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

Blood Tests And Gluten Challenge

Elsie L

Recommended Posts

Elsie L Newbie
Elsie L
Posted

Hi. I'm new to the forum, but not new to celiac disease. My daughter, now 46 was born with it. I was told I probably had it (by a physician) but never tested until this yr. First test I had been strictly gluten -free for 2 mos. IGA and IGG were negative. So was the endomesial antibody IGA.

So I did a gluten challenge for three weeks. Tested again. Everything negative but Endomesial antibody went up to just enter the positive range, exactly 1:5.

I'm thinking now I should be on gluten a longer time and test again, because the longer I am on a ciet containing gluten, the more digestive distress I am having.

1. Can anyone explain what the higher endomesial antibody test results might indicate? Should I pursue more testing after a longer gluten challenge?

2. What is an ARA test? Should I have had it or did I already under one of the other names?

3. The nurse read my report to me over the phone, at my request, and mentioned a term that included the words tissue transference (not sure I got it right, but the number she gave me on that was 13, whatever that may mean.

I will meet with my dr. and get these things clear, but frankly I don't think she knows that much about celiac disease or the tests.

I'd like to go armed with the right questions to ask! :)

Thanks for sharing iwhatever nformation you can. Elsie

p.s. I've suffered digestive problems all my life, sometimes called colitis and more recently irritable bowel or "food sensitivities." After being treated for non-hodgkins lymphoma two yrs. ago and learning the higher risk for that among Celiac patients I feel I need to get serious about a definite diagnosis to preserve my present health.

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

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


karen149 Rookie
karen149
Posted

Here's a great site for explaining all those acrnyms:

Open Original Shared Link

I hope you find an answer soon. It sounds like you would definitely benefit from a gluten-free lifestyle.

Hope this helps!

Karen

Elsie L Newbie
Elsie L
Posted
  • Author

Karen, thanks. I checked the site and obtained some useful information. Elsie

Carriefaith Enthusiast
Carriefaith
Posted

I think I may be able to help.

I think the test (#3 on your list) is called Tissue transglutamase

Here is a link to a laboratory test information guide for this test:

Open Original Shared Link

If this was the test you had and you had a reading of 13 than I think it means you MAY have tested positive for celiac (I'm not a doctor!). It says on the website that a normal reading is less than 10 U/ml. But it also says "Tissue Transglutamase may give persistent mildly elevated results in the absence of disease". Definitely worth looking into! Of coarse check this info with your doctor.

Tissue transglutamase is the blood test that I had and I was told that this blood test is vey specific for celiac disease.

gf4life Enthusiast
gf4life
Posted

Different labs use a different reference range. For the Tissue Transglutaminase test most labs say under 20 is negative, a few use under 10 as negative. It is the most specific bloodtest for Celiac.

ARA is Anti-Reticulin Antibody. It is as far as I can tell an outdated bloodtest that very few doctors or labs rely on anymore for Celiac testing. It is still included in some celiac panels though. On mine it said I was negative for the screening test for it, so the actual test was never performed.

The fact that your IgA endomysial antibody went up when you went back on gluten is an indication that gluten may be causing your symptoms, but if you want a definative diagnosis you would have to go back on gluten for anywhere from 3-6 months or more to get more accurate test results. Otherwise you could just continue on the gluten free diet and see if it helps. I went back on gluten for two months and it was not long enough to show my doctor the damage she wanted to see to give the diagnosis of Celiac. I opted for Enterolab testing to get my answers. I am very happy with their testing methods and it is certainly an option. You can check them out at Open Original Shared Link

God bless,

Mariann

tarnalberry Community Regular
tarnalberry
Posted

ARA can - as far as I've been able to discover - indicate either autoimmune kidney problems as well, but usually celiac. It's actually relatively specific (in theory), but not very sensitive. (Plenty of celiacs won't have it raised.) That, actually, was my only positive test. (I couldn't get any values on the rest, so I don't know if they were borderline.) When I combined that with a positive result when going on the diet - and doing a dietary challenge - I took that as my answer. It is an indirect test though, and definitely not too many doctors run it any more.

