@KRipple, thank you for the lab results from your husband's celiac disease blood antibody testing.
The lab result you share would seem to be the tTG-IGA (Tissue Transglutaminase IGA) and the test result is in excess of 10x normal. This is significant as there is an increasing tendency for physicians to grant a celiac disease diagnosis on the basis of antibody testing alone when the scores on that particular test exceed 10x normal. This trend started in the UK during the COVID pandemic when there was tremendous pressure on the medical system over there and it has spread to the USA. The tTG-IGA is the centerpiece of celiac disease blood antibody testing. All this to say that some doctors would grant a celiac disease diagnosis on your husband's bloodwork alone and not feel a need to go forward with an endoscopy with biopsy. This is something you and your husband might wish to take up with his physicians. In view of his many health issues it might be wise to avoid any further damage to his small bowel lining by the continuing consumption of gluten and also to allow healing of such to progress. The lining of the small bowel is the place where essentially all of our nutrition is absorbed. This is why celiac disease when it is not addressed with a gluten free diet for many years typically results in additional health problems that are tied to nutritional deficiencies. The millions and millions of tiny finger-like projections that make up the nutrient absorbing surface of the small bowel lining are worn down by the constant inflammation from gluten consumption. In celiac disease, the immune system has been tricked into labeling gluten as an invader. As these finger-like projections are worn down, the efficiency of nutrient absorption becomes more and more compromised. We call this villous atrophy.
Thank you so much! And sorry for not responding sooner. I've been scouring the hospital records and can find nothing other than the following results (no lab info provided):
Component
Transglutaminase IgA
Normal Range: 0 - 15.0 U/mL
>250.0 U/mL High
We live in Olympia, WA and I will be calling University of Washington Hospital - Roosevelt in Seattle first thing tomorrow. They seem to be the most knowledgeable about complex endocrine issues like APS 2 (and perhaps the dynamics of how APS 2 and Celiacs can affect each other). His diarrhea has not abated even without eating gluten, but that could be a presentation of either Celiac's or Addison's. So complicated.
We don't have a date for endoscopy yet. I will let my husband know about resuming gluten.
Again, thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with me!
Scott makes a good point about the prednisone. It has a general suppressing effect on the immune system. Don't misunderstand me. In view of your husband's several autoimmune afflictions, it would seem to be an appropriate medication therapy but it will likely invalidate endoscopy/biopsy test results for celiac disease.