When You Need a Comprehensive Celiac Panel

In this article you will learn 3 reasons to order a comprehensive celiac panel, what a comprehensive celiac panel shows us, what to expect when you get a possible celiac results, and what to expect with a confirmed celiac disease diagnosis.

Ordering comprehensive celiac panel for a patient dealing with any failure to thrive and has recurrent abdominal pain/unusual problem is a common service we provide for our patients here at Excell. We do this yearly for patients with type 1 diabetes, and at least once for anyone with any other autoimmune disease.

The comprehensive celiac panel has tTG and lgA. If these are above normal it is almost always celiac disease and needs several office visits to discuss. We will keep going over the changes you will make in your diet and even recommend the best dietician to consult with.

After you get a possible celiac result we will check the HLA for celiac disease to confirm. You may also see a GI doctor for EGD too (especially if only mildly positive). My Annika’s GI doctor says a significant elevation of tTG?) IgA can only mean they have celiac disease (so Annika never had EGD done, but my Christina did and the EGD was positive) — If you do get EGD then you must have eaten some gluten in past several weeks.

What to expect after a CELIAC DISEASE diagnosis.

Once you have been diagnosed with celiac disease, it is up to you to decide to make the transition to a gluten free diet and try to exercise every day. We will do everything we can to make this as easy as possible. Check out our great How to go Glutten free blog post.

A yearly gliadin (DGP IgA) will be completed to evaluate adherence to GF diet.  We’ll want the DGP to be normal (below the 15) because this shows more recent gluten exposure, because sometimes tTG never gets back to normal…This DGP test is most important because it shows more acute exposure. (My Annika DGP is normal but her tTG has never become normal – the best celiac center at rush in Chicago says this is common.)

To have celiac disease you must HAVE either HLA 2 or 8 positive (my kids all are 8 positive, I am 2 and 8 positive, but only Annika and Christina have celiac), so they may want kids/etc. tested to see if they have the possibility of getting disease so they can watch for.

REMEMBER LIVING IN THE UNITED STATES WE ALL SHOULD BE STRICTLY GLUTEN FREE MOST EVERY DAY FOR OUR BEST IMMUNE FUNCTION AND HEALTH – PLAN AHEAD!!! You can do ALL things through Christ! Phil 4:13

Love,

Lisa