Archived

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

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


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      127,999
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Maryam Goli
    Newest Member
    Maryam Goli
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121k
    • Total Posts
      70.5k
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • knitty kitty
      Vaccines

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      If you have poor reactions to vaccines, preservatives, sugar alcohols and metals, you may be deficient in Thiamine Vitamin B1.  Thiamine is needed in the immune response and production of antibodies.  Thiamine can be depleted by vaccines if you are already low to begin with due to the Malabsorption of Celiac Disease.  Thiamine can be destroyed by sulfide preservatives in vaccines, which can result in the body's poor response to vaccines.  Thiamine also chelates metals which allows those metals to be removed in the feces.  Chelation removes thiamine from the body, resulting in a state of thiamine deficiency.  Sugar alcohols need to be processed through the liver using thiamine.  Again, if you're low in thiamine as many Celiac are because of the Malabsorption of celiac disease, vaccines can be a tipping point, resulting in a thiamine deficient state. High doses of Thiamine required to correct thiamine deficiency states are safe and nontoxic.  Thiamine has no toxicity level.  Thiamine and the other B vitamins need to be taken together because they interact together to sustain health.   References: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25542071/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8533683/
    • knitty kitty
      Increasing symptoms after going gluten free

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      @Pasballard, Keep in mind those gluten free processed snacks are not required to have vitamins and minerals added to them to replace vitamins lost in processing like gluten containing products.   We need the eight essential B vitamins to turn those carbs into energy to fuel our bodies and make enzymes that sustain life.  Sudden weight gain (or weight loss) can be symptomatic of Thiamine Vitamin B1 deficiency.  Thiamine is the B vitamin with the shortest storage time, and so  thiamine deficiency shows up first with vague symptoms like weight gain or loss, fatigue, not sleeping well, achy or cramping muscles, digestive issues and headaches.   Taking vitamin and mineral supplements helps boost your body's ability to absorb these nutrients which keeps our bodies healthy.  B Complex vitamins and Vitamin D (which regulates inflammation) are usually low in people with Celiac disease.  Talk to your doctor and nutritionist about supplementing.
    • knitty kitty
      Contradicting length of time for gluten challenge - please help to ensure not getting false negative. Thank you!

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Welcome to the forum, @WildFlower1, Here's an article that explains about the updated gluten challenge guidelines.  Be sure to read the comments below the article. Have you been checked for nutritional deficiencies?  Low iron can affect antibody production, causing false negatives on antibody testing.  Do you currently struggle with low iron?   Low Vitamin D can cause amenorrhea, cessation of menstrual periods.   Correcting nutritional deficiencies is a big part of Celiac disease.  We don't absorb well the eight essential B vitamins and other vitamins and minerals like calcium, resulting in osteopenia, hair loss, infertility, and neurological symptoms.  Unfortunately, doctors are not given much training in nutritional deficiencies and don't recognize the connection with the malabsorption of Celiac disease. We get very frustrated here with doctors ordering us to put a harmful substance in our bodies in order for them to say "that makes you sick".   Duh, we know that already. Do try to increase your consumption of gluten for at least two weeks before retesting.  Eat the chewy kinds of breads.  Cookies and cakes don't have as much gluten in them as those chewy artisan breads and thick pizza crusts. I admire your tenacity at continuing the gluten challenge.  Do keep us posted on your progress.  We'll continue to support you on your journey to diagnosis and recovery.
    • trents
      Contradicting length of time for gluten challenge - please help to ensure not getting false negative. Thank you!

      By trents · Posted

      I would continue with your gluten challenge for another 2-3 weeks with the increased intake of gluten as outlined above.  You now say if you were confirmed to have celiac disease you would be even more strict about avoiding cross-contamination whereas in your first post you said, "Previously for many years 10+ I have been on a strict gluten free diet." Those statements seem to contradict one another. The celiac community as a whole understands that to be "on a strict gluten free diet" necessarily involves significant attention to cross-contamination. If you have not been strict with regard to CC up to now, it is difficult to say how that may have compromised your recovery and contributed to ongoing symptoms. Yet, even a significant reduction that falls short of gluten free can yield negative test results.
    • WildFlower1
      Contradicting length of time for gluten challenge - please help to ensure not getting false negative. Thank you!

      By WildFlower1 · Posted

      Thanks for your response! Yes, you’re correct that many of my symptoms improved when I went gluten-free, but issues like bone loss, infertility, hair loss, etc., seem to be the ones that haven’t responded. I’ve been on the gluten challenge for almost 7 weeks now, and I’m wondering how long I should continue it before testing again and making a final decision. I understand the benefits of eating gluten-free long-term, but I’m unsure how much longer to stick with the challenge to avoid another false negative celiac blood test.   What I would do differently if the test were confirmed positive is I’d receive a small amount of government help with gluten-free foods as a confirmed celiac. Doctors would be able to rule out further exhaustive testing. I’d also become even more strict about avoiding cross-contamination (for example, when eating at someone’s house, they may say something is safe, but it could have been cross-contaminated with gluten, or when going out to restaurants, they might say it’s fine, but it really isn’t). So, I would be extremely strict with cross-contamination if I were 100% confirmed as celiac, even though I’ve tried to be over the years but still seem to get sick.   Any advice on how long is typically recommended to continue the gluten challenge to avoid a false negative on the celiac blood test would be greatly appreciated!
×
×
  • Create New...