2 EnteroLab Questions

[CaitiCakes]

under the FAQ on the enterolab website, it says, "the main perpetrator of the immune response to gluten is not antibody but T lymphocytes (T cells) producing tissue-damaging chemicals called cytokines and chemokines. How much antibody is produced at the stimulus of T cells differs in different people."

so, if this is true, how can the number of antibodies in our stool be an accurate reflection of our sensitivities?


secondly, is there any significance to being IgA deficient, aside from not being able to rely on our enterolab test results?

[tex]

so, if this is true, how can the number of antibodies in our stool be an accurate reflection of our sensitivities?

The immune system propagates killer T cells in response to antibody production, but T cells and other proinflammatory agents can also be produced by other routes, independent of antibody activation. IOW, the antibodies are simply a part of the immune system messenger system. The actual number of antibodies is not an indicator of anything except the length of time during which we have been producing antibodies. The only thing that matters is whether or not we have a higher than normal number of antibodies, above a threshold that's statistically typical for determining the breakpoint between a negative or positive result. if we are not actually sensitive to a given antigen, then we do not produce abnormal numbers of antibodies to that antigen. It's that simple. But it is at least theoretically possible to react to a food without producing antibodies to it, in some cases. That makes antibody detection a fail-safe method of detecting a reaction.

This also has nothing to do with clinical symptoms, because many people have developed a tolerance for certain foods, so that they no longer produce clinical symptoms. Even many celiacs are asymptomatic. They still produce antibodies, however, proving that they are sensitive. Research data are available to verify that, if you need medical proof.

secondly, is there any significance to being IgA deficient, aside from not being able to rely on our enterolab test results?

Yes, since immunoglobulin A is used by the immune system as part of it's mechanism for fighting infection, while people who have this condition don't necessarily have serious recurrent infections, many of them do have recurrent respiratory tract issues such as asthma, sinus infections, and allergies. Selective IgA deficiency is also commonly associated with autoimmune type diseases such as RA, lupus, and diarrhea-prominent issues such as celaic disease, MC, etc.

Having selective IgA deficiency also means that the blood tests used to screen for celiac disease are worthless, since they will tend to show false negative results even when the disease is far advanced and intestinal damage is massive.

Tex