Help Me Please With Interpretation Of Celiac Panel!

[foxysoxy804]

I had my anti-gliadin IgG levels tested for Celiac.

The lab designated results as follows:

<11 = Negative

11-17 = Equivocal (or according to my doctor, "borderline")

>17 = Positive

My result: 15.

So I fall in the equivocal range. Doc told me to go ahead and try the gluten-free lifestyle and see how that goes. What I am confused about is this so-called "borderline" range...do I have celiac disease or don't I??

I also have issues with my thyroid as well (TSH level of .46, with "normal" being anywhere from .50 to 5.0, a ridiculously large range if you ask me). Will find out more in the next couple days, as a complete thyroid panel is being done.

Anyways back to what I came here for...can I safely say I have celiac disease? Thanks for any help!!

[KRJ]

Hi, Foxy --

I'm by no means a celiac pro (new to this myself), so I'll let others answer your question. Is that the only test they ran?

I wanted to comment on your thyroid, though, because I do have a lot of experience with that, unfortunately! 0.5 to 5.0 is a large range, you're right. A lot of the newer research shows that men aren't quite as sensitive with their TSH levels, so maybe the upper ends of that range is OK for some of them. Most women, though, feel better with a TSH around 1. I know when I get up in the 2 area, I feel it. Chances are that with a 0.46, you may be monitored for awhile to see if it changes. I was re-checked after 6 months, they found my TSH was undetectable, and I had the radioiodine treatment after that.

What I *really* wanted to share with you is that even if you feel OK, please be sure to take your thyroid issues seriously. I thought I felt fine when my thyroid was working overtime. It wasn't until after the RAI treatment, when my thyroid was slowly dying off, that I realized I felt so bad.

Anyhow, good luck with it all!

-- Kelley

[mushroom]

Welcome to the board, foxysoxy.

Equivocal results are always frustrating However, you are only two points away from a positive, and I believe if you were to continue eating gluten you would soon attain a positive score, along with further damage to your body. Some who do not test positive on blood tests come up positive on biopsy, some score negative on both and yet still have early celiac disease that is not quite diagnosable at the time of testing. I believe this is why your doctor told you to try going gluten free. If you improve, you know that gluten is a problem regardless of any test scores.

There is also now recognized to be such a thing as non-celiac gluten intolerance, and these people never test positive but need the gluten free diet just as much as celiacs do.

As to your thyroid, the test range was adjusted eight years ago to .3 to 3.0, but many labs and doctors still use the old range. But whichever range you use your thyroid is grossly out of whack and I am glad they are doing further testing for you. Yes, thyroid problems often accompany celiac disease, probably more the rule than the exception in fact for women, and taking that into account with your symptoms and "almost" positive anti-gliadin IgG score, I would consider you to most probably have celiac disease. You could ask your doctor to run the DGP test to see if it came up positive - this is the newest celiac test and is very specific for celiac - if you really wanted a piece of paper with a positive diagnosis on it. DGP stands for Deamidated Gliadin Peptide.

[foxysoxy804]

Kelley--

Yes, that is the only test that was run about celiac. In regards to the thyroid, I actually just found out the results of the further tests that were run. Turns out all of my thyroid hormones are extremely low (TSH, T3, T4, the works). So going to an endocrinologist ASAP!! Thanks for your help.

Mushroom--

Thanks for the informative post! I am definitely going to go ahead and go gluten-free and see where that takes me. I think it will be a good change. Obviously I have more issues to get figured out now that I know about my thyroid. Ah hormones...anyways thanks again!!

[KRJ]

Wow -- if they only tested your IgG, they didn't test enough!

[beachbirdie]

Kelley--

Yes, that is the only test that was run about celiac. In regards to the thyroid, I actually just found out the results of the further tests that were run. Turns out all of my thyroid hormones are extremely low (TSH, T3, T4, the works). So going to an endocrinologist ASAP!! Thanks for your help.

Mushroom--

Thanks for the informative post! I am definitely going to go ahead and go gluten-free and see where that takes me. I think it will be a good change. Obviously I have more issues to get figured out now that I know about my thyroid. Ah hormones...anyways thanks again!!

Low TSH along with low thyroid hormones is an interesting problem! That leans more toward pituitary/hypothalamus. Hopefully you will get a decent endo, many are notoriously poor thyroid docs but you don't have a common thyroid situation going on.

[foxysoxy804]

I lucked out and am able to get in to see a good endocrinologist next week (the other doc I was gonna see scheduled me for August 31st!!).

And I have also had a hunch that my problems are being caused by the "higher centers" of the endocrine system as well; I may be wrong, but I have a hard time believing my thyroid is the only culprit.

And in regards to the antibody tests--I agree that it wasn't enough. I plan on seeking more conclusive testing for celiac. I don't think it's unreasonable to want a 100% accurate diagnosis!