Overview
Intestinal barrier function screening from Cyrex Laboratory, also known as Array 2, uses serum to detect the following analytes.
- Actomyosin IgA
- Occludin/Zonulin IgG
- Occludin/Zonulin IgA
- Occludin/Zonulin IgM
- Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) IgG
- Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) IgA
- Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) IgM
Background
The lining of the gastrointestinal tract, from the mouth to the anus, is covered by a mucosal barrier, which provides our first line immune defense against pathogens and a mechanism for proper processing of food antigens. The mucosal barrier contains specific immune defenses including mucosal antibodies. A healthy mucosal barrier defense contains sufficient antibodies and responds to normally encountered antigens and deals with them appropriately. The lipopolysaccharides used in this test are from bacteria normally found in the human body.
Clinical Use
The evaluation of the intestinal mucosa as a selective filter can be regarded as an essential tool in assessing overall health status. The Array 2 can be used as an immunological indicator of intestinal mucosal integrity and an index of gastrointestinal physiology. This test is especially effective for differential diagnosis in complex and refractory cases. It can assist in both directing further testing and tailoring therapeutic protocols more precisely. It also is sufficiently comprehensive to be used either in initial screening or as follow-up.
Conditions Assessed
Conditions that may be assessed include intestinal mucosal immune dysfunction, systemic immune deficiency, autoimmunity, food allergy, gluten enteropathy, malabsorption, and “leaky gut”, chronic infections, immune dysfuntion, liver and kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer, other neurological conditions.