Cyrex Laboratory Advanced Immunity Testing
At Westcoast Integrative Health we take risk assessment and the treatment of chronic diseases very seriously, which is why Cyrex Laboratory testing is a critical part of our functional diagnostic process in some cases. Dr Davies has been following Cyrex Laboratories work for many years through continuing education but prior to last year (2017) their testing was not available in Canada.
Cyrex Laboratory tests are broken down into different arrays, which are relevant to different health conditions. The different arrays are very unique in what they test and are not offered by other laboratories, which makes Cyrex testing essential to access for certain medical conditions.
Cyrex testing was mostly developed by a brilliant PhD in Immunology named Dr Aristo Vojdani. Dr Vojdani is a pillar in the functional medicine movement developing testing like the Cyrex Arrays, but also doing primary research in autoimmunity and educating medical professionals about the actual causes of immune associated conditions.
The current conventional medicine model for the treatment of autoimmunity is focused on immune suppression or the use of biological agents like Humira™. Humira is a biological drug that blocks the effects of a specific inflammatory molecule in our bodies. Immune suppressive drugs like prednisone or non-steriodal anti-inflammatory medications are also typically used along with chemical therapy treatments like methotrexate or DMARDS like plaquenil. None of these treatments are necessarily bad on a short-term basis, but should really not be used long-term.
The same general approach is used for neurological conditions like Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, and Alzheimer’s Disease. The disappointing thing is that the treatments for these conditions are not even close to as targeted as what treatments are now available for autoimmune diseases. Treatments for PD, MS and Alzheimer’s currently only try to control symptoms and do not manipulate the progression of disease or reverse the damage that is occurring in these conditions, with the exception of MS, which has target medications that are known to not be that effective.
Functional medicine does not necessarily exclude the short-term use of these medications to keep a person safe from the effects of their own immune system or to manage symptoms. What functional medicine does, in parallel to these treatments, is find the mechanistic causes of the autoimmune or neurological disease, eliminate the proposed triggers, including foods, environmental agents, and chronic infections in our bodies. A functional medicine approach may be used in parallel with conventional medicine.
I have personally collaborated with rheumatologists, gastroenterologists, internists, pediatricians and oncologists in the treatment of multiple chronic health conditions with a focus on what I do and not initially altering the treatment of conventional medicine. This is why there is really nothing to loss, using a knowledgable functional medicine doctor, along with the conventional medical model.
Once we can identify and reduce/eliminate some of the cross-reactive triggers then we manipulate the immune system to stop damaging the body. This often occurs naturally, but occasionally requires the use of immune modulating treatments like vitamin D regulators, CBD, Low Dose Naltrexone, certain plant compounds and very specific probiotics.
As mentioned, for autoimmune conditions, all of this may be done along side conventional treatment, if that is what a person prefers, or may be offered as an alternative to conventional treatment for cases that are medically under control and in patients that are safe. For neurological conditions such as MS, PD and Alzheimer’s Disease functional medicine is critical as the treatments offered are not slowing the progression of disease at all.
Don’t take my word for it! Further reading may include the works of Dr Mark Hyman, Dr Amy Myers, and Dr Tom O’Bryans. A complete cure is out there!
Critical testing to consider for simple prevention or for the initial assessment of chronic disease is the Array 2 – Intestinal Antigenic Permeability Screen and the Array 12 – Pathogen Associated Immune Reactivity Screen
The following is an overview of Cyrex Arrays and what each of these unique tests assess.
Predictive Antibody Testing – Array 5 | Array 6 | Array 7 | Array 7X | Array 8
Assessments your healthcare professional can use to identify autoimmune reactivity at its early stages.
Array 5 – Multiple Autoimmune Reactivity Screen™
Measures Predictive Antibodies, some of which can appear up to ten years before any clinical symptoms. Array 5 efficiently and economically assesses possible tissue damage to multiple organs of the body.
Parietal Cell + ATPase IgG + IgA Combined
Intrinsic Factor IgG + IgA Combined
ASCA + ANCA IgG + IgA Combined
Tropomyosin IgG + IgA Combined
Thyroglobulin IgG + IgA Combined
Thyroid Peroxidase (TPO) IgG + IgA Combined
21 Hydroxylase (Adrenal Cortex) IgG + IgA Combined
Myocardial Peptide IgG + IgA Combined
Alpha-Myosin IgG + IgA Combined
Phospholipid IgG + IgA Combined
Phospholipid IgG + IgA Combined
Platelet Glycoprotein IgG + IgA Combined
Ovary/Testis* IgG + IgA Combine
Collagen Complex IgG + IgA Combined
Arthritic Peptide IgG + IgA Combined
Cytochrome P450 (Hepatocyte) IgG + IgA Combined
Insulin + Islet Cell Antigen IgG + IgA Combined
Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase 65 (GAD 65) IgG + IgA Combined
Myelin Basic Protein IgG + IgA Combined
Asialoganglioside IgG + IgA Combined
Alpha + Beta Tubulin IgG + IgA Combined
Array 6 – Diabetes Autoimmune Reactivity Screen™
Assesses markers of the autoimmune components of diabetes. Array 6 can be used as a tool to identify reactivity prior to the onset of diabetes, and to monitor a patient who is already diagnosed with diabetes to see how well treatment protocols are working.
Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase 65 (GAD 65) IgG + IgA Combined
Insulin + Islet Cell Antigen IgG + IgA Combined
Array 7 – Neurological Autoimmune Reactivity Screen™
Array 7 assists in the early detection of neuro-autoimmunity, evaluates severity of the autoimmune response, and assists in monitoring the effectiveness of related treatment protocols.
