Tissue Transglutaminase Antibody - IgG

Celiac disease, also known as gluten-sensitive enteropathy or celiac sprue, is an autoimmune disorder that causes the body to react poorly to gluten consumption. Gluten is generally found in barley, rye, wheat and many other grains.

When a person with celiac disease consumes any food product containing gluten, it triggers their body, causing it to damage the villi found on the sides of the small intestine walls. When the villi get injured, it leaves your small intestine unable to absorb nutrients from the food you eat properly. Eventually, it can lead to malnourishment, loss of bone density, infertility, miscarriage, certain kinds of cancer and other neurological diseases.

Chances are, you may not even know that you have celiac disease since it grows slowly and takes considerable time to effective damage your intestine. Moreover, symptoms might also be confusing, causing the prognosis to slow.

Celiac disease is not the same as gluten sensitivity or gluten intolerance. Individuals may have gluten sensitivity or intolerance and display similar symptoms, but it does not cause any damage to the small intestine or lead to poor immune system response.

If you suspect that you do have celiac disease, you will observe the following signs and symptoms after eating gluten:

• Anaemia
• Abdominal pain
• Pain in bones and joints
• Loss of bone density
• A feeling of fullness or bloating
• Diarrhoea
• Constipation
• Heartburn
• Gas
• Fatigue or headache
• Dermatitis herpetiformis also understood as an itchy, red, blistery rash on the scalp, knees, buttocks, lower back and elbows
• Nausea
• Mouth ulcers
• Pale-looking, foul-smelling stool
• Hyposplenism, wherein your spleen function reduces
• Unintentional weight loss
• Injury to the nervous system such as balance issues, tingling in your limbs, or confusion and changes in awareness

In young kids, the celiac disease symptoms mostly revolve around intestinal troubles like upset stomach, bloating, diarrhoea, constipation, vomiting, etc. Eventually, celiac disease and its symptoms may cause the following complications:

• Damage to tooth enamel
• Anaemia
• Failure to thrive in young infants
• Delay in puberty
• Stunted growth
• Neurological issues like ADHD and learning disabilities
• Mood changes or crankiness

Reach out to your healthcare practitioner when you observe any of the symptoms or sense trouble after eating gluten. Your doctor is likely to order a tissue transglutaminase IgG antibody test. The test will assess the level of IgG antibodies in your body that occur as a reaction to gluten.

Getting this test will help:

• Monitor the gluten level in your body
• Diagnose if you suffer from a specific autoimmune disease, such as celiac disease
• Evaluate how a gluten-free diet will impact you
• Ascertain the reason behind chronic irritability, stunted growth, anaemia, abdominal pain, weight loss, etc
• Devise an effective treatment plan or keep track of how the pre-existing treatment plan is working out

You can book a tissue transglutaminase IgG antibody test for celiac disease at Apollo 24/7. It’s quick, effortless and offers at-home testing! 

Frequently asked questions

What are the causes behind celiac disease?

While there is no one exact reason behind what causes celiac disease, there are certain factors that do put you at high risk for contracting the disease. These factors are: Previous family history Surgery Viral infections Pregnancy Emotional trauma

What disease can trigger celiac disease?

If you suffer from any of the following diseases, then you might be prone to getting celiac disease: Type 1 diabetes Hashimoto’s thyroiditis Rheumatoid arthritis Addison’s disease Multiple sclerosis (MS) Turner syndrome, wherein a female is missing one X chromosome Sjogren’s syndrome Autoimmune hepatitis IgA nephropathy Idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) Lupus Psoriasis Chronic pancreatitis Intestinal cancer Intestinal lymphoma Primary biliary cirrhosis Scleroderma Lactose intolerance Williams syndrome

What complications may arise from celiac disease?

If left untreated, celiac disease may lead to a plethora of complications, like: Damaged tooth enamel Different kinds of cancer like small bowel cancer, intestinal lymphoma Lactose intolerance Miscarriage and infertility Malnutrition Pancreatic disease Nervous system problems like peripheral neuropathy, seizures and pain Weak bones

What are the different medical tests that can detect celiac disease?

A blood test or tissue transglutaminase IgG antibody test is one of the most common diagnosis options for celiac disease. Besides that, there are specific other testing options, such as: Intestinal fatty acid binding proteins test C-reactive protein test CBC or complete blood count Genetic testing Vitamin B12, D and folate test Metabolic panel test  Iron and ferritin test Imaging tests

Is there any cure for celiac disease?

No. There is no known cure or drugs that can eliminate the celiac disease. The only treatment for this disease is changing your diet and consuming gluten-free products.

What food items to avoid if you have celiac disease?

It's best to eliminate gluten from your diet if you struggle with celiac disease. Don’t eat the following foods that typically consist of gluten: Cereals Beer Baked goods like cake and bread Crackers Noodles or pasta Pancakes Gravies and sauces