Quest Or Labcorp?

[researchmomma]

My insurance now covers Quest and the lab tech said it isn't as good as the LabCorp test. My new insurance will cover LabCorp. Should I wait until I have LabCorp coverage?

[sa1937]

  On 1/4/2012 at 3:19 PM, researchmomma said:

My insurance now covers Quest and the lab tech said it isn't as good as the LabCorp test. My new insurance will cover LabCorp. Should I wait until I have LabCorp coverage?

My answer is that I don't know.

My celiac panel was done by Quest and it was highly positive. This was the older panel and Quest is the lab my local small town hospital uses.

My daughter in Denver uses LabCorp and had the newer DGP test. Highly positive also.

Surprisingly our results were both off-the-map positive and very similar, in fact. I do know that the DGP is newer and supposedly better.

Edit: How long will it be until you get coverage for LabCorp? That would probably influence my decision.

[researchmomma]

  On 1/4/2012 at 3:46 PM, sa1937 said:

My answer is that I don't know.

My celiac panel was done by Quest and it was highly positive. This was the older panel and Quest is the lab my local small town hospital uses.

My daughter in Denver uses LabCorp and had the newer DGP test. Highly positive also.

Surprisingly our results were both off-the-map positive and very similar, in fact. I do know that the DGP is newer and supposedly better.

Edit: How long will it be until you get coverage for LabCorp? That would probably influence my decision.

Thanks Sylvia, your edit is my dilemma. I have asked HR to let me know. If they say weeks, I won't make it.

[Skylark]

Quest:

Celiac Panel Method

This panel includes a test for tTG IgA antibodies (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA]) and total IgA concentration (immunoturbidometry). When the tTG IgA test is positive, an EMA IgA antibody test is performed (immunofluorescence assay); if positive, the EMA titer will be determined and reported. If the IgA concentration is low, a tTG IgG antibody test will be performed (ELISA). There is an additional charge, associated with an additional CPT code, for the latter 3 tests (EMA IgA, EMA titer, and tTG IgG).

Labcorp:

Celiac Disease Complete Profile

Test Includes: Deamidated gliadin IgA; deamidated gliadin IgG; tissue transglutaminase IgA; tissue transglutaminase IgG; serum IgA quantitation

Celiac Disease Comprehensive Antibody Profile

Test Includes: Deamidated gliadin antibodies; endomysial antibodies; tissue transglutaminase (tTG) antibodies; total IgA

Celiac Disease Profile II

Immunoglobulin A; endomysial antibody IgA; tissue transglutaminase, IgA; tissue transglutaminase, IgG

Labcorp looks better to me. They do deamidated gliadin as well as the older tests. If I were getting tested I'd really want deamidated gliadin.

[researchmomma]

  On 1/4/2012 at 4:23 PM, Skylark said:

Quest:

Celiac Panel Method

This panel includes a test for tTG IgA antibodies (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA]) and total IgA concentration (immunoturbidometry). When the tTG IgA test is positive, an EMA IgA antibody test is performed (immunofluorescence assay); if positive, the EMA titer will be determined and reported. If the IgA concentration is low, a tTG IgG antibody test will be performed (ELISA). There is an additional charge, associated with an additional CPT code, for the latter 3 tests (EMA IgA, EMA titer, and tTG IgG).

Labcorp:

Celiac Disease Complete Profile

Test Includes: Deamidated gliadin IgA; deamidated gliadin IgG; tissue transglutaminase IgA; tissue transglutaminase IgG; serum IgA quantitation

Celiac Disease Comprehensive Antibody Profile

Test Includes: Deamidated gliadin antibodies; endomysial antibodies; tissue transglutaminase (tTG) antibodies; total IgA

Celiac Disease Profile II

Immunoglobulin A; endomysial antibody IgA; tissue transglutaminase, IgA; tissue transglutaminase, IgG

Labcorp looks better to me. They do deamidated gliadin as well as the older tests. If I were getting tested I'd really want deamidated gliadin.

