Endomysial Antibody, IgA
$128
The presence of anti-endomysial (EMA) IgA antibodies has been shown to correlate with gluten-sensitive enteropathy such as celiac disease (CD) and dermatitis herpetiformis (DH). Patients with CD and DH can also demonstrate antibodies to reticulin and gliadin, though EMA-IgA seems to be the most specific marker (specifically 94-100%).
Muscles are covered in a small, thin layer called the endomysium. In celiac disease, autoantibodies against this layer is produced. These are called Endomysial Antibodies and they are IgA class antibodies. These antibodies are produced to the consistent damage to the intestinal lining. While this antibody does not actually add to the symptomatology of celiac disease, it is present in almost 100% of the people with the disease. Therefore, this antibody is very useful to test to confirm the presence of the celiac disease.
This test is performed in following conditions such as:
• Abdominal pain
• Blood in the stool
• Chronic diarrhea or constipation
• Greasy, foul-smelling stools
• Vomiting
• Fatigue, weakness
Requirements
Endomysial antibody, IgA testing has no fasting requirements. Please note it is recommended that prior to taking the endomysial antibody blood test, a regular diet including items that contain gluten should be followed for 2 weeks as a gluten-free diet may not provide an accurate representation of potential gluten sensitivity.
$128
Specimen Collected
- Blood
Estimated Time Taken
Turnaround time for the Endomysial Antibody IgA test is typically 1-3 business days.