Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    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):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

New Here With Test Results

lizcon

Recommended Posts

lizcon Newbie
lizcon
Posted

Hello,

I went for a consult for my fist colonoscopy. The GI doctor noticed I had marked Hashimotos Thryroiditis on my health questionnaire. He suggested I test for Celiac since often Hashimotos and Celiac go "hand in hand."

Test results are back:

TT Ab IgA normal 1.2 (<4)

TT Ab IgG positive 18 (>9 positive)

Gliadin IgA normal 3.1 ( < 20)

Gliadin IgG normal 3.1 (< 20)

IgA 132 normal (71-397)

The only positive is the TT Ab IgG. He is recommending a biopsy to confirm the results. I'm thinking I should go ahead and do it, if nothing else then to spare my close relatives and kids the need to be tested for Celiac. Could the Hashimotos throw off the results? Do these results look typical of Celiac? Any help or advice would be appreciated.

(I do not have obvious GI problems so this has been a surprise....)

Thanks!

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


haleym Contributor
haleym
Posted

I have Hashimoto's and will be tested for celiac soon... Hope you get some answers!

mushroom Proficient
mushroom
Posted

No, the Hashimoto's would not affect the results which are measuring antibodies to gluten in the bloodwork, and damage to the small intestine when they do the biopsy.

There is no "typical" set of celiac results. It is only necessary to be positive on one of the tests. Yours is a little unusual in that you tested positive on the IgG tissue transglutaminase and negative on the IgA, but yet you make normal quantities of IgA. Normally they run the IgG only if you make insufficient quantities of IgA, but your IgA was normal. I note that they did not run the newer, and more specific for celiac, DGP (deamidated gliadin peptide) which is often run in both IgA and IgG versions.

At any rate, the biopsy is often useful to make sure that everything else is normal in the upper intestinal tract and to check the level of damage. Sometimes the bloods are positive and the EGD negative. If this happens with you, don't let the doctor tell you that you don't have celiac, because it is often missed. Make sure he takes at least 6-8 samples because the damage can be patchy and easily missed. You can start the gluten free diet immediately after the biopsy, so now is a good time to start going through your pantry for foods to donate to a food pantry, and to start thinking about preparing your food gluten free. There is a lot of good reading on this site, beginning with Newbie 101, and plenty of threads on how to deglutenize, lots of recipes, etc. Happy reading, and best wishes for your EGD if you decide to go ahead with it. :)

Welcome to the board, and ask as many questions as you want.

lizcon Newbie
lizcon
Posted
  • Author

Thank you mushroom. I am definitely reading a lot about going gluten free and getting set-up to give it a try.

Cara in Boston Enthusiast
Cara in Boston
Posted

I think it is different for each person. My son had normal IgA tests and was only positive on the IgG tests. He had ZERO GI symptoms. Our only clue something was wrong was a drastic change in behavior. He didn't even complain of feeling bad, he just turned in to the devil. (age 5). His biopsy was very positive.

My blood tests were the opposite. Only my IgA tests were positive. I had all the classic GI symptoms for about 5 years (maybe triggered by my pregnancy?). When I had the endoscopy, it came back negative.

We both went gluten free and it has made a world of difference. The other two in the family seem to tolerate gluten just fine, but I do have my older son checked every couple of years to make sure.

After you complete the tests, try the diet REGARDLESS of the results.

Good luck -

Cara

guest134 Apprentice
guest134
Posted

Yes the TTG can be falsely positive in Hashimoto's. Before some member asks "What does a false positive really mean?" or "There are no false positives"

A false positive means that in clinical evaluation members of a certain population sample with an elevated TTG did not actually have celiac upon further testing and never went on to develop it during clinical follow up years and even decades later. YES there are absolutely false positive in antibody tests, the endomysial is interpreting a staining pattern on monkey oesophagus, the whole point is that celiac blood tests are highly unreliable unless all very strongly positive (10 times the normal range). Your test is a very low number and is typical in the false positive range, do the biopsy and report back to us what happens.

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

http://www.cureceliacdisease.org/archives/faq/whats-the-problem-with-diagnosing-celiac-disease-simply-by-measuring-the-decrease-in-antibodies-once-someone-switches-to-a-gluten-free-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
      133,353
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    ace14219
    Newest Member
    ace14219
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.6k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • SilkieFairy
      results from 13 day gluten challenge - does this mean I can't have celiac?

