IGG Positive IGA Negative

[MicheleLouis]

Hi, I receintly had blood work done to detect whether I may have celiac. I am very confused after getting my results, but haven't talked to my doctor yet. I have been following a somewhat gluten-free diet for over a year before being tested. My results for Transglutaminase IGA (6.4) and IGG (8.4) were negative. My results for Gliadin IGA were also negative (6.. My result for Gaiadin IGG was 38.4, which is a strong positive. I am not sure why I have the IGG antibodies and not the IGA antibodies. Do you think it has anything to do with my glutin-free diet? I also had a cholesterol test done on the same day so I had been fasting for 12 hours. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[aklap]

Hi Michele!

Welcome to the board! We are glad you stopped by.

Do you know if the ENTIRE celiac panel was run? Many times only a few are run.

This is the entire panel:
A complete Celiac Blood Panel:

antigliadin IgA and IgG (May indicate Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity)
anti-tTG and/or anti-endomysial (Looks for villi damage)
total serum IgA (rules out IgA deficiency)
anti-reticulin IgA (Rarely used but, a very thorough doctor will include this)

More on Diagnostic Testing


If the total Serum IgA test was not run, you may have a IGA Deficency problem which then would skew the results.

From the IGA Deficency link:
Immunoglobulin A (IgA) deficiency is 10 to 15 times more common in patients with celiac disease (CD) than in healthy subjects. Serological tests have become the preferred methods of diagnosing CD in both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. However, commercially available serological methods are limited in that they detect only the IgA isotype of antibodies (with the exception of IgG gliadin assays); hence, IgA-deficient patients with CD may yield false-negative serology. Fifteen pediatric patients with CD and 10 IgA-deficient pediatric patients without CD were examined for IgA and IgG antibodies to endomysium, gliadin, and tissue transglutaminase. Twenty-five specimens from patients with IgA deficiency were examined. Fifteen were from patients with CD, and 10 were patients without CD. All 15 IgA-deficient patients with CD were positive for endomysium antibodies of the IgG isotype and for IgG gliadin antibodies. All but one of the IgA-deficient patients with CD were also positive for IgG tissue transglutaminase antibodies. None of the IgA-deficient patients without CD were positive for any of the antibody markers. All the specimens examined were also negative for IgA-specific antibodies to endomysium, gliadin, and tissue transglutaminase. IgG-specific antibody tests for endomysium, gliadin, and tissue transglutaminase are useful for the identification of IgA-deficient patients with CD. IgG antibody tests along with tests routinely being used in clinical laboratories can reliably detect all active patients with CD. In addition, the levels of these CD-specific IgG antibodies could be used to monitor patient dietary compliance.

It's very possible that your quasi-GF diet may have skewed the results too. It'll be interesting to see what your Doc says. So, how have you felt on a gluten reduced diet? Could you tell any difference?

Let us know how things go!
_________________
Al

“We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” Mother Teresa

[Michelellouis]

Thanks for your advice. No, they did not include all of the tests you mentioned. I will talk to my doctor. I felt fine on the Gluten reduced diet. I did start to eat more gluten this weekend in case I had to be tested again and I felt horrible.
Thanks again,
Michele

[aklap]