Blood test help please.

[Tealcheese]

Hi, please can you help me with my blood test results.

Total igA: 3.9 u/ml

ttg igA: 4.75 u/ml

Is the 4.75 a definitive negative result or could this be a weak positive? Is lower better? The range given was 0-10. (But for other tests I've had done the range doesn't mean that's where a diagnosis is made from, rather a reference point. E.G. feritin range is 11- over 300 but they say anything under 50 is low.)

Thank you for your help!

Emily

[Regalbirdy]

Hi Tealcheese,

What has your doctor told you?

I’m no expert but if the range was 0-10 as you say, that means that any number over 10 is positive. As your result is significantly below that, I would suggest that you have a healthy negative for having Coeliac Disease. Congratulations - you didn’t truly want to have a diagnosis of Coeliac Disease did you?

However that said, if you think that you’re having gut issues from problems tolerating gluten, you are now at a point where you can remove it from your diet for a few weeks to see if you feel any better. Fortunately you have done it the right way – and had the blood test before doing this, thereby potentially saving yourself the huge misery of any future reintroduction.

Some people are not aware that there are several different types of gluten sensitivity - only one of which is Coeliac Disease. Gluten Ataxia is becoming more widely recognised, as is Non-Coeliac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS). Perhaps this info might be relevant to you?

Good luck!

[Tealcheese in reply to Regalbirdy]

Thank you for your response. It is a relief to get a negative result - I just wanted to make sure. My GP has sent me for a coelic blood test three times over 7 years so they keep coming back to that.

I'll look up gluten ataxia as I haven't heard if that.

I suspect my always low iron count will continue to be a mystery!

Thanks,

Emily

[bookish]

From my understanding, coeliac testing just isn't that precise. You need to get a test because, if positive, it is usually the only way you will get a GP to take any interest. The problem is the test is very limited and misses a lot of people - one of the reasons why coeliac is so under-diagnosesd. Micki Rose says only about 30% of people with partial villous atrophy will show a transglutaminase antibody whereas 100% with total atrophy will, so good for late stage diagnosis, not so good earlier on while you have more chance to do something about it. And they only test IgA when some show IgG. As Regalbirdy says, there is also the vast array of other gluten related disorders. Have a look at the gluten info on Micki's site purehealthclinic.co.uk/ and I highly recommend the book - The Gluten Plan (Michaela Rose).

Low iron is often the first sign of a gluten related disorder, but also could be an underactive thyroid issue. Worth testing (although that is as hit and miss as coeliac, I'm afraid. If you do get a test, get a copy of the results and have a look on Thyroid UK (HU) for advice. Also worth checking folate, B12 and especially Vit D, but I'm sure you know all that!). If you already have other autoimmune conditions or have a family history of them (most families do) worth reading The Autoimmune Fix by Tom O'Bryan too. Best wishes

[Suit]

Some have a limit of 4 for weak positive, in the US for example.

Others seem to have 7 as a limit for weak positive.

But there's other antibodies too that could be in place.

You could ask for different tests or endoscopy to be sure.

Or rule out all gluten from your diet and take a new blood test in a few months to see if you go below 4.

[Tealcheese]

Thank you all for your replies.

That is interesting that different places have different cut offs.

I actually don't eat that much gluten because of the way my meal choices have worked out. If I do it's in something like sausages as a binder or in the odd biscuit. In my main meals and regular diet it doesn't feature. E.g. Breakfast; oats, lunch; eggs potato baked beans, dinner; meat or fish and veg. Snacks would be fruit and then occasionally treats whch is where I'd get most of the gluten from.

I think I need to get some advice from my GP about how much gluten I needed to be eating.

Thanks again.

[Hidden]

Can't comment on the blood result you have given specifically, but will say that lots of people argue/experience a negative blood result but positive biopsy. It's really down to your symptoms. If you have ceoliac symptoms but a negative blood result, push to have the biopsy for definitive answer. Don't be fobbed off by GP as they are notoriously dismissive on this and really badly informed generally. In my experience blood tests for ceoliac always negative, didn't have biopsy, but symptoms disappeared and health improved when I removed gluten. I treat it as coeliac even though didn't have the biopsy. I had low vitamin D and poor bone density, peripheral neuropathy, digestive symptoms and tummy pains. All classic coeliac signs. But GP fobbed me off for years on basis of negative blood test, and still don't have me down as coeliac on my medical records. The blood test is one thing, but persistent symptoms are a different ball game/indicator. Listen to your body, not your GP.