Visit the Microscopic Colitis Foundation Website
Tex - just a thought (or anyone else who is reading) - since I did test at some levels of IgA and did test for almonds - can i still be IgA deficient?
A + C) Comprehensive Gluten/Antigenic Food Sensitivity Stool Panel
(Combines Panels A and C at a discounted price)
Mean Value 11 Antigenic Foods 4 Units (Normal Range is less than 10 Units)
Fecal Anti-gliadin IgA 9 Units (Normal Range is less than 10 Units)
Fecal Anti-casein (cow’s milk) IgA 6 Units (Normal Range is less than 10 Units)
Fecal Anti-ovalbumin (chicken egg) IgA 6 Units (Normal Range is less than 10 Units)
Fecal Anti-soy IgA 7 Units (Normal Range is less than 10 Units)
Interpretation of Mean Value 11 Antigenic Foods: A mean value of 4 Units indicates that overall, on average, your food sensitivity reactions are mild. However, there was some detectable evidence of immunologic sensitivity to one or more of these antigenic foods.
Many foods besides gluten, cow’s milk, eggs, and soy are antigenic in their own right; the main classes of which include other grains, meats, nuts, and nightshades (potatoes being the primary food eaten from this latter class). Minimizing exposure to antigenic foods is an important component of an anti-inflammatory lifestyle to optimize immune system health. This is especially important for those with chronic abdominal symptoms and/or chronic immune/autoimmune syndromes, or for those who want to prevent them.
For immunologic food sensitivity testing, the actual numeric value (in Units) for any given test or for the overall average of a group of foods is important mainly for determining: 1) if the immune reaction is present or absent, and 2) in relative terms, the immune reaction to different foods tested in a given individual at a given point in time. It is not a score, per se, to be interpreted as a measure of clinical or immunological severity for that individual or between individuals. This is because the amount of IgA antibody made by a given person is particular for the immune function of that person. Furthermore, sometimes a person can display what can be viewed as immunological and nutritional “exhaustion,” whereby a more significant and symptomatic immunologic food sensitivity is accompanied by a lower positive measured anti-food antibody value (rather than a higher positive). In such an instance, following clinical improvement and improved nutritional status (while the suspect antigenic foods are withdrawn), values can actually be higher for a time before finally falling into the negative range after several years.
Thus, the overall average food sensitivity antibody value for this panel is an assessment of your overall humoral immunologic food reactivity, which can help determine if dietary elimination trials may help you. If the mean value is less than 10 Units, the humoral immune reactions can be considered absent (negative); if greater than or equal to 10 Units, they can be considered present. Rather than reporting the absolute value of a positive result for each individual food, since it cannot be considered as an assessment of severity, the results are reported in relative terms between the foods tested. This provides you with the knowledge of which foods are stimulating the most immune response which, in turn, is indeed the most practically applied information to dietary elimination trials. The report information that follows is based on these facts.
While all of the foods tested can be immune-stimulating, the hierarchy of reactions detected were as follows:
Food toward which you displayed most immunologic reactivity: Almond
Food for which there was no significant immunologic reactivity: Cashew, Walnut, Oat, Corn, Tuna, White potato, Chicken, Beef, Pork, Rice
Within each class of foods to which you displayed multiple reactions, the hierarchy of those reactions detected were as follows:
Nuts:
Nut toward which you displayed the most immunologic reactivity: Almond
Dietary Recommendation Based on Test Results to Individual Foods: This test panel was designed to guide your choices when building a new more healthful, less antigenic dietary plan. The results are delivered in such a way that you are not left with “nothing to eat,” but instead they guide you in avoiding the foods in each group that are most stimulating to your immune system. We discourage dietary changes that involve removing too many foods at once. This can lead you to feel too hungry too often, especially if adequate healthful replacement foods are not readily available. Dietary elimination (beyond gluten-free, dairy-free, and soy-free) is best approached over a period of weeks to months and sometimes years, removing one or two additional foods at a time, rather than removing many foods at once.
If you are experiencing symptoms possibly attributable to chronic immunological food sensitivity, such as chronic headaches, abdominal symptoms (pain, cramping, bloating, gas, diarrhea and/or constipation), sinus congestion, arthritis, chronic skin problems/rashes, fibromyalgia, and/or chronic fatigue, it may benefit you to avoid the foods for which you are most reactive first, followed, if necessary by those to which you are intermediately and least reactive.
