Okay, to dumb this down for me, I ask my doctor to test for celiac disease? And ask him to be sure to include the antigliadin IgA and IgC? Do I need to specify any other specific tests? Thank you all for this info. I have a suspicion that gluten may be a problem for me. I lost about 50 pounds several years ago (gained it back). When I dieted, I cut out all bread refined grains and ate brown rice for a starch. My PN really improved. I am not sure if it was the weight loss, or the fact that my diet pretty much eliminated gluten. I thought is was the wieght loss, but now I wonder. Regardless, I need to loose the weight again.

You need to ask for tests for celiac disease and/or gluten sensitivity.

Request the following tests:

antigliadin IgA and IgG (indicates gluten sensitivity~ "gluten sensitivity" testing)
anti-tTG and/or anti-endomysial (associated with villous atrophy~ "celiac disease" testing)
total serum IgA (rules out IgA deficiency which can affect the results of the antibody testing by causing false negatives)


I think this page best discusses the importance of antigliadin antibodies when neurological disease is involved:
The Neurological Manifestations of Gluten Sensitivity


The distinction between gluten sensitivity and celiac disease is the part that may throw your doctor. Not everyone recognizes this distinction. The fact that gluten sensitivity can cause neurological disease without celiac disease is really quite new...based on research of the last 5-10 years.

Other pages that might be helpful are:
Gluten Sensitivity vs. Celiac Disease
Antigliadin Antibodies
Diagnostic Testing



Cara

The range of tests available are:

1). anti-tTG (anti tissue transglutiminase)

2). anti-endomysial (EMA)

3). IgA antigliadin

4). IgG antigliadin

5). and Total IgA concentration or may be called Total serum IgA

6). anti reticulin IgA

The total IgA serum needs to be done to eliminate the chance of you having IgA deficiency which about 5% of the population have. If IgA deficiency exits this would give a false negative result, even though you may have CD.