Yes, and it isn't "reflexive" They run them all so you can look at the results as one whereas Quest only runs the tTg IgG if the total IgA is too low.

Thanks for helping me walk through this. I would love to have my daughter get a labcorp test while eating gluten. Just to see.

[pricklypear1971]

If you're doing genetics LabCorp reports alpha and beta and all alleles on dq2, 8.

[researchmomma]

  On 1/4/2012 at 5:29 PM, pricklypear1971 said:

If you're doing genetics LabCorp reports alpha and beta and all alleles on dq2, 8.

Good to know. As soon as I hear back from HR, I will decide if I a going to wait for the LabCorp coverage. This is for me. My Mom, Sister and I are all very curious. My sister has been plague with IBS and Endometriosis all her life and is scheduled to see the GI in Feb. I told her to get screened for Celiac based on my grandmother's history. It will be an interesting first quarter of 2012. Regardless I think we all are gluten intolerant and so does my Mom.

Thanks for the help! You just have to wonder why it is so difficult.

I will give some props to my general doc. I called about the Celiac panel and they said "you can order whatever test you want as long as you have been seen by the physician in the last 12 months. Just come on in".

How refreshing!

[pricklypear1971]

  On 1/4/2012 at 5:58 PM, researchmomma said:

Good to know. As soon as I hear back from HR, I will decide if I a going to wait for the LabCorp coverage. This is for me. My Mom, Sister and I are all very curious. My sister has been plague with IBS and Endometriosis all her life and is scheduled to see the GI in Feb. I told her to get screened for Celiac based on my grandmother's history. It will be an interesting first quarter of 2012. Regardless I think we all are gluten intolerant and so does my Mom.

Thanks for the help! You just have to wonder why it is so difficult.

I will give some props to my general doc. I called about the Celiac panel and they said "you can order whatever test you want as long as you have been seen by the physician in the last 12 months. Just come on in".

How refreshing!

It's very interesting to put the familial genetics together. Comparing mine to my son's was a learning experience - especially for the doctor and hubby.

Hubs discovered HE carries at least half a Celiac gene....

[researchmomma]

  On 1/4/2012 at 6:03 PM, pricklypear1971 said:

It's very interesting to put the familial genetics together. Comparing mine to my son's was a learning experience - especially for the doctor and hubby.

Hubs discovered HE carries at least half a Celiac gene....

Is your hubs gluten-free?

[pricklypear1971]

  On 1/4/2012 at 6:20 PM, researchmomma said:

Is your hubs gluten-free?

Only at home. But it sure made him think, especially when my stepson showed up with worsening digestive issues (probably milk but the kid actually came out and said he avoids wheat products).

[researchmomma]

  On 1/4/2012 at 6:52 PM, pricklypear1971 said:

Only at home. But it sure made him think, especially when my stepson showed up with worsening digestive issues (probably milk but the kid actually came out and said he avoids wheat products).

Unreal

My hubs is slowly coming around. He has 3 siblings. He and 2 siblings have severe GERD. They all take PPIs. One of them was diagnosed as gluten sensitive and her GERD has all but disappeared now that she is mostly gluten-free. Their dad died of esophageal cancer, had chronic heartburn and drinking a beer had him running to the bathroom. However, none of the other siblings, including my hubs will consider this gluten related.

DeNILE ain't just a river in Egypt!

[pricklypear1971]

Well, my hubs has a cast-iron digestive system, great immune system.

He isn't so stubborn that he wouldn't do it, he just doesn't think it happens to be his problem. And he's probably right. The only problems he has ever had are high bp, and swelling ankles when he flies, and since he's gained weight as he's gotten older a bit of acidic stomach from some foods.

My stepson, on the other hand, has always been truly allergic to milk. We only see him about 1-2x a year (he's almost 21 and in college) and this time he had horrible digestive issues. He's always had issues, but this time it's over the top. It sounded like I was listening to an oral version of "do I have Celiac"? It may just be milk (and if it is he needs to give it up and now), but I almost fell over when he said he doesn't like to eat wheat.