Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×

  • 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

Question regarding Blood Testing in UK

Angela1287
 Share

Recommended Posts

Angela1287 Rookie
Angela1287
Posted

Hi everyone! 
 

I have a quick question regarding celiac blood testing in the UK. 
 

Can someone tell me the difference between the following tests:

 

Total immunoglobulin A (IgA)

IgA Tissue transglutaminase antibody (shortened to tTG)

 

I have only been given one result from my doctors surgery, it was simply read out to me over the phone as follows:

 

Immunoglobin 1.30 with a range of 0.65-4.21.

 

I have absolutely no further information and the receptionist I spoke to was unclear if they are awaiting further results. Waiting a call back but they take such a long time.

 

Angela
 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


cristiana Veteran
cristiana
Posted (edited)
2 hours ago, Angela1287 said:

Immunoglobin 1.30 with a range of 0.65-4.21.

 

Hi Angela

I totally understand your frustration.  

Do you think the receptionist gave you what the normal range was for their labs?  Every lab should provide normal parameters alongside test results - if so, it sounds rather as if 0.65-4.21 is that lab's normal range.

I have googled one of my favourite NHS websites (https://www.southtees.nhs.uk/services/pathology/tests/immunoglobulins-igg-iga-igm/) and they give these numbers as being within the normal immunoglobulin ranges for their labs:

Reference range

Adult ranges:
IgA: 0.9–4.5g/L

I think in your position I'd contact the surgery to find out if you are waiting for more test results to come through.  It sounds like you could be waiting for one more to come back.

Cristiana

 

Edited by cristiana
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Angela1287 Rookie
Angela1287
  • Author
Posted
4 minutes ago, cristiana said:

Hi Angela

I totally understand your frustration.  Our overstretched NHS does amazing work but sometimes this involves a lot of waiting.

Do you think the receptionist gave you what the normal range was for their labs?  Every lab should provide normal parameters alongside test results - if so, it sounds rather as if 0.65-4.21 is that lab's normal range.

I have googled one of my favourite NHS websites (https://www.southtees.nhs.uk/services/pathology/tests/immunoglobulins-igg-iga-igm/) and they give these numbers as being within the normal immunoglobulin ranges for their labs:

Reference range

Adult ranges:
IgG: 6-16g/L
IgA: 0.9–4.5g/L
IgM: 0.5-2.0g/L

I think in your position I would ask what tests had actually been ordered to clarify if you are waiting for something else.   Sometimes a doctor's secretary can be helpful in this regard.

Cristiana

 

Hi Cristiana,

Thank you for this ☺️

Yes, it’s my understanding that those are the normal ranges.

What I’m mostly confused about is that she described 1.30 as my immunoglobin result. I don’t understand if that means my total immunoglobin or if that’s my tTG result. 
 

It’s so confusing and no one seems to want to get in touch to clarify.

 

Angela

Link to comment
Share on other sites
cristiana Veteran
cristiana
Posted (edited)

I hope someone will correct me if I'm wrong but it looks to me as if you are still waiting for the tTG result.   Hopefully this was ordered by your doctor.  Do please check this was done.   Coeliac UK recommend the NHS to order both. 

I am not scientific so I find it very difficult to assimilate anything which involves acronyms, figures and the like, but looking at the link below might help you understand the difference between the two tests. I hazily recall my gastroenterologist told my tTG result was a very strong positive, but my other test wasn't remarkable, so it seems it's important to have both.

Sorry as I don't think I'm best placed to answer your query very well - but I am sure someone else will.

https://www.rootcausemedicalclinics.com/blog/confused-celiac-disease-lab-results/

Edited by cristiana
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Angela1287 Rookie
Angela1287
  • Author
Posted
15 minutes ago, cristiana said:

I hope someone will correct me if I'm wrong but it looks to me as if you are still waiting for the tTG result.   Hopefully this was ordered by your doctor.  Do please check this was done.   Coeliac UK recommend the NHS to order both. 

I am not scientific so I find it very difficult to assimilate anything which involves acronyms, figures and the like, but looking at the link below might help you understand the difference between the two tests. I hazily recall my gastroenterologist told my tTG result was a very strong positive, but my other test wasn't remarkable, so it seems it's important to have both.

Sorry as I don't think I'm best placed to answer your query very well - but I am sure someone else will.

https://www.rootcausemedicalclinics.com/blog/confused-celiac-disease-lab-results/

Thank you!! I suspect the same! 

