Enterolab Results

[kayare]

Hello!

In 2012, I had severe MC and inflammatory arthritis and had it for years. With strict dietary changes, I have been in remission for a long time. I regularly have C now. In the past few months, my arthritis has returned, so I retested.

I just received my newest Enterolab results and am interested in interpretations:

My Enterolab results from 5/22/12:

Mean Value 11 Antigenic Foods 17 Units (Normal Range is less than 10 Units)
Fecal Anti-gliadin IgA 27 Units (Normal Range is less than 10 Units)
Fecal Anti-casein (cow’s milk) IgA 5 Units (Normal Range is less than 10 Units)
Fecal Anti-ovalbumin (chicken egg) IgA 14 Units (Normal Range is less than 10 Units)
Fecal Anti-soy IgA 15 Units (Normal Range is less than 10 Units)

My Enterolab results from 3/3/2016:

Fecal Anti-gliadin IgA 12 Units (Normal Range is less than 10 Units)
Fecal Anti-casein (cow’s milk) IgA 2 Units (Normal Range is less than 10 Units)
Fecal Anti-ovalbumin (chicken egg) IgA 2 Units (Normal Range is less than 10 Units)
Fecal Anti-soy IgA 2 Units (Normal Range is less than 10 Units)
Mean Value 11 Antigenic Foods 2 Units (Normal Range is less than 10 Units)

My thoughts are that my dietary changes have paid off. I am still getting some gluten and need to try to find the source. I guess this is the cause of my arthritis. It seems that I wasn't sensitive to casein before and that is still true. YAY! My low numbers for egg and soy are due to my dietary changes - and that I am still sensitive to them.

Am I correct? Any other ideas for my arthritis?

Thank you!
Kathy

[tex]

Hi Kathy,

Those are good results. You've certainly done a great job of avoiding soy and egg. It's difficult to say whether or not your diet is cross-contaminated with gluten. Anti-gliadin antibodies can be slow to decline, so it's possible that your current level is still on track but needs more time to decline to below the positive result range.

I had a cross-contamination problem with my diet roughly 5 years ago. I looked up some of my past results and I see that my anti-gliadin level tested 62 in January, 2012, and after I corrected the cross-contamination problem the level dropped to 11 in September, 2105 (a 51 unit decline over 44 months, or 1.16 units per month). This is a decline of 1.87 % per month. ((51/44)/62)x100=1.87 %

Your level dropped 15 units over 46 months, or 0.33 units per month. This is a decline of 1.21 % per month). ((15/46)/27)x100=1.21 %

So your level dropped at a rate approximately 65 % of the rate at which my level dropped. These are uncharted waters of course, with no database for comparison (to determine some sort of "normal" range of decline). But despite the fact that your rate of decline is significantly lower than mine, it's certainly possible that your rate of decline might be within some sort of normal response range for anti-gliadin antibody decline in response to a GF diet. If that's the case, then your test level should be 10 units in approximately 6 months (2/0.33=6.06 months). If your diet is cross-contaminated though, then it should be higher than 12 units in 6 months.

Are you eating dairy products? Casein is notorious for causing C and arthritis. It's natural to assume that in order for casein to cause arthritis symptoms it would need to cause your immune system to produce antibodies, but that's not necessarily true. There are other means by which the immune system can produce inflammatory mediators that do not require the production of antibodies.

I apologize if I'm just confusing the issue. It's possible that your diet may be cross-contaminated, but I'm not convinced — the jury may still be out. And if dairy is a part of your diet, it could be the culprit.

On the other hand, if you're not eating any dairy, then the fact that your arthritis is becoming more active does indeed suggest that your diet might be cross-contaminated with traces of gluten.

At least that's how I see it.

Tex

[kayare]

Hi Tex,

I am fascinated with your response. I would have never thought about it all that way. I have been very careful with gluten, so I believe it is possible that the anti-gliadin antibodies have not completely declined. That's a possibility I would have never considered. What an interesting study.

I could also have a cross-contamination problem. I remember when I thought I had removed all soy from my diet but was still struggling, the advice was to relook at everything I was eating. I was chewing a piece of gum each day that had soy. That made all the difference.

I have been eating dairy products - cream in my coffee and cheese in my salad. My results had been 5 in 2012 and are now 2. I didn't know that my immune system could produce inflammatory mediators in that way. That's such a dirty trick!

It could be all of the above. Clearly, something is happening that I need to address. My plan is to eliminate dairy , search for any gluten cross-contamination, and retest gliadin in the fall. I like to have a plan when faced with a challenge.

Do you think it is useful to make an appointment with the rheumatologist I saw years ago to reassess? I am not interested in medication, but I think about joint damage.

Thank you for helping me through this journey.

Kathy

[tex]

Kathy,

If I were in that situation I believe that I would see if I could stop (or at least reduce to a minimal level) the joint pain by making diet changes first. These are uncharted waters of course, but if casein is the problem then you should respond to avoiding casein in your diet much faster than if gluten were the problem. As I recall, it took me many months before my joint pain resolved (presumably because my leaky gut had to do some significant healing first). I would think that if casein is the problem (and assuming that your diet is not cross-contaminated with gluten) you should see significant improvement within a few weeks. If that doesn't happen, then you might need to see your rheumatologist. But as far as I am aware, the only help they can provide is in the form of prescriptions for powerful medications.

I took glucosamine sulfate and flax seed oil and even though my arthritis was severe enough to cause several of my fingers to grow crooked and twisted (it took me several years to figure out why my health had suddenly headed south), after I changed my diet and the symptoms slowly faded away, I was left with no permanent joint pain.

You're most welcome,
Tex

[kayare]

Tex,

I will try avoiding casein for now especially if you think I should respond relatively quickly. It's certainly the path that I prefer. It took a very long time for my gut and arthritis to resolve initially. Of course, I had symptoms of gluten sensitivity from childhood, so I had much to heal. It never made sense to me that I had so many health issues despite having what my doctor called pristine bloodwork.

The rheumatologist I saw in 2012 was thorough and kind. She spent time with me and mentioned that some foods (like tomatoes) may make the arthritis worse. After trying several medications, she wanted me to take an immunosuppressant. I told her that I wanted to make dietary changes first. She insisted I take a prescription for prednisone while I tried my "little food experiment". I am curious about her views now.

I'm very motivated to fine tune this. I am glad you have no more joint pain. That helps me be more patient.

Thanks - Kathy

[dfpowell]

Kathy,

Are you eating any foods from the nightshade family, here is an article about arthritis and nightshades: http://www.healthnutnews.com/the-danger ... ain-worse/

[tex]

Nightshades could be a problem, especially if you have a positive RF test result.

Tex