Blood Test Results

[suziegp]

I tried posting in another forum, but I don't think I gave enough info and maybe it was the wrong forum. I would appreciate any help.

I was uninformed when my journey began in 2006. I just knew that if I didn't eat wheat I felt better. I stopped gluten, with an occasional cheat and if I didn't cheat too often I didn't get sick. After six weeks on a gluten-free diet I had an endoscopy which, of course, was negative since I had been gluten free.

In 2009 I cheated and ended up in so much pain I went to the ER where I was diagnosed with colitis (CT scan showed inflamed colon). A year later a different doctor diagnosed me with celiac using blood tests and I am also positive for the celiac gene. He is monitoring my blood and says I am still getting gluten somewhere. The day before my latest blood test I was sick. I had eaten out - a supposedly gluten-free meal, but that was 2 1/2 days prior to being ill. The results were still in the normal range, however my doctor interprets the test as showing I had gluten.

If I had gluten in my system, would the antibody numbers be higher than they are? Do IGG and IGA test out zero when you've been gluten free? Should I be aiming for zero?

I really don't understand the results, as it looks like they are 5 and 6, but he says 6/30, 5/30. I don't know what that means. Here is what he said:

I am writing in regard to these suboptimal antigliadin test results, since at 30 =100%;

IGA 6/30 which reflects > 20% impact from gluten on the immune system.

IGG 5/30 which reflects > 16.6% impact from gluten on the bowel lining

Component

Latest Ref Rng 6/19/2012

GLIADIN AB, IGG

<11 U/mL 5

GLIADIN AB, IGA

<11 U/mL 6

These levels do document that these % of damage are happening to your immune and intestinal systems at this time.

I've worked so hard to be gluten-free, being extra diligent since February. I've only eaten out 3 times in the last 4 months and was extremely careful. I eat a very limited diet. I don't even eat gluten-free breads, pretzels. etc. I'm getting very frustrated and down. Thanks so much for any help!

[Skylark]

Wait, what??? Is this note from an MD who actually went to medical school or some flaky naturopath? It reflects a profound lack of understanding of how immunoassays work and you need to run screaming from this practitioner!!! Your tests are negative, you're doing great.

Antibody tests are almost never zero because antibodies naturally cross-react, producing some background or "noise" in the test. (This is by design because it lets your body identify viruses and bacteria you've never encountered before as potential threats.) You are comfortably below the 11 U/mL the lab has identified as a positive result, meaning that they cannot tell your blood test from that of a normal person who has no gluten issues at all.

[suziegp]

Wait, what??? Is this note from an MD who actually went to medical school or some flaky naturopath? It reflects a profound lack of understanding of how immunoassays work and you need to run screaming from this practitioner!!! Your tests are negative, you're doing great.

Antibody tests are almost never zero because antibodies naturally cross-react, producing some background or "noise" in the test. (This is by design because it lets your body identify viruses and bacteria you've never encountered before as potential threats.) You are comfortably below the 11 U/mL the lab has identified as a positive result, meaning that they cannot tell your blood test from that of a normal person who has no gluten issues at all.

Thank you so much. I feel so much better knowing I'm not doing something wrong and that my hard work has paid off. Yes, he's an MD, but a general practitioner. Celiac is not his specialty. Guess I'd better go on a search ....

Thanks again!

[Skylark]

Wow, that's still sort of inexcusable from someone who went to medical school. Well, there's that joke - "What do you call the worst student in a medical school graduating class?" "Doctor."

Good luck finding someone who understands celiac better. I think your labs are fine.