Endomysial Iga Antibody

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that causes a strange allergic reaction in the body against gluten. This reaction could be due to the consumption of gluten-based food such as wheat, rye, or barley. This protein is also found in other products such as medicines, toothpaste, and cosmetics.

Celiac disease screening looks for an antibody in the blood that is responsible for the allergic reaction. Usually, your immune system reacts against pathogens like viruses and bacteria. However, in the presence of an autoimmune disorder, the system fails to differentiate between self and foreign substances.

This results in the system starting a severe reaction against the stomach lining, which is one of the characteristic symptoms of celiac disease. It can also prevent your digestive system from absorbing the nutrients required by the body. So, a test for celiac disease is recommended to understand the depth of the problem.

IgA antibodies may provide more sensitivity for yielding correct results in celiac disease. This is because more than 93% of people taking a test for celiac disease show an elevation in the level of IgA antibodies.

The endomysial IgA antibody test looks for antibodies made against gluten, commonly called endomysial antibodies (EMA). The presence of these antibodies in excess can cause swelling in your intestine and ultimately damage the lining of the stomach. Furthermore, chronic swelling can reduce your digestive system's absorption and assimilation capacity. In such cases, you might need to change your diet to avoid malnutrition altogether.

There is no age bar to undergoing a celiac disease screening. This condition can arise gradually over time and shows common symptoms that go unnoticed. The symptoms may also vary from one person to another depending upon the intensity of the condition.

Apollo 24|7 offers a comprehensive endomysial IgA antibody test that determines the presence of celiac disease in your system. You may need to opt for celiac disease screening if you have the following symptoms:

• Constantly feeling bloated alongside mild pain in the stomach
• Sudden weight loss 
• Chronic diarrhoea with fatigue and intestinal gas 
• Constipation with foul-smelling stool
• Intestinal ulcer and mouth ulcer

Apart from some primary symptoms associated with the disease, one can also suffer secondary symptoms such as:
Anemia despite taking a balanced diet

• Seizures
• Mood swings and depression
• Rashes in the skin that are itchy 
• Pain in joint

Similarly, children can suffer from this condition and might need celiac disease screening. The symptoms in children also include irritability, weight loss, growth retardation, and frequent vomiting. 
 

Frequently asked questions

How can an endomysial IgA antibody test help with the condition?

Since most people develop severe or chronic symptoms later, the celiac disease screening will help diagnose the issue earlier. The test also helps monitor the disease's progression and the treatment's efficacy.

What happens during the celiac disease screening?

The test includes a simple procedure of collecting a venous blood sample from your arm. This hardly takes 10 minutes for the service provider to execute. There are no risks involved in this test.

Are any special preparations required for taking the endomysial IgA antibody test?

The test does not require special preparations, but the patient should continue consuming a gluten-rich diet. This is because a modification in the diet may show false negative numbers in the report, which will prolong the diagnosis. Only if you continue to take a regular diet, it will be possible to find out the reaction of your immune system against the component.

What can affect my celiac disease screening test results?

The primary marker for celiac disease is an IgA antibody. However, if the patient suffers from IgA deficiency, their endomysial IgA antibody test result might show false negative results. In such a condition, one can rule out the possibility of IgA deficiency to ensure the correct diagnosis for this autoimmune disorder.

Can dietary intervention improve the condition?

Changing your diet will improve the complications, but it may not be the only solution for celiac disease. You might also need medicines, herbal treatment, or supplements to overcome the complications.

What do my celiac disease screening results mean?

A positive result indicates the presence of celiac disease, and a negative result indicates the absence of the condition. In case of uncertainty, the doctor may prescribe other tests like a biopsy, endoscopy, or genetic screening.