Iga Question

[GlutenFreeAustinite]

So I'm curious...if a person is IgA deficient, is it possible that they could have a positive blood test on gliadin IgAs/IgGs, but test negative on tTg? Or would all tests be negative?

My numbers were out of the normal range (on a scale of 0-15, mine were a 23 and 17 on gliadin IgAs/IgGs), but within normalcy on tTgs.

[beachbirdie]

So I'm curious...if a person is IgA deficient, is it possible that they could have a positive blood test on gliadin IgAs/IgGs, but test negative on tTg? Or would all tests be negative?

My numbers were out of the normal range (on a scale of 0-15, mine were a 23 and 17 on gliadin IgAs/IgGs), but within normalcy on tTgs.

The same thing could happen regardeless of your IgA status. The reason they check for total serum IgA is to make sure the IgA tests that they do are valid. If you are IgA deficient, you would most likely test negative on the IgA version of gliading antibodies, but not necessarily. There are two subclasses and you could theoretically have higher than normal of one of them, even with insufficient IgA. Of course if you were down in the "zero" range I would expect ALL IgA testing, whether for TtG or anti-gliading, to be negative.

You could still get a positive TtG IgG, but your TtG IgA would most likely show negative. They don't routinely test TtG IgG.

Are you IgA deficient? If you are, and still have high IgA gliadin antibodies, means you are reacting to gluten. But not getting the tissue damage that would be indicated by positive TtG.

TtG is the "self" antibody, the body is attacking itself (autoimmunity). Gliadin antibodies are the body mounting an immune reaction against an invader (gluten).

Hope that makes sense.

[GlutenFreeAustinite]

Thank you for explaining that!

I'm not sure if I am IgA deficient. The doctor didn't run a total IgA serum, at least not to my knowledge. Thing is, I match up to a lot of symptoms...chronic infections, etc. They did test TtG IgG and it was negative, as was the TtG IgA, I think. I haven't seen a copy of the results--the first time I was tested, the gliadin IgA/IgG were high but still normal, so I am assuming those were the two that came back "out of the normal range."

[beachbirdie]

Thank you for explaining that!

I'm not sure if I am IgA deficient. The doctor didn't run a total IgA serum, at least not to my knowledge. Thing is, I match up to a lot of symptoms...chronic infections, etc. They did test TtG IgG and it was negative, as was the TtG IgA, I think. I haven't seen a copy of the results--the first time I was tested, the gliadin IgA/IgG were high but still normal, so I am assuming those were the two that came back "out of the normal range."

Sooo...if I read correctly, you've had testing at two different times, and the second test gave you higher anti-gliadin antigodies than the first test.

I haven't gone to find any of your other posts, but it sounds to me like you ARE reacting to gluten because you are making antibodies against it. You do not have the antibodies that indicate your body is attacking "self" but it does not mean "no celiac".

Are you still trying to iron out a diagnosis?

[GlutenFreeAustinite]

Yes, I have been tested twice...I was gluten free for eighteen months (self diagnosed), then ate it for a month, got tested, was negative, and ate it for another month. My doctor says I'm definitely gluten intolerant, but we don't know for sure if it's celiac yet. I go to see a GI doctor in a couple weeks and will get biopsied/endoscopied then. I'm definitely reacting to gluten, but it's odd that the tTgs aren't present. Or does that happen sometimes with celiac?

[beachbirdie]

Yes, I have been tested twice...I was gluten free for eighteen months (self diagnosed), then ate it for a month, got tested, was negative, and ate it for another month. My doctor says I'm definitely gluten intolerant, but we don't know for sure if it's celiac yet. I go to see a GI doctor in a couple weeks and will get biopsied/endoscopied then. I'm definitely reacting to gluten, but it's odd that the tTgs aren't present. Or does that happen sometimes with celiac?

You can be negative for TtG and still have celiac. You can also be negative on all the blood tests and still have celiac. Something in the range of 20-30% of negative tests are actually false negatives. That's a large number to slip "through the cracks".

You are aware that the biopsy can be negative, and you could still be celiac? Sometimes damage is patchy, and they sometimes don't take enough samples from the right locations. It is also possible you are in an early stage and haven't developed the damage.

Diagnosis is not cut and dried with celiac!

You might need a longer period of glutening...say, 3 months...in order to give your body a chance to raise up antibodies. And, how much are you eating? You need the equivalent of 3 to 4 slices of bread a day to do a really thorough job!

[GlutenFreeAustinite]

You can be negative for TtG and still have celiac. You can also be negative on all the blood tests and still have celiac. Something in the range of 20-30% of negative tests are actually false negatives. That's a large number to slip "through the cracks".

You are aware that the biopsy can be negative, and you could still be celiac? Sometimes damage is patchy, and they sometimes don't take enough samples from the right locations. It is also possible you are in an early stage and haven't developed the damage.

Diagnosis is not cut and dried with celiac!

You might need a longer period of glutening...say, 3 months...in order to give your body a chance to raise up antibodies. And, how much are you eating? You need the equivalent of 3 to 4 slices of bread a day to do a really thorough job!

Yeah, I'm getting biopsied because the GI doctor thinks I should be. I'm also getting a gallbladder sonogram, because my family has a history of gallbladder problems. I also have been having lots of muscle pain and weakness, so they blood tested me for muscle inflammation and degeneration.

I'm eating lots of gluten (usually in several different items per day..bread at lunch, some sort of gluten-containing dessert). Today for example, i'll eat a sandwich for lunch, and hot dog/hamburger buns tonight, and a cupcake. Good and glutened! I get biopsied on July 24th, and that will be almost exactly three months since I started eating it!