Enterolab retesting - surprising results

[Helen Baumer]

Hello Tex and all you wonderful people on the Microscopic Colitis forum

I'm writing because I got myself re-tested by Enterolab in March 2024, two years after my previous tests in April 2022. The big surprise was a huge leap in anti-gliadin levels. This was surprising for two reasons:
1. I am not only in remission (constipation only), but I feel enormously better: much higher energy and strength levels, number of migraines very greatly reduced, no more infections (two years ago I had one after another including double pneumonia necessitating 12 days in hospital), etc etc
2. Since April 2022, I have religiously kept to the recommendations arising from the 2022 results: no gluten (including tricky things like purchased stock and also staying away from restaurants), dairy free, soy and pulse free, egg free. I have also been checking cosmetics ingredients and use only natural products, even going to a natural hairdresser.

Here are my March 2024 results, with 2022 results in brackets):
Fecal Anti-gliadin IgA 186 Units (38 in Apr 22)
Fecal Anti-casein (cow’s milk) IgA 34 Units (35 in Apr 22)
Fecal Anti-ovalbumin (chicken egg) IgA 25 Units (79 in Apr 22)
Fecal Anti-soy IgA 19 Units (30 in Apr. 22)

Mean Value 11 Antigenic Foods 63 Units (49 in April 22)
1+ group: White potato (unchanged)
2+ group: Corn Rice Chicken (3+ in 2022) Beef Pork Walnut Cashew (3+ in 2022)
3+ group: Oat Tuna (2+ in 2022) Almond (2+ in 2022)

Fat Malabsorption Stool Test (Fecal Fat) (test not done in 2022): Quantitative Microscopic Fecal Fat Score 700 Units (Normal Range is less than 300 Units)

Shortly after receiving the March 2024 results, I received a very kind letter from Dr Kenneth Fine, in which he suggested the higher readings might be (partly) due to better nutrition and greater immunological activity. He also pointed to vaccines as a possibility (In this period I had two Covid vaccines). He wrote:
"I looked at results, old and new.Over about this period, your increased levels of antibody to many foods like partly reflects improved nutrition and immunoresponse.It may also reflect stimulation of your immune system from any vaccines if you've had them, plus more of this coming from everyone's environments today.Your malabsorption value is only moderately elevated vs very high as in most people today. If this had been measured before and found to have been somewhat or much higher, it would confirm an overall improvement. If you are better symptomatically, then you can assume you are improved in that way."

What do you think?
1. Can I take Dr Fine's suggestions as likely in my case?
2. Might there be any other factors that could provide further explanation of the anti-gliadin levels? If so, should I be taking any steps with respect to these factors?

I am working on the basis that Dr Fine's suggestions are reasonable and the best thing for me to do is to continue with the careful daily routines and dietary procedures I have followed for the past two years (successfully on the face of it). Is this a reasonable course of action?

Thank you very much indeed for your support and help! Helen

[tex]

1. Can I take Dr Fine's suggestions as likely in my case?

In my opinion, yes, those are valid points.

2. Might there be any other factors that could provide further explanation of the anti-gliadin levels? If so, should I be taking any steps with respect to these factors?

As sort of a corollary to the point about vaccines boosting the immune system, I've noticed from shared experiences posted here that repeated stool tests virtually always show higher antibody levels when the second test is ordered too soon after the first. Why? Because once we began avoiding certain foods that cause our immune system to produce antibodies, our immune system begins to look even harder for exposures to those food sensitivities. In other words, it becomes even more sensitive.

Our intestines heal slowly. It usually takes adults from 3 to 10 years for their immune system to complete the healing process for their intestines. Similar to vaccines, avoiding an antigen found in certain foods (food sensitivities that trigger a reaction to that food) triggers a hypersensitivity to that antigen, and the characteristics of the antigen, and other factors, such as our age, determine how long that elevated sensitivity persists.

I hope I haven't just confused the issue

Tex

[Helen Baumer]

Hello Tex
No, you haven't confused the issue at all. On the contrary! You wrote: "It usually takes adults from 3 to 10 years for their immune system to complete the healing process for their intestines."
Since I retested after "only" two years, this means it is actually unsurprising that my anti-gliadin levels are so much higher the second time round as I have not even reached the three-year time period you mentioned, let alone the ten-year period which may be more likely for me as I have suffered from MC for a long time. I feel confirmed and supported in my inclination to continue my present strict daily routine and dietary regime unchanged.
Thank you so much for your very quick and supportive response. I wish you a great Easter.
Helen