
CONCLUSION: Serum AGA seem no longer useful for monitoring compliance to gluten-free diet. In children where AGA are negative at diagnosis, when the child eats a normal amount of gluten, they are going to remain negative even after poor compliance.
Source:
Minerva Pediatr. 2010 Apr;62(2):119-123.Gluten Free Society’s Stance:
This is another example of how relying on blood tests can be misleading. AGA is a test that measures one’s immune response to gliadin. It is important to understand that gliadin is only found in wheat. Additionally, gliadin is only one component of gluten found in wheat. There are several others that are never tested. It is possible to react to these other proteins without ever reacting to gliadin. Consider the following:- this study reported that almost 34% of the children diagnosed with celiac disease did not have positive anti-gliadin antibodies
- anti tissue transglutaminase (another common lab test to help identify gluten sensitivity) may only be positive 40% of the time
- antibody lab tests have a high rate of false negative results in the absence of villous atrophy (damage to the small intestine identified by microscope)