy right now since I am positive, if they test positive then they most likely have it. I just need advice on what to do. He is a carb addict and it will be difficult to make him go 100% gluten free. He has no painful symptoms, just bloating and gas that he has learned to live with over the years.

Secondly, my daughter is the one who I thought would come up with a positive result. She has unexplained nausea and I am wondering if it is from gluten ingestion. It's so hard to know what to do for your kids, especially with such a life altering diet for teenagers and pre-teens. I think I am still in denial that I actually have celiac disease, and my test was IgA Sufficient, Gliadin IgA Ab: 8, and Tis.Transglut.Ab IgA of 75! My biopsy also came back with some abnormalities. Has anyone else gone through a denial period? I think I am crazy. LOL I am taking it one day at a time and trying to get all the gluten out of my house. My only thoughts for my children are to try to keep our house 100% gluten free, but I am not sure how they need to eat when they are out with friends. My son especially, who doesn't have painful symptoms, I am worried that if he does indeed have celiac disease, that his intestines are being damaged with each gluten ingestion. So, thanks for reading my post and responding. Any advice would be appreciated! I wish doctors would be more conclusive about the course of action to take, especially on a "weak positive" result, such as my son's. Thanks everyone!

[pain*in*my*gut]

Hi! My first thought when I read your update was why is your doc using the "old" antigliadin antibody screening tests? I thought they were being replaced with the more sensitive DGP (deamidated Gliadin Peptide) screening test?? It is much more specific that the older tests, and many labs have changed over to it and discontinued the AGA antibody tests.

Maybe you could ask you doc about testing your children for DGP? It might give you a clearer picture.

Hope this helps!

[pain*in*my*gut]

I also wanted to add, I think it's ridiculous when doctors call an elevated result a "weak positive"!! It's like being "a little pregnant". A positive is a positive, and needs further investigation.

Sorry you are going thru this with the kiddos. I have a feeling I will be dealing with the same scenario when I get my son tested. My DGP was highly positive, but my tTG was not (kind of a reverse of your situation), so I have to get the biopsy. I hope his tests are either both negative or both positive, so we don't have to debate over a biopsy.

[daisymae106]

Thank you so much for your reply! I have never heard of that test. I will have to look into that! Also, I am just reading your symptoms below your post! Have you been diagnosed with celiac disease yet? I had many of your same symptoms, including the muscle twitching. I haven't seen anyone else who had that. I am interested to see what your results are! I hope you can keep us posted! I don't really have nausea, but have the upper abdominal pain, mostly in the center but sometimes to the left. Anyway, thanks for reading and responding to my post! Take care and I hope everything works out well for you! God bless!

[daisymae106]

I hope you get clear answers for your son too! Thanks for sharing about what you are going through. Keep me posted if you can!

[pain*in*my*gut]

Thank you so much for your reply! I have never heard of that test. I will have to look into that! Also, I am just reading your symptoms below your post! Have you been diagnosed with celiac disease yet? I had many of your same symptoms, including the muscle twitching. I haven't seen anyone else who had that. I am interested to see what your results are! I hope you can keep us posted! I don't really have nausea, but have the upper abdominal pain, mostly in the center but sometimes to the left. Anyway, thanks for reading and responding to my post! Take care and I hope everything works out well for you! God bless!

I haven't been officially dx yet, I am waiting on a scope for biopsy on September 9. My doc said at the very least I have gluten intolerance based on the blood results, so the scope is just to 1) get confirmation of Celiac or not and 2) make sure there is nothing else going on. Regardless of the biopsy results, I am going gluten free. My doc thinks that my body's response to gluten is inflamatory, which is causing all of the weird "atypical" symptoms (as oppose to the typical Celiac sprue). It is possible that my fibro dx is actually gluten intolerance! Which would be great because I CAN FIX IT!

I will keep you posted! Good luck to you, too!

[daisymae106]

That would be awesome if you can fix it!! I didn't have inflammation, but maybe the doc caught it early. Anyway, I am just so glad to be on the path to feeling better!!! Thanks for keeping me posted!