Myelin Basic Protein IgG + IgA Combined
Asialoganglioside IgG + IgA Combined
Alpha + Beta Tubulin IgG + IgA Combined
Array 7X – Neurological Autoimmune Reactivity Screen™ – Expanded
Array 7X helps in early detection of neuro-autoimmune reactivity in early detection of autoimmune reactivity of peripheral and central nervous system, and assists in monitoring the effectiveness of related treatment protocols.
Myelin Basic Protein IgG + IgA Combined
Asialoganglioside IgG + IgA Combined
Alpha + Beta Tubulin IgG + IgA Combined
Array 8 – Joint Autoimmune Reactivity Screen™
Array 8 assists in the early detection of connective tissue disorders, and in monitoring the effectiveness of related treatment protocols.
Arthritic Peptide IgG + IgA Combined
Collagen Complex IgG + IgA Combined
Barrier Permeability Assessments – Array 2 | Array 20 | Array 22
When there is a breach in essential defense barriers, the body is at risk for developing environmentally-induced autoimmunity.
Array 2 – Intestinal Antigenic Permeability Screen™
Array 2 measures intestinal permeability to large molecules, which inflame the immune system.
Array 20 – Blood-Brain Barrier Permeability™
Array 20 assists in the assessment of increased risk of neurogenerative disorders, including but not limited to Multiple Sclerosis, Lou Gehrig’s Disease, Senile Dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, Epilepsy and Stroke. Helps in the early investigation of contact sports-related Traumatic Brain Injury, and evaluates the breach of Blood-Brain Barrier caused by stress, trauma or environmental triggers, even in the absence of apparent concussion or brain injury.
Blood Brain Barrier Protein IgG + IgA combined
Blood Brain Barrier Protein IgM
Array 22 – Irritable Bowel / SIBO Screen™
Array 22 provides a more accurate test for Irritable Bowels and SIBO by assessing IgG, IgA and IgM antibodies to Bacterial Cytotoxins and Cytoskeletal Proteins. With Array 22 one can identify a trigger of irritable bowels and the specific intestinal barrier damage they cause.
It improves upon the standard breath test for SIBO by eliminating the need for exhaustive dietary restriction and collection protocols for patients, while providing better specificity and sensitivity through serum antibody testing.
Reactivity Trigger Assessments – Array 3 | Array 4 | Array 10 | Arrays 10-90 & 10-90X | Arrays 10C & 10-90P | Array 11 | Array 12
Environmental triggers of autoimmunity include dietary proteins, chemicals and heavy metals and latent pathogens.
Array 3 – Wheat/Gluten Proteome Reactivity and Autoimmunity™
Array 3 accurately identifies Gluten Reactivity, and measures antibody production against 8 wheat proteins and peptides, 3 essential structure enzymes and the Gliadin-Transglutaminase Complex.
Array 4 – Gluten-Associated Cross-Reactive Foods and Food Sensitivity™
Array 4 identifies reactivity to foods known to cross-react to gluten and reactivity to newly introduced foods on a gluten free diet to which you are sensitized.
Array 10™ – Multiple Food Immune Reactivity Screen™
This unique, revolutionary panel measures reactivity to 180 food antigens in the cooked, raw, modified or processed form on the same panel. Array 10 assists in early detection of dietary-related triggers of autoimmune reactivity and monitors the effectiveness of customized dietary protocols.
Array 10-90™ – Multiple Food Immune Reactivity Screen™
Array 10-90X – Add-on Panel
These Arrays are designed to give you the same unique, revolutionary features you get from Array 10 with two options that allow flexibility. Both the Array 10-90 and 10-90X assist in early detection of dietary-related triggers of autoimmune reactivity and monitor the effectiveness of customized dietary protocols.
Array 11 – Chemical Immune Reactivity Screen™
Array 11 identifies the loss of immune intolerance associated with toxic chemicals exposure, which may lead to autoimmune reactivity. It assists in setting guidelines for the avoidance of specific chemicals to reduce the risk of igniting the autoimmune process, and monitoring the effectiveness of the clinical management of protocols.
Formaldehyde + Glutaraldehyde IgG + IgA Combined
Formaldehyde + Glutaraldehyde IgM
Trimellitic + Phthalic Anhydrides IgG + IgA Combined
Trimellitic + Phthalic Anhydrides IgM
Benzene Ring Compounds IgG + IgA Combined
BPA Binding Protein IgG + IgA Combined
Bisphenol A IgG + IgA Combined
Tetrabromobisphenol A IgG + IgA Combined
Tetrachloroethylene IgG + IgA Combined
Mercury Compounds IgG + IgA Combined
Mixed Heavy Metals (Nickel, Cobalt, Cadmium, Lead, Arsenic) IgG + IgA Combined
Mixed Heavy Metals (Nickel, Cobalt, Cadmium, Lead, Arsenic) IgM
Array 12 – Pathogen Associated Immune Reactivity Screen™
Array 12 – (PAIRS), assesses immune response to 29 viral, bacterial, fungal, parasitic and stealth organism antigens that may be latent in the body. Understanding which dormant pathogens are triggers of cross-reactivity, immune reactivity, and potential autoimmune reactivity is crucial for better addressing patient needs.
Mucosal Immune System Assessment
Array 14 – Mucosal Immune Reactivity Screen™
The mucosal membrane acts as a first line of defense before Predictive Antibodies, Barrier Permeability and Reactivity Triggers can
influence autoimmune reactivity.
The Array 14 Mucosal Immune Reactivity Screen™ is a uniquely designed salivary assessment which measures antibodies to both SIgA and SIgM. The test assesses mucosal immune reactivity to:
Markers of barrier integrity
Immune reactions against environmental triggers
Autoimmune reactivity
Immune Complex