<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

I had previously posted about my brothers antibody levels (via blood test) which had gone down over the past year but were still high. I got many responses, some of which are quoted below. It seems that most people's levels go down to the normal range within about six months, but some people do take longer. It can take several years for antibody levels to normalize, although there seems to be some contradiction as to whether this is from ingesting gluten or not. My conclusion, knowing how strictly my brother follows the diet, is that he is not ingesting any gluten and that he is just one of the ones who take a while for the antibody levels to normalize. I also, recieved an article concerning this issue which I am posting seperately.

Angela Taylor (Tulsa, Oklahoma)


“Immune system seems to reset it tolerance once the majority of gluten has been removed and it will take less gluten to cause a worse reaction. Antibodies specific for gluten should return to normal in 4-6 months. Dropping only 'some' probably means he is still getting traces of gluten.”



“This is a tricky question since EVERYONE is different and what applies to one does not apply to all. I was biposy diagnosed 4 years ago. At the end of the first year, the numbers on the blood test were better but not perfect. At the end of the second year the numbers were perfect but the repeat endoscopy done at that time still showed damage but much improved. I just had both repeated and now, four years later, my blood work was completely normal and my endoscopy showed no signs of damage.”



“You are right in thinking that when antibody test numbers are reduced, that should correlate to healing. However, it might take up to a year for the inflammation to disappear and full healing to take place. This initial reduction in the numbers may reveal that you are eating less gluten, but not necessarily NO gluten. Keep to a strict gluten-free diet. We have many opportunities to get little bits of gluten inadvertently.”  (Houston Celiac Support Group)



“You can use the blood tests with patients with patients when they are not sure how well they are complying. But some of these antibody levels may stay elevated for years or may never normalize, although for many patients they eventually do normalize.” (Sprue-nik Press, Nov. 1995 part 4 of 6)




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