Q & AReturn to ->Ask the Doctor->Tests and Their Results | QUESTION: My now 2 yr old son was diagnosed last Feb with a blood test only. His tTg was 208, his symptoms were classic (chronic vomiting, diarrhea, protein deficient, anemic, weight loss of 12% in 2 weeks, extremely lethargic, etc.) and he initially responded quickly and very well to the gluten-free diet. He just has his blood tested again and his tTg level was still high at 156 although we have been what we thought was meticulious about keeping him gluten-free. I'm guessing cross-contamination is the culprit. My first question is can mild (i.e. someone, like a sitter, forgot to wipe their hands before touching his food) cross-contamination cause his levels to remain so high? If not, what else could it be? I am confident that we have been doing the right things and relying on the right resources. My second question is even though he has been gluten free for close to a year, or at least we think he has been, should we reconsider the biopsy? We were supported 100% by three Drs in our reasoning and decision not to do the biopsy back in Feb. If we do decide to go that route, is a challenege even necessary since his tTg his still significantly elevated? Thanks so much! | | DR. FASANO: Cross contamination with minimal amount of gluten can keep the process active, so to justify the persistent elevation of TTG antibodies. As concern the second question, a biopsy at this stage will not help, unless your son is still experiencing some of the original symptoms. |
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