is this a common blood test?

angaustinbrody · Joined: 23 Mar 2006 Posts: 8

I have a requesition for a blood test. On the blood test is says TTG Abs. Is this the common wording for testing for celiac disease? I am just questioning it because the doctor asked me a lot of questions and mentioned a lot of different diseases etc so I am unsure of what he is testing for.

TIA
Angela

jim · Joined: 20 Jan 2006 Posts: 167 Location: Duluth, Minnesota

According to the celiac support group meeting I attended recently with guest speaker Steven J. Squillace, MD of Saint Mary's Duluth Clinic, the IGA Tissue Transglutaminase Antibody test is a very good blood test for CD. Sensitivity and specificity is greater then 95% for diagnosis of CD. A test result 0- 30 is normal. Mine was 92. IGA antibodies to endomysium are found in almost all patients with CD. However, 1-2% of patients with CD are IGA deficient.

diagnosis of celiac disease:
(early 2006 SMDC-all tests are not needed for everyone. I just had the top two totaling 105 dollars and the EGD with sm. bowl biopsy)

Endomysial antibody/tissue transglutaminase antibody 43 dollars
Serium IGA level 62 dollars

Antiglaiden antibody 50 dollars

EGD with small bowl biopsy-1800 dollars(my total was 3700 dollars?-will check into this)

HDR typing 400 dollars.

I hope this helps. I am getting confused and better stop here Very Happy

.

Jim
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angaustinbrody · Joined: 23 Mar 2006 Posts: 8

THanks for the reply Jim
So the TTG Ab's means IGA Tissue Transglutaminase Antibody test?? Sorry, I'm sleep deprived so a little bit slow Wink

Completely off topic, but you have cute kids Smile

They look about the same age gap as mine are. My oldest son is 2 1/2 and my youngest son is 4 1/2 months Smile

jim · Joined: 20 Jan 2006 Posts: 167 Location: Duluth, Minnesota

Angela

Yes to the best of my knowlege(which isn't too much Very Happy

) on the TTG Ab's thing. My doctor just called it an IGA test when I talked to him, but looking at the handouts from the cd support meeting it is the exact same thing as the TTG Ab's. It lists them as IGA Tissue Transglutaminase Antibody. Yes your kids are very close to mine. My kids are 2.5 and the younger a couple months short of one. The photo was taken a while ago when Connor was closer to you younger sons age. Good luck on your test. I was happy to be dxed with CD. I thought something was really wrong with me. I mean like cancer. Anyhow if you do have it people here are very helpful and the diet is getting more doable all the time for me. Once on the diet I felt like my old self again.

Jim
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aklap · Joined: 02 Oct 2004 Posts: 8130 Location: WI, USA

aklap · Joined: 02 Oct 2004 Posts: 8130 Location: WI, USA