Jump to content

  • You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

Does This Look Like A "weak Positive"?

dimdem

Recommended Posts

dimdem Newbie
dimdem
Posted

I started to type a very long post with tons of background information, but I'll try to keep it short. In a nutshell, I recently asked my doctor to run the Celiac panel and he did. I obviously had some symptoms that made it seem to me like it was worth eliminating it (constipation, some bloating, mildly elevated ALT liver enzymes) but even I thought it was kind of a long shot. I got the results back electronically last week with a little note saying they were normal, and looking at the numbers it all looked okay to me. My plan was to try a few gluten-free weeks in August before getting my ALT checked again in September, and unless that number dropped sharply or my constipation really cleared up to let it drop. Then my doctor's office called this morning to tell me to follow up with my GI guy because my results were a "weak positive." So I can't complain that my doctor isn't taking the Celiac possibility seriously, but I'm confused because I don't see how to read the results as any kind of positive and I'm hoping for some insight here. Here are my results (with the normal range in parentheses):

GLIADIN IGA 2.0 (0-19)

GLIADIN IGG 2.0 (0-19)

T-TRANS IGA <2 (< 4)

RETICULIN IGA NEGATIVE (< 1:2.5)

I'll probably end up making an appointment with my GI doc anyway, but I'm hoping that someone can tell me whether it makes sense to call these results a weak positive versus a negative. By the way, I know I'm lucky to have a doc who takes stuff like this seriously, but he is sending me conflicting signals on this one.

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


beachbirdie Contributor
beachbirdie
Posted

I started to type a very long post with tons of background information, but I'll try to keep it short. In a nutshell, I recently asked my doctor to run the Celiac panel and he did. I obviously had some symptoms that made it seem to me like it was worth eliminating it (constipation, some bloating, mildly elevated ALT liver enzymes) but even I thought it was kind of a long shot. I got the results back electronically last week with a little note saying they were normal, and looking at the numbers it all looked okay to me. My plan was to try a few gluten-free weeks in August before getting my ALT checked again in September, and unless that number dropped sharply or my constipation really cleared up to let it drop. Then my doctor's office called this morning to tell me to follow up with my GI guy because my results were a "weak positive." So I can't complain that my doctor isn't taking the Celiac possibility seriously, but I'm confused because I don't see how to read the results as any kind of positive and I'm hoping for some insight here. Here are my results (with the normal range in parentheses):

GLIADIN IGA 2.0 (0-19)

GLIADIN IGG 2.0 (0-19)

T-TRANS IGA <2 (< 4)

RETICULIN IGA NEGATIVE (< 1:2.5)

I'll probably end up making an appointment with my GI doc anyway, but I'm hoping that someone can tell me whether it makes sense to call these results a weak positive versus a negative. By the way, I know I'm lucky to have a doc who takes stuff like this seriously, but he is sending me conflicting signals on this one.

The problem here is that almost all of your tests are IgA tests, and they didn't do a total serum IgA. On the surface, they are negative tests, nothing even "weak positive" here. But without that missing piece, they are suspect. If you are IgA deficient (and many celiacs are) the negative IgA levels are false.

On top of that, 20% of celiac testing comes back with false negatives. So, if you have symptoms, I think it's great to follow up with the GI. Don't quit on gluten though, unless you are going to try diet without diagnosis. You need gluten going through your system, or the test results will ALL be skewed. Antibody levels can drop very quickly when you quit eating gluten.

Skylark Collaborator
Skylark
Posted

Looks negative to me. As Beachbirdie says, it would be nice to see your total IgA and a TTG IgG if you happen to be IgA deficient.

dimdem Newbie
dimdem
Posted
  • Author

Thanks. I'm due to have my ALT checked again in September, and my plan had been to go gluten free a few weeks before that to see if that number really plunged. If it did, then I was going to follow up with the GI. Maybe I better go ahead and see him, though; I can't imagine that he would want to scope me based on this, but maybe he would want to run the total IGA test and I guess I should do that before going off gluten.

It's really amazing that ordering a gluten panel wouldn't include all of the standard necessary tests.

dimdem Newbie
dimdem
Posted
  • Author

P.S. Is there any test that would be useful in eliminating non-Celiac gluten intolerance?

Skylark Collaborator
Skylark
Posted

P.S. Is there any test that would be useful in eliminating non-Celiac gluten intolerance?

There is no such test and anyone who tells you otherwise is probably trying to sell you something. NCGI is diagnosed by ruling out celiac as thoroughly as possible and then trying the diet.

