Skip to Main Content Go to Sitemap
SickKids

Anti-Endomysial Antibody IgA

Alternate test name

EMA, TTG, Gliadin, Celiac Screening

Lab area
Clinical Biochemistry - Immunology
Method and equipment

Indirect immunofluorescence (IFA), HEp-2 cell substrate 

Expected turn-around time
11 days
Specimen type

Serum

Specimen requirements

Send 0.3 mL for 1 test or 0.6 mL min for several tests from:

  • ANA, HEp-2 IgG
  • ANCA, IgG
  • EMA, IgA
  • GBM, IgG
  • LKM, IgG
  • PCA, IgG
  • SMA, IgG
  • dsDNA, IgG (Cithidia luciliae)
Storage and transportation

Frozen

Shipping information
The Hospital for Sick Children
Rapid Response Laboratory
555 University Avenue, Room 3642
Toronto, ON
Canada
M5G 1X8
Phone: 416-813-7200
Toll Free: 1-855-381-3212
Hours: 7 days/week, 24 hours/day
Background and clinical significance

Antibodies against endomysium of class IgA ( rarely classes IgG or IgM) can be found in gluten-sensitive enteropathy (Celiac disease in small children and non-tropical sprue in adults). They are also present in dermatitis herpetiformis, which often is associated with a gluten-sensitive enteropathy. While antibodies against endomysium are hardly ever detected in healthy individuals and in patients with other intestinal disease, their prevalence in cases of untreated gluten-sensitive enteropathy amounts together with anti-tTG antibodies to almost 100%.

Back to Top