You can’t do anything about IgA deficiency. However, it also doesn’t lead to any clinical issues. If you are attempting to get an accurate diagnosis for celiac disease and you know you’re IgA deficient, or if there is some other equivocating factor to potentially compromise the blood test, then an EMA blood test should also… Read more »
(Updated .)Keyword: blood
In follow-up blood testing, why would tTG be negative and DGP be positive?
If the slightly positive test is the DGP-IgA, you can disregard this value, as it can be misleading. If the DGP-IgG is positive it probably means you’re ingesting small amounts of gluten, possibly from cross-contamination, which are raising antibodies but not enough to trigger a tTG or a mucosal response. Basically, in either case you… Read more »
(Updated .)If my celiac disease is under control, what would cause my liver enzymes to be out of whack?
If transaminases remain elevated for more than one year in someone with celiac disease who is on a strict gluten-free diet, a liver biopsy should be performed to look for other causes.
(Updated .)How long will it take my liver enzymes to normalize once on a gluten-free diet?
This varies. It may take as little as one month or as long as a year.
(Updated .)I know I have celiac disease, should I be screened for liver enzymes in my blood?
Not if you are on a strict gluten-free diet.
(Updated .)What tests pick up liver enzymes in the blood stream?
AST and ALT.
(Updated .)I’ve had serious internal bleeding that required hospitalization. I’ve also had multiple blood transfusions. Does celiac disease play a role in this?
Depending on age and other medical problems, possibilities include ulcerative jejunitis as a late complication of celiac disease as well as an AVM (arterio-venous malformation) or tumor (lymphoma or other) in the small intestine. You definitely need further evaluation of your small intestine. This is usually done by video capsule endoscopy or complete enteroscopy, depending… Read more »
(Updated .)What is the percentage of false positives for DGP-IgA?
DGP-IgA is less specific than DGP-IgG and should not be relied upon as a follow-up test for those with celiac disease.
(Updated .)What is the half-life of antibodies in the blood serum?
tTG and DGP typically decline to half their initial value in 3-4 months once on a gluten-free diet, but there are variations between patients.
(Updated .)How is genetic testing different than antibody testing for celiac disease?
Blood tests, such as the tissue transglutaminase test (tTG) or the antiendomysial (EMA) antibody test, measure the autoimmune response triggered by gluten that occurs at that particular point in time. These are important tests because they characterize the extent to which the immune system is responding to gluten. Unlike antibody testing, the HLA genetic test… Read more »
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