Will give the doctors a call today to find out what's going on. Will report back!

Angela :-)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Angela1287 Rookie
Angela1287
  • Author
Posted

Called the surgery today and was advised by the receptionist ‘not celiac’ however that was her reading from a note left by a nurse with no further info. 
 

I asked if she had any figures for me, the types of test done and the ranges and she advised ‘I wouldn’t know’. 
 

I’ve since requested a print out of everything and they said it would take 30 days for them to supply the information. 
 

I think for now I will have to assume my result was negative. 
 

Thank you for all your help Cristiana!

 

Angela

Link to comment
Share on other sites
cristiana Veteran
cristiana
Posted

Hi Angela

How frustrating to have to wait for the printout.  But at least you will know in a month.

Do come back to us then.   

I ought to just say, however, that I had a tTG test done some months ago and it arrived many days after the other blood tests came in.   Possibly about ten days later, I can't recall.  No idea why, but this may happen to you.   

Anyway, meanwhile take care and keep us posted. 

Cristiana

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Angela1287 Rookie
Angela1287
  • Author
Posted
1 minute ago, cristiana said:

Hi Angela

How frustrating to have to wait for the printout.  But at least you will know in a month.

Do come back to us then.   

I ought to just say, however, that I had a tTG test done some months ago and it arrived many days after the other blood tests came in.   Possibly about ten days later, I can't recall.  No idea why, but this may happen to you.   

Anyway, meanwhile take care and keep us posted. 

Cristiana

 

Hmmm… that’s interesting. I guess I will just have to hang tight and see what happens next. I’d hope that they will contact me should any other results arrive. 
 

Really appreciate your help, it’s hard finding information relating to UK testing… and even harder trying to understand the information I have found 😁

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Angela1287 Rookie
Angela1287
  • Author
Posted

Hi! I eventually got my test results back... seems I'm not Celiac.

Total Immunoglobin A (IgA) - 1.30 with a range of 0.65 - 4.21

tTg (IgA) - 0.2 (I was informed that <4 is negative)

They are now testing me for H Pylori as I have a ferritin level of 13 and getting weaker by the day (even on Ferrous Fumarate).

Angela

Link to comment
Share on other sites
T burd Contributor
T burd
Posted
50 minutes ago, Angela1287 said:

Hi! I eventually got my test results back... seems I'm not Celiac.

Total Immunoglobin A (IgA) - 1.30 with a range of 0.65 - 4.21

tTg (IgA) - 0.2 (I was informed that <4 is negative)

They are now testing me for H Pylori as I have a ferritin level of 13 and getting weaker by the day (even on Ferrous Fumarate).

Angela

What about the others? tTg IgG? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Angela1287 Rookie
Angela1287
  • Author
Posted
1 hour ago, T burd said:

What about the others? tTg IgG? 

This test wasn't conducted. It seems that the standard testing on the NHS in the UK is the two I had (Total IGA and tTg IGA).

Is it common to have negative tTg IGA and positive tTg IgG?

Angela

Link to comment
Share on other sites
T burd Contributor
T burd
Posted
1 hour ago, Angela1287 said:

This test wasn't conducted. It seems that the standard testing on the NHS in the UK is the two I had (Total IGA and tTg IGA).

Is it common to have negative tTg IGA and positive tTg IgG?

Angela

Im sure someone else knows better than me stats, but my sister’s igA was negative and her IgG was positive. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
cristiana Veteran
cristiana
Posted

Hi Angela

I've just checked what the recommended action is for someone in your position on the Coeliac UK website.  Please do have a read and if you feel you have been eating enough gluten, and that isn't the problem,  it suggests the next step you should take.

I'm sorry as this isn't straight forward for you.

Cristiana

https://www.coeliac.org.uk/information-and-support/coeliac-disease/getting-diagnosed/blood-tests-and-biospy/if-your-tests-are-negative/#:~:text=It's possible to have a,realising you had done so.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Angela1287 Rookie
Angela1287
  • Author
Posted

Thank you! I've managed to get a referral to a Gastroenterologist so we'll see what they think. It seems unlikely to be Celiac. I'll just be glad to find out whatever it is and get a treatment plan figured out 🙂 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
cristiana Veteran
cristiana
Posted

Congratulations on the referral, I think it will be well worth it.    As you are going through the UK system, I'd read through Coeliac UK's recommendations that apply to your situation beforehand and take notes as these points might be helpful to discuss with a gastroenterologist.  I understand it is possible to have anemia with Non-Coeliac Gluten Sensitivity, so that might be something worth looking at.

