Endomysial Ab (ttg) Retest

[daveray]

I need advice. I have been following a gluten free diet since my positive biopsy on 1/25/2008. Prior to that I had a Endomysial AB (TTG) of greater than 100. I just got my results from a 12/26/2008 retest of Endomysial AB (TTG) which was 45.9 The reading said Moderate to strong positive. I had hoped for under 20 which is low. I have been faithful to the diet. Does this mean I am getting gluten or not fully healed? Any thoughts. Thanks in advance for your insights.

Dave

[Gemini]

I need advice. I have been following a gluten free diet since my positive biopsy on 1/25/2008. Prior to that I had a Endomysial AB (TTG) of greater than 100. I just got my results from a 12/26/2008 retest of Endomysial AB (TTG) which was 45.9 The reading said Moderate to strong positive. I had hoped for under 20 which is low. I have been faithful to the diet. Does this mean I am getting gluten or not fully healed? Any thoughts. Thanks in advance for your insights.

Dave

I am a bit confused about your tests....the EMA or Endomysial is a separate test from the tTg, which would be testing for villi damage. The EMA is just a positive or negative result which, if positive, means you have celiac disease....no other disease can cause a positive on this. However, if your tTg is still high, it means there is still damage going on or you haven't healed as quickly as some. Make sure you are 100% certain everything you eat is gluten-free so there will be no question on that end.

How are you feeling? Are you still having symptoms? If you are positive your diet is good, then you may have to look into a couple of things.....other diseases, namely Hashimoto's thyroid disease, can cause elevated tTg also. Hashi's is very common with celiac disease. There are a few more that can cause elevated tTg and you should discuss these with your doctor. It could also be refractory sprue but I would assume you still wouldn't feel well if your intestines were not healing. Or it could be that you had extreme damage and it will take a while longer to heal.....that is very possible. It took me 6 months before I started to gain any weight after starting the diet and a full 3 years before some of the other problems I was having resolved.

Good luck!