Understanding Your Celiac Panel
The celiac panel is a blood test that screens for celiac disease, an immune reaction to gluten that damages the small intestine.
What It Measures
In celiac disease, eating gluten triggers the immune system to make specific antibodies and damage the gut lining. The panel looks for those antibodies.
| Component | What It Means |
|---|---|
| tTG-IgATissue Transglutaminase Antibody | The main screening test for celiac disease. Elevated levels strongly suggest the immune reaction to gluten. |
| Total IgA | Checks whether you make enough IgA antibodies overall, since a deficiency could make the main test falsely normal. |
| Additional AntibodiesDGP, EMA | Sometimes included to improve accuracy or when the main test is unclear. |
What’s Most Important to Know
For accurate results, you need to be eating gluten regularly before the test. Cutting out gluten beforehand can hide the disease.
A positive panel usually leads to a confirmatory step (often an intestinal biopsy) before a firm diagnosis. Dr. Mui will guide you through what your results mean and the next steps.
This page is for general education and does not replace a conversation with your doctor about your specific results. Want to review your results? Book a visit and we’ll go through them together.