You can use the hierarchal results from each specific class of food, within which you reacted to multiple antigens, to make the wisest dietary decision when choosing which food(s) from that class to keep in your diet. Choose the food(s) to which you were least reactive (or in the case of potato, non-reactive).
Avoiding all grains, most antigenic meats (such as these), and nightshades is an important part of the most optimized anti-inflammatory diet.
As nuts and seeds are a very healthful source of vegetarian protein and heart-protective oils and minerals, rather than avoiding all nuts and seeds, you can render nuts and seeds less antigenic, more digestible, and more easily tolerated by choosing the few that you seem to best tolerate overall, soaking a one-day supply in a glass jar filled with clean water for 4-8 hours (or for ease, overnight), and pouring off the water and rinsing before eating. The resultant soaked nuts or seeds can be eaten as is (alone or with fresh or dried fruit), blended into nut butters (by adding some water), or added to “smoothies.”
Interpretation of Fecal Anti-gliadin IgA: The level of intestinal anti-gliadin IgA antibody was below the upper limit of normal, and hence there is no direct evidence of active gluten sensitivity from this test. However, because 1 in 500 people cannot make IgA at all, and rarely, some immunocompetent people can still have clinically significant reactions to a food antigen despite the lack of a significant antibody reaction (because the reactions primarily involve T cells), the level of fecal anti-gliadin antibody can be normal despite clinically significant gluten sensitivity. Therefore, if you have a syndrome known to be associated with gluten sensitivity (of which there are many but mainly falling into six categories abbreviated as NAAAGS – neuropsychiatric, autoimmune, asthma, abdominal, glandular deficiencies/hyperactivity, or skin diseases) or symptoms of gluten sensitivity (such as abdominal symptoms - pain, cramping, bloating, gas, diarrhea and/or constipation, chronic headaches, chronic sinus congestion, depression, arthritis, chronic skin problems/rashes, fibromyalgia, and/or chronic fatigue), a gluten-free diet may help you despite a negative test.
If you have no syndrome or symptoms associated with gluten sensitivity, you can follow a gluten-containing healthy diet and retest in 3-5 years; or you may opt to go gluten-free purely as a preventive measure. If you have been on a gluten-free diet or reduced gluten diet for many months or years at the time of testing, this can (but not always) reduce your fecal antigliadin antibody level into the normal range despite underlying gluten sensitivity. (Usually it takes two or more years of a gluten-free diet to normalize a previously elevated fecal antigliadin antibody level, depending on the strictness of the diet; however, sometimes, this time period can be shorter, especially if the original value was only minimally elevated.)
For additional information on result interpretation, as well as educational information on the subject of gluten sensitivity, please see the "FAQ Result Interpretation," "FAQ Gluten/Food Sensitivity," and "Research & Education" links on our EnteroLab.com website.
Interpretation of Fecal Anti-casein (cow’s milk) IgA: A value less than 10 Units indicates that there currently is minimal or no immunologic reaction to milk, and hence no direct evidence of food sensitivity to this specific food. However, because 1 in 500 people cannot make IgA at all, and rarely, some immunocompetent people can still have clinically significant reactions to a food antigen despite the lack of a significant antibody reaction (because the reactions primarily involve T cells), if you have an immune syndrome or symptoms associated with food sensitivity, such as chronic headaches, abdominal symptoms (pain, cramping, bloating, gas, diarrhea and/or constipation), chronic sinus congestion, arthritis, chronic skin problems/rashes, fibromyalgia, and/or chronic fatigue, it is recommended that you try a strict removal of suspect foods from your diet for up to 12 months despite a negative test. If you have been on a diet reduced or devoid of the suspect food for many months or years (usually but not always requires two or more years), this can also (but will not always) reduce your fecal antibody level to that food into the normal range despite underlying ongoing sensitivity to that food.
Interpretation of Fecal Anti-ovalbumin (chicken egg) IgA: A value less than 10 Units indicates that there currently is minimal or no immunologic reaction to egg, and hence no direct evidence of food sensitivity to this specific food. However, because 1 in 500 people cannot make IgA at all, and rarely, some immunocompetent people can still have clinically significant reactions to a food antigen despite the lack of a significant antibody reaction (because the reactions primarily involve T cells), if you have an immune syndrome or symptoms associated with food sensitivity, such as chronic headaches, abdominal symptoms (pain, cramping, bloating, gas, diarrhea and/or constipation), chronic sinus congestion, arthritis, chronic skin problems/rashes, fibromyalgia, and/or chronic fatigue, it is recommended that you try a strict removal of suspect foods from your diet for up to 12 months despite a negative test. If you have been on a diet reduced or devoid of the suspect food for many months or years (usually but not always requires two or more years), this can also (but will not always) reduce your fecal antibody level to that food into the normal range despite underlying ongoing sensitivity to that food.
