Gastrointestinal complaints are very common in the general population. And yet, most people don’t know that any impairment in GI function or the mucosal barrier is serious and may lead to the development of food allergies, systemic illnesses, autoimmune disease, toxic overload and more.

The GI tract is home to over 1000 species of microbial organisms, most of them bacteria. These organisms are collectively known as the microbiome. Biomarkers of this microbiome indicate how well it is performing its shared metabolic functions with the human host.

Utilizing a growth-based culture of live organisms (yeast and bacteria), sensitive biochemical assays and microscopic methods this profile provides a comprehensive assessment of GI health and helps determine the root cause of many gut complaints and systemic conditions.

The key markers of this panel have been grouped into 6 actionable areas:

• Digestion/Absorption
• Elastase – to determine exocrine pancreatic function
• Fecal Fats -fat maldigestion and malabsorption
• Muscle and Vegetable fibers - incomplete digestion
• Carbohydrates - malabsorption
• Microbiome
• Putrefactive Short-Chain Fatty Acids (SCFA) with Butyrate - indicators of the health of the microbiome
• Commensal Bacteria – imbalance of bacteria which can lead to colonization by pathogens
• Inflammation
• Lactoferrin – inflammation of the intestinal mucosa
• Calprotectin - useful in differentiating IBD and IBS and monitoring treatment
• Lysozyme – an enzyme secreted at the site of inflammation
• White Blood Cells and Mucus- can occur with infections and Inflammatory diseases such as Crohn’s
• Immune Response
• Secretory IgA - gut secretory immunity and barrier function
• Intestinal Health Markers
• Red Blood Cells – associated with infection, inflammation, colorectal cancer and hemorrhoids
• pH – dependent on fermentation of fiber by beneficial gut flora
• Occult Blood – blood present in microscopic quantitates only
• Color – associated with diet and medication use as well as GI health
• Consistency – the technical ability to recover biomarkers from stool may be influenced by extremes of consistency
• Infection
• Pathogenic aerobic and anaerobic bacteria* – these have the potential to cause disease
• Yeast – pathogenic yeast may be associated with GI symptoms
• Ova and Parasites – intestinal parasites are always abnormal and have the potential to cause damage to their host
• Giardia lamblia and Cryptosporidium – the most common parasites in the US
• Antimicrobial susceptibility - Prescription medications and natural agents are tested against selected pathogenic bacterial and fungal species to identify their sensitivity to medications and natural ingredients as well as resistance to those agents.

*Aeromonas, Camplylobacter, Plesiomonas, Salmonella, Shigella, Vibrio, Yersinia, and Edwardsilla tarda are specifically tested for and found absent unless reported.

Instructions

The following document provides a full set of instructions and the contents of the lab kit for completing the test:

Instructions    

Note

The CSA w/ Parasitology is the best choice for chronic issues of 3 months or longer. The GI Pathogen Profile (LC100084) is the best choice for sudden changes in the GI tract, such as recent travel induced GI issues or consumption of questionable food from a new restaurant. For complicated ongoing or recurring issues, both tests can be done simultaneously to provide the maximum amount of information.

Results take 2-3 weeks from the time the laboratory receives your sample. This test is not available in Pennsylvania. The results for this test are not available online.

Special Note

When working with your health care provider, a positive result on one or more of these fecal biomarkers can guide therapy, by suggesting a diagnosis or by eliminating a diagnosis from further consideration.