Hello fellow MCers,
I'm heading off to the US in a month for a holiday to visit family. I live in Australia and we don't have Enterolab testing here so thought I'd take advantage of having access to it when I'm in the US. I plan on doing the A1, C1 panel testing.
However, there may be a potential issue that may prevent me from getting accurate results. I have borderline low immunoglobulin levels and I am not sure if its going to be a worth my while/money doing the Enterolab testing since, I believe, it is based on the presence of IgAs. I am borderline low on both IgA, IgE. IgM levels seems to be fine.
Recent results were:-
IgA - 7.0g/L (7.0-16.0)
IgE - 1.0g/L (1.0-4.0)
Just interested in anyone's thoughts on this.
Thanks, Elissa.
Enterolab testing - worth it with low immunoglobulin levels?
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Hi Elissa,
The EnteroLab tests are much more sensitive than blood tests, so with your IgA level still barely within the normal range, I'm confident that the stool tests would work reliably. However, please be aware that if you should take budesonide for more than a couple of months the tests might not be 100 % reliable with your relatively low IgA level. Any other medications should not interfere with the test results.
However, just to be on the safe side, if you're going to be taking a bile acid sequestrant, you might want to check with the lab to see if you need to skip that med for a day or 2 before collecting the test sample (or you could just skip taking it before collecting the sample). I don't believe that it would bind antibodies, but bile acid sequestrants bind a lot more than just bile acids, (including certain toxins), so there might be a possibility that it could interfere. The lab could give you a definite answer, though.
Tex
The EnteroLab tests are much more sensitive than blood tests, so with your IgA level still barely within the normal range, I'm confident that the stool tests would work reliably. However, please be aware that if you should take budesonide for more than a couple of months the tests might not be 100 % reliable with your relatively low IgA level. Any other medications should not interfere with the test results.
However, just to be on the safe side, if you're going to be taking a bile acid sequestrant, you might want to check with the lab to see if you need to skip that med for a day or 2 before collecting the test sample (or you could just skip taking it before collecting the sample). I don't believe that it would bind antibodies, but bile acid sequestrants bind a lot more than just bile acids, (including certain toxins), so there might be a possibility that it could interfere. The lab could give you a definite answer, though.
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.
Many thanks Tex,
That is such a relief to know...I've been wanting to get these tests done for years. I will double check with the labs just to be on the safe side.
Good to know about the medications affecting test results...I'll hold off on starting any meds leading up to it so there are no doubts.
I'm very appreciative of the advice.
Thanks again, Elissa.
That is such a relief to know...I've been wanting to get these tests done for years. I will double check with the labs just to be on the safe side.
Good to know about the medications affecting test results...I'll hold off on starting any meds leading up to it so there are no doubts.
I'm very appreciative of the advice.
Thanks again, Elissa.