https://www.glutenfreesociety.org/gluten-sensitivity-and-iron-deficiency-anemia-are-they-related/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      125,803
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Emeraeld
    Newest Member
    Emeraeld
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      120.8k
    • Total Posts
      69k
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • RMJ
      Implications of glutening after repairing villi

      By RMJ · Posted

      It will not undo all of the healing.  If it did, diagnosis of celiac disease would be much easier!  To have enough damage to see on an endoscopy requires several weeks of gluten ingestion. 
    • Jean Shifrin
      Implications of glutening after repairing villi

      By Jean Shifrin · Posted

      HI, I am new to this and am still in 'repair' mode, which I know will take time. But I'm wondering if anyone knows what happens if you ingest gluten after you have made a lot of progress in repairing your villi. Does anyone know if you just have a short-term issue? Or does an accidental ingestion of gluten derail all the work you've done and set you back to square one? Thanks.
    • Scott Adams
      Is McDonald's Safe for Gluten-Free Orders?

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Hydrolyzed wheat is wheat protein that has been broken down into smaller components through a chemical or enzymatic process called hydrolysis. This ingredient can be found in various products, including cosmetics, personal care items, and some food products. For people with celiac disease, hydrolyzed wheat is generally not safe to consume because it still contains gluten proteins, even in its broken-down form. Though hydrolysis reduces the size of these proteins, it doesn’t fully remove the components that trigger an autoimmune response in people with celiac disease. In food products, hydrolyzed wheat protein still poses a risk and should be avoided. With regard to the McDonald's French fries, the total amount of hydrolyzed wheat in the flavoring is small, and the amount that ends up in an order of fries is even smaller, and likely below 20ppm. McDonald’s states that the fries are gluten-free by ingredient and free from cross-contact with gluten-containing foods in their dedicated fryers. Third-party tests and statements by McDonald's confirm gluten levels are below the FDA threshold for gluten-free labeling (20 parts per million or less). So, while McDonald’s USA fries may be gluten-free based on testing, some people with celiac disease still approach them cautiously due to the past concerns and individual sensitivities.
    • trents
      Is McDonald's Safe for Gluten-Free Orders?

      By trents · Posted

      Here is an excerpt from this article: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC82695:   Studies have shown that various peptidases of fungal, plant, animal, or bacterial origin are able to hydrolyze gluten into harmless peptides. According to SDS‐PAGE pattern, proteolytic enzymes hydrolyze gliadins (Heredia‐Sandoval et al., 2016; Scherf et al., 2018; Socha et al., 2019; Wei et al., 2018, 2020). Bacterial peptidase (Krishnareddy & Green, 2017), fungal peptidase (Koning et al., 2005), and prolyl endopeptidases (PEPs) (Amador et al., 2019; Janssen et al., 2015; Kerpes et al., 2016; Mamo & Assefa, 2018) thoroughly degrade gliadin fractions to decrease gluten concentration and influence celiac disease. Aspergillus niger derived PEP (AN‐PEP) were assessed in clinical cases for their impact on modifying immune responses to gluten in celiac patients (Lähdeaho et al., 2014). Guerdrum and Bamforth (2012) reported that PEP addition in brewing technology decreased the prolamin and all of the identified immunopathogenic gluten epitopes in beer production (Akeroyd et al., 2016). On the contrary, many of the recent investigations which employed enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), mass spectrometry, and Western blot analysis reported that PEP did not thoroughly destroy the whole gluten proteins (Allred et al., 2017; Colgrave et al., 2017; Fiedler et al., 2018; Panda et al., 2015), which indicates that beers treated with PEP are not safe for celiac disease patients. Anecdotally, this excerpt supports what we hear from the celiac community on this forum with regard to "gluten free" hydrolyzed wheat products and that is that some still react to them while many don't.
    • Scott Adams
      Anybody else have a similar experience...theories welcome as its something which i dont really understand.....

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      There aren't good studies that have been done on celiac disease remission, and I'm going from a distant memory of an older post here, but the longest remission that Dr. Stefano Guandalini from the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center has witnessed was ~10 years, then the symptoms of celiac disease and the damage came back. The real issue though, is that you still could increase your risk of various related diseases and disorders by eating gluten, but again, celiac disease remission has not been studies enough to know what health risks you might face.
×
×
  • Create New...