Interpretation of Fecal Anti-soy IgA: A value less than 10 Units indicates that there currently is minimal or no immunologic reaction to soy, and hence no direct evidence of food sensitivity to this specific food. However, because 1 in 500 people cannot make IgA at all, and rarely, some immunocompetent people can still have clinically significant reactions to a food antigen despite the lack of a significant antibody reaction (because the reactions primarily involve T cells), if you have an immune syndrome or symptoms associated with food sensitivity, such as chronic headaches, abdominal symptoms (pain, cramping, bloating, gas, diarrhea and/or constipation), chronic sinus congestion, arthritis, chronic skin problems/rashes, fibromyalgia, and/or chronic fatigue, it is recommended that you try a strict removal of suspect foods from your diet for up to 12 months despite a negative test. If you have been on a diet reduced or devoid of the suspect food for many months or years (usually but not always requires two or more years), this can also (but will not always) reduce your fecal antibody level to that food into the normal range despite underlying ongoing sensitivity to that food.
For more information about result interpretation, please see http://www.enterolab.com/StaticPages/FaqResult.aspx
Stool analysis performed and/or supervised by: Frederick Ogunji, Ph.D., EnteroLab
Molecular Gene Analysis performed by: American Red Cross
Interpretation of all results by: Kenneth D. Fine, M.D., EnteroLab
quick question about enterolab and IgA deficiency?
Moderators: Rosie, Stanz, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
I believe that most people with selective IgA deficiency do produce a certain amount of immunoblobulin A- just not enough to provide a normal response. Since your results were negative for everything, and you obviously seem to have food sensitivities, your results appear to be very, very suspicious. I'm not sure what sort of testing Panel C involves - I don't believe that it's an IgA test. I have a hunch that it's similar to the MRT, IOW, some sort of mediator release test, but I'm just guessing. 
Test
Test
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
It sure looks that way.Lisa wrote:these lead me to believe I am not IgA deficient, right?
That implies that something other than food sensitivities is causing your MC symptoms.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Sara,
Well, her IgG could be checked, because it would certainly be elevated if she were sensitive to certain foods, but IgA is by far the strongest, (and most selective) marker for gluten sensitivity. The blood test for antigliadin antibodies actually includes both IgA and IgG, and her result was negative, (of course, that's not surprising, since it was a blood test). An eleveated IgE level is possible, also, if she has mast cell involvement, but she should have some classic allergy symptoms, if that's the case.
I don't recall whether she has CC or LC, but if she has LC, then obviously, something triggered the production of those T-cells, presumably as a result of an autoimmune reaction, but it wouldn't necessarily have to be a food sensitivity. So what else triggers the production of T-cells?
Tex
Well, her IgG could be checked, because it would certainly be elevated if she were sensitive to certain foods, but IgA is by far the strongest, (and most selective) marker for gluten sensitivity. The blood test for antigliadin antibodies actually includes both IgA and IgG, and her result was negative, (of course, that's not surprising, since it was a blood test). An eleveated IgE level is possible, also, if she has mast cell involvement, but she should have some classic allergy symptoms, if that's the case.
I don't recall whether she has CC or LC, but if she has LC, then obviously, something triggered the production of those T-cells, presumably as a result of an autoimmune reaction, but it wouldn't necessarily have to be a food sensitivity. So what else triggers the production of T-cells?
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Most of the mast cell discussions involve Mary Beth, Julie, or Faith.
Allergy symptoms with mast cell reactions typically involve itching, a rash, a runny nose, maybe watery eyes, possibly breathing problems and, of course, digestive problems. The symptoms of anaphylaxis are possible, also. That doesn't mean that everyone has all of them, though.
Yep, house always manages to figure it out.
Tex
Allergy symptoms with mast cell reactions typically involve itching, a rash, a runny nose, maybe watery eyes, possibly breathing problems and, of course, digestive problems. The symptoms of anaphylaxis are possible, also. That doesn't mean that everyone has all of them, though.
Yep, house always manages to figure it out.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.