You probably want both total IgA and TTG IgG. Then you've got all the possible tests done and can try the diet.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      134,084
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      10,442
    Melvac
    Newest Member
    Melvac
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.7k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Aretaeus Cappadocia
      Edy's and Dreyer's ice cream

      By Aretaeus Cappadocia · Posted

      Sigh. I posted this yesterday based on the Safeway website. I went back again today to their website to double check. On the page where they are selling Vanilla Bean flavor, it has a distinct Certified Gluten Free label. Other flavors on the Safeway website didn't have the gluten-free statement. Today I went into the store. None of the flavors I looked at, including Vanilla Bean, have a Gluten Free statement. Is it safe? Who knows. The ingredients are either safe or nearly safe (some have "natural flavor"). There are warnings about "contains milk and soy" but not about wheat - this implies they are safe, but again, who knows. On the other hand, every flavor I checked of their Slow Churn line of ice creams has wheat as an ingredient. 100% not safe.
    • knitty kitty
      Edy's and Dreyer's ice cream

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Do keep in mind that many of the newly diagnosed have lactose intolerance.  This is because the villi lining the intestinal tract are damaged, and can no longer make the enzyme lactAse which breaks down the milk sugar lactOse.  When the villi grow back (six months to two years), they can again produce the enzyme lactAse, and lactose intolerance is resolved.  However, some people (both those with and without Celiac Disease) are genetically programmed to stop producing lactase as they age.   Do be aware that many processed foods, including ice cream, use Microbial Transglutaminase, a food additive commonly called "meat glue," used to enhance texture and flavor.  This microbial transglutaminase has the same immunogenicity as tissue transglutaminase which the body produces in response to gluten in people with Celiac Disease.  Tissue Transglutaminase (tTg IgA) is measured to diagnose Celiac Disease in blood tests.  Microbial Transglutaminase acts the same as Tissue Transglutaminase, causing increased intestinal permeability and inflammation.   New findings show that microbial transglutaminase may be able to trigger Celiac Disease and other autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases.   Microbial Transglutaminase is not required to be listed on ingredients labels as it's considered a processing aid, not an ingredient in the U.S.  Microbial Transglutaminase has been GRAS for many years, but that GRAS standing is being questioned more and more as the immunogenicity of microbial transglutaminase is being discovered. Interesting Reading:  Microbial Transglutaminase Is a Very Frequently Used Food Additive and Is a Potential Inducer of Autoimmune/Neurodegenerative Diseases https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8537092/
    • Aretaeus Cappadocia
      Edy's and Dreyer's ice cream

      By Aretaeus Cappadocia · Posted

      There is a 10 year old post in this forum on Edy's and Dreyer's ice cream. The information is somewhat outdated and the thread is closed to further comment, so here is a new one. Edy's And Dreyer's Grand Vanilla Bean Ice Cream - 1.5 Quart is labeled "Gluten Free". This is a different answer than years gone by. I don't know the answer for any other flavor at this moment. On 1 May, 2026, Edy's website says: "As a general rule, the gluten in Edy's and Dreyer's® frozen dessert products is present only in the added bakery products, such as cookies, cake or brownies. We always label the eight major food allergens on our package by their common name. We recommend to always check the label for the most current information before purchasing and/or consuming a product. The exception to this rule is our Slow Churned French Silk frozen dairy dessert, which contains gluten in the natural flavors." https://www.icecream.com/us/en/brands/edys-and-dreyers/faq It seems that Edy's and Dreyer's are more celiac-friendly than they were 10 years ago. Once I found enough information to make today's buying decision, I stopped researching.
    • Aretaeus Cappadocia
      EDG 3 years ago fine, now it shows focal villous blunting,

      By Aretaeus Cappadocia · Posted

      probably not your situation @Mimiof2, but allow me to add one more to @trents list of celiac-mimics: "olmesartan-induced sprue-like enteropathy"  
    • knitty kitty
      Terrible Neurological Symptoms

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      My dad had an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm.  Fortunately, it was discovered during an exam.  The doctor could feel my dad's heart beating in his stomach/abdomen.  The aneurysm burst when the doctor first touched it in surgery.  Since he was already hooked up to the bypass machine, my dad survived ten more years.  Close call! Triple A's can press on the nerves in the spinal cord causing leg pain.  I'm wondering if bowing the head might have increased the pressure on an aneurysm and then the nerves.   https://gulfcoastsurgeons.com/understanding-abdominal-aortic-aneurysm-symptoms-and-causes/ Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Presenting as a Claudication https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4040638/
×
×
  • Create New...