      By SilkieFairy · Posted

      It could be a fructan intolerance? How do you do with dates?  https://www.dietvsdisease.org/sorry-your-gluten-sensitivity-is-actually-a-fructan-intolerance/
    • Lkg5
      Unexpected gluten exposure risk from cultivated mushrooms

      By Lkg5 · Posted

      Thank’s for addressing the issue of mushrooms.  I was under the impression that only wild mushrooms were gluten-free.  Have been avoiding cultivated mushrooms for years. Also, the issue of smoked food was informative.  In France last year, where there is hardly any prepared take-out food that is gluten-free, I tried smoked chicken.  Major mistake!
    • catnapt
      results from 13 day gluten challenge - does this mean I can't have celiac?

      By catnapt · Posted

      my IGG is 815 IGA 203  but tTG-Iga is   <0.4!!!!!!!!!!!!!   oh my god- 13 days of agony and the test is negative?  I don't even know what to do next. There zero doubt in my mind that I have an issue with wheat and probably more so with gluten as symptoms are dramatically worse the more gluten a product has   I am going to write up the history of my issues for the past few years and start a food/symptom diary to bring with me to the GI doctor in March.   I googled like crazy to try to find out what other things might cause these symptoms and the only thing that truly fits besides celiac is NCGS   but I guess there are some other things I maybe should be tested for ...? like SIBO?   I will continue to eliminate any foods that cause me distress (as I have been doing for the past couple of years) and try to keep a record. Can anyone recommend an app or some form or something that would simplify this? I have a very full and busy life and taking the time to write out each symptom name in full would be tedious and time consuming- some sort of page with columns to check off would be ideal. I am not at all tech savvy so that's not something I can make myself ... I'm hoping there's some thing out there that I can just download and print out   do I give up on testing for celiac with such a low number? I am 70 yrs old I have been almost completely off gluten for the most part for about 2 yrs. I had a meal of vital wheat gluten vegan roast,  rolls and stuffing made from home baked bread and an apple pie- and had the worst pain and gas and bloating and odd rumblings in my gut etc - almost went to the ER it was so bad. I was thinking, since I'm spilling a lot of calcium in my urine, that perhaps this was a kidney stone (never had one before but there's always that first time, right?)    Saw my endo on Jan 20th and after hearing the story about the symptoms from eating that holiday meal, she suggested doing a gluten challenge. She said 2 weeks was fine- she said stopping it in the middle if symptoms got bad was fine- In the meantime I'd read that 2 weeks was not enough- called and argued with the nurse about this, but ultimately decided to stop the gluten on the 13th day and get the test done because I was in too much pain and almost suicidal and knew I could not continue.   so.............. that's where I am now I have had no bread since Sunday. I did have some rolled oats today and had some gas and bloating afterwards I did have some wheat germ in a smoothie on Tuesday and had a stomach ache later that night.   but overall I feel so much better! all the joint pain is gone! the nausea is gone. The stomach pain and gas and bloating are going away. Still a bit gassy but no more of that horrible odor. wow, that would clear a room if I was out in public!  I see a GI nurse March 4th  I hope she'll be able to help sort this out! can you think of what my next steps might be?
    • par18
      Is it gluten?

      By par18 · Posted

      Thanks for the reply. 
    • Scott Adams
      nothing has changed

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      What you’re describing is actually very common, and unfortunately the timing of the biopsy likely explains the confusion. Yes, it is absolutely possible for the small intestine to heal enough in three months on a strict gluten-free diet to produce a normal or near-normal biopsy, especially when damage was mild to begin with. In contrast, celiac antibodies can stay elevated for many months or even years after gluten removal, so persistently high antibody levels alongside the celiac genes and clear nutrient deficiencies strongly point to celiac disease, even if you don’t feel symptoms. Many people with celiac are asymptomatic but still develop iron and vitamin deficiencies and silent intestinal damage. The lack of immediate symptoms makes it harder emotionally, but it doesn’t mean gluten isn’t harming you. Most specialists would consider this a case of celiac disease with a false-negative biopsy due to early healing rather than “something else,” and staying consistently gluten-free is what protects you long-term—even when your body doesn’t protest right away.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.