Cyrex Array 2 ~ The Leaky Gut Test

INTESTINAL ANTIGENIC PERMEABILITY SCREEN™

Identifies whether your intestinal lining is adequately protecting you against toxins and pathogens, such as gluten, bacteria, viruses, parasites and potential food allergens, that may be detrimental to your gut intestinal health and your overall wellbeing. Importantly indicates mechanisms by which your gut barrier integrity is compromised, helping to inform the best therapeutic protocol for you.

Related Tests

Food Intolerances: More common when your gut barrier integrity has become compromised

Cyrex Array 20: Blood Brain Barrier Permeability Screen™ - Commonly associated with "leaky gut"

Cyrex Array 22: Irritable Bowel / SIBO Screen™

GI Effects Comprehensive Stool AnalysisGI Map Stool Profile

SIBO Breath Tests

What is Leaky Gut Syndrome?

Toxins and pathogens, especially gluten and certain micro-organisms - especially when SIBO is present - commonly cause inflammation in the gut, which may eventually lead to pathogenic intestinal hyper-permeability or “leaky gut.” Although it is normal for a certain amount of gut "leakiness" to occur, to allow very small particles to cross the intestinal barrier, when this barrier-wall becomes "hyper-permeable" then proportionally larger molecules may pass through and trigger health complaints. This condition allows undigested food particles,  chemicals, and various bacteria and other pathogens to escape into the bloodstream where they may trigger allergies, food intolerances and sensitivities, inflammation, fatigue, and/or sickness and chronic disease in the gastrointestinal tract or/and any other part of the body, including the brain. If your gut is excessively "leaky", it can be nigh on impossible to optimise your health and wellbeing without reversing this issue, which is becoming something of an epidemic.

Symptoms of Leaky Gut

Many health conditions are associated with leaky gut. Sometimes sufferers simply don't feel their best, or suffer from chronic fatigue, or they may have multiple "mysterious" debilitating symptoms. A leaky gut can interfere with your attempts at successful weight-loss and actually lead to over-eating or eating in a way that you know you probably shouldn't.

Food allergies, "food intolerances", gluten sensitivity, "gluten intolerance", coeliac disease and other gluten-related disorders and hormone imbalances can be initiated by leaky gut and vice versa. IBS, bloating, constipation and/or diarrhoea are common symptoms. Acid reflux may also be intrinsically linked to a leaky gut. Eating foods that don't agree with you can sustain the condition.

Leaky gut is a common cause of systemic inflammation, often linked with debilitating chronic diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease), autoimmune diseases including rheumatoid arthritis and thyroididitis, as well as neurological conditions and cognitive dysfunction.

Adults commonly experience brain-fog, poor memory, depression and/or anxiety.

Children who have a leaky gut often are unable to curtail certain undesirable behavioural traits, and/or they may display symptoms of dyslexia, dyspraxia, hyperactivity and autism.

Is Leaky Gut Permanent?

A "leaky gut" may initially be triggered by a wide variety of environmental factors including gut microbes, bugs and infections, overeating, excess abdominal fat, gluten sensitivity, coeliac disease, certain medications and even stress.

It is however commonly self-sustaining due to the associated systemic inflammation and its ongoing effect on the gut. This means that even after you have removed certain underlying causes of your health complaints (eg gluten and/or other food allergens) you still don't feel fully healthy and energized, or at least not as often as you'd like.

With appropriately targetted intervention, it is entirely possible to repair your damaged gut, and leave you feeling on great form. Following such therapeutic intervention, some people report feeling even better than they ever recall feeling before. It is thought that some individuals may have had this condition all of their lives, with it potentially having originated through inherited dysbiotic gut microbes (unbalanced gut bacteria), or maternal stress, or lack of breast-feeding and other such factors. Such people have simply never before experienced the optimal health and sharpness of mind, which often appears to be rooted in a healthy gut.

What is the Cyrex Leaky Gut Test?

Cyrex Array 2 is an antibody assessment of the intestinal barrier integrity and bacterial endotoxins (lipopolysaccharides / LPS), tight-junction proteins (occludin, zonulin) and cell cytoskeleton (actomyosin). As shown on the image below, it identifies both transcellular (through the cells) and paracellular (between the cells) routes of intestinal barrier penetration (leaky gut) by large molecules with a capacity to challenge the immune system.

Leaky gut commonly leads to multiple food sensitivities.  Several different mechanisms cause increased intestinal permeability:

• Breakdown of cells
• Loosening of the junctures of the gut lining
• Bacterial, viral or parasite infection

Cyrex Array 2 helps pinpoint which of these is causing leaky gut, as well as measuring the severity, thus aiding your practitioner in specifically targetting the underlying causes for faster and more efficient gut repair.

Clinical Use:

• To measure intestinal permeability to large molecules which inflame the immune system
• To Identify the damaging route through the intestinal barrier

Recommended for Patients Who:

• Present multiple symptom complaints (including Chronic Fatigue Syndrome)
• Suffer from abnormal immune cell count and function (including autoimmune diseases)
• Complain of food allergy and food intolerances

• Present with symptoms of malabsorption and/or undigested food in stool

• Report variety of other digestive / gastrointestinal symptoms

Test Analytes Include:

• Actomyosin IgA
• Occludin/Zonulin IgG
• Occludin/Zonulin IgA
• Occludin/Zonulin IgM
• Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) IgG
• Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) IgA
• Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) IgM

Need some advice to help you decide?

Still not sure if this test is right for you? Need some advice re deciding which lab tests would be most beneficial for you? Please enquire for more information. Our experts will be happy to help.

Download Cyrex Array 2 Brochure: