ALLERGIES, CANDIDA AND ASTHMA: THE CANDIDA ANTIBODIES TEST

posted by admin in Allergies

This, in my opinion, is the simplest and most useful test so far. Dr John Trowbridge in his book, The Yeast Syndrome, New Laboratory Tests for Yeast-related Illness (Bantam Books) describes it thus:

The antigen is critical. It is important to test for both cytoplasmic [inside cells] as well as wall fragments [in the blood] as we do. High IgE levels indicate an allergic reaction occurring in the patient to his own Candida. I view this as a more serious case of long-term Candida overgrowth, with drastic effects on the immune system. IgE levels will often be low [immune suppression] to normal, resident Candida which, in a sense, is like an auto-immune reaction going on in the gut. These patients will often have rampant food and chemical allergies.

By carefully monitoring the variation in ‘titre’ number (a measure of contamination) before, during and after treatment, it is now possible not only to diagnose Candida but also to establish the concurrence of post-viral illnesses or immune supression. It makes sense that, rather than just look for the presence of these organisms, we should attempt to define what harm, if any, they are doing and how the body reacts or responds to them. It is also important to be able to differentiate between a toxic Candida overgrowth, a topical or systemic infection and a simple allergic response. It is equally important to be able to establish whether the organisms are influencing other, co-existing illnesses, such as post-viral syndrome and CFS, or just suppressing the immune system in general.

The latest research findings on candida-related problems indicate that this is a very useful tool for the differential diagnosis of candidiasis, CFS and immunological problems. It allows the doctor to monitor progress and ascertain if the chosen therapy is working and can indicate that other underlying factors may be present.

The principle behind this test is that in normal individuals the Candida organism is not in the blood. Should it enter the bloodstream, however, it would be considered an attacking foreign agent. As a result the body will attack it by making antibodies against it.

Unfortunately many therapists and even some medical doctors are not familiar with either the methodology or interpretation of this test and, in the past, have tended to dismiss it. We have carried out several thousand such tests and find them useful for a number of reasons.

Naturally, antibodies will not be formed by anyone whose immune system is depressed, so that, in the presence of a clear clinical picture of Candida, the therapist is immediately alerted to a serious underlying problem.

IgM (immunoglobulin M) antibodies against Candida are the first to be formed, but they tend to disappear shortly after peaking a couple of weeks after the infection starts. IgG (immunoglobulin G) antibodies tend to show the greatest rise in numbers shortly after the initial event. When the patient has chronic candidiasis both IgM and IgG antibodies tend to be occupied and therefore their levels appear low. This is both the main disadvantage and the most important usefulness of this test.

Methodology

First of all the test should be done before any anti-fungal medication is taken. The reading can be very low (10-20), low (20-40), medium (40-80) or high (160-320) or more. The significance of each of these results depends on the patient’s symptoms.

If there are obvious signs of mucocutaneous Candida infection, such as oral or genital thrush or tinea, and the count is negative, low or nil, this usually means that the patient’s immune system is engaged in a full-blown war against Candida and all antibodies are engaged. Such results can also mean that the patient has a poor immune capacity to respond to Candida, in which case, apart from being alerted that a CMI multitest is probably needed, the therapist is immediately aware that Candida is unlikely to be the main problem but rather constitutes a symptom of some other, immune-disrupting threat to the patient’s health. If the count is higher than that, then the body is fighting, and winning the fight to some extent.

The treatment is begun as soon as possible after the first antibodies test. A week or so later, the Candida antibodies test is repeated while the patient is on anti-fungals. If the second count is higher than the first, irrespective of what the count was the first time, there is an obvious reason: Candida organisms are being killed and antibodies liberated to float around until they die off (usually two to three weeks). Hence one knows without any doubt that Candida was and still is a problem. In addition, one knows the organisms are being killed.

If treatment is continued, the antibody count should rise and then return to the original low level. This indicates that the gut/body reservoir of Candida albicans has been depleted to the point where no more antibodies are needed and the fight has been successful.

If the first Candida antibodies count is elevated, then the individual is affected by Candida and the body is fighting. One can help the fight in whatever ways are suitable for that particular patient.

Often, but not always, we also try to measure antibodies to several viruses at the same time. I do this because compromised individuals may harbour latent viruses and those may be reactivated. For more details on the implications of this, I recommend you read my book Chronic Fatigue, the Silent Epidemic.

In such cases one can retest after the Candida problem has been resolved to find out if Candida played a major or a minor role. In other words: was it the cause or the trigger?

Conversely, we run Candida antibodies tests on all patients with immune problems and all CFS patients. It is one of the most elucidating tests one can do to differentially diagnose illnesses related to immunity and viral problems.

A study reported in the Journal for Advancement in Medicine (Vol.3, No.2, 1990) compared the validity of several diagnostic methods for Candida infections. It concluded that the antibodies test had a high degree of correlation, as did some of the questionnaires. A combination of the two obviously produces the best results.

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ALLERGIES, CANDIDA AND ASTHMA: THE CANDIDA ANTIBODIES TESTThis, in my opinion, is the simplest and most useful test so far. Dr John Trowbridge in his book, The Yeast Syndrome, New Laboratory Tests for Yeast-related Illness (Bantam Books) describes it thus:The antigen is critical. It is important to test for both cytoplasmic [inside cells] as well as wall fragments [in the blood] as we do. High IgE levels indicate an allergic reaction occurring in the patient to his own Candida. I view this as a more serious case of long-term Candida overgrowth, with drastic effects on the immune system. IgE levels will often be low [immune suppression] to normal, resident Candida which, in a sense, is like an auto-immune reaction going on in the gut. These patients will often have rampant food and chemical allergies.By carefully monitoring the variation in ‘titre’ number (a measure of contamination) before, during and after treatment, it is now possible not only to diagnose Candida but also to establish the concurrence of post-viral illnesses or immune supression. It makes sense that, rather than just look for the presence of these organisms, we should attempt to define what harm, if any, they are doing and how the body reacts or responds to them. It is also important to be able to differentiate between a toxic Candida overgrowth, a topical or systemic infection and a simple allergic response. It is equally important to be able to establish whether the organisms are influencing other, co-existing illnesses, such as post-viral syndrome and CFS, or just suppressing the immune system in general.The latest research findings on candida-related problems indicate that this is a very useful tool for the differential diagnosis of candidiasis, CFS and immunological problems. It allows the doctor to monitor progress and ascertain if the chosen therapy is working and can indicate that other underlying factors may be present.The principle behind this test is that in normal individuals the Candida organism is not in the blood. Should it enter the bloodstream, however, it would be considered an attacking foreign agent. As a result the body will attack it by making antibodies against it.Unfortunately many therapists and even some medical doctors are not familiar with either the methodology or interpretation of this test and, in the past, have tended to dismiss it. We have carried out several thousand such tests and find them useful for a number of reasons.Naturally, antibodies will not be formed by anyone whose immune system is depressed, so that, in the presence of a clear clinical picture of Candida, the therapist is immediately alerted to a serious underlying problem.IgM (immunoglobulin M) antibodies against Candida are the first to be formed, but they tend to disappear shortly after peaking a couple of weeks after the infection starts. IgG (immunoglobulin G) antibodies tend to show the greatest rise in numbers shortly after the initial event. When the patient has chronic candidiasis both IgM and IgG antibodies tend to be occupied and therefore their levels appear low. This is both the main disadvantage and the most important usefulness of this test.MethodologyFirst of all the test should be done before any anti-fungal medication is taken. The reading can be very low (10-20), low (20-40), medium (40-80) or high (160-320) or more. The significance of each of these results depends on the patient’s symptoms.If there are obvious signs of mucocutaneous Candida infection, such as oral or genital thrush or tinea, and the count is negative, low or nil, this usually means that the patient’s immune system is engaged in a full-blown war against Candida and all antibodies are engaged. Such results can also mean that the patient has a poor immune capacity to respond to Candida, in which case, apart from being alerted that a CMI multitest is probably needed, the therapist is immediately aware that Candida is unlikely to be the main problem but rather constitutes a symptom of some other, immune-disrupting threat to the patient’s health. If the count is higher than that, then the body is fighting, and winning the fight to some extent.The treatment is begun as soon as possible after the first antibodies test. A week or so later, the Candida antibodies test is repeated while the patient is on anti-fungals. If the second count is higher than the first, irrespective of what the count was the first time, there is an obvious reason: Candida organisms are being killed and antibodies liberated to float around until they die off (usually two to three weeks). Hence one knows without any doubt that Candida was and still is a problem. In addition, one knows the organisms are being killed.If treatment is continued, the antibody count should rise and then return to the original low level. This indicates that the gut/body reservoir of Candida albicans has been depleted to the point where no more antibodies are needed and the fight has been successful.If the first Candida antibodies count is elevated, then the individual is affected by Candida and the body is fighting. One can help the fight in whatever ways are suitable for that particular patient.Often, but not always, we also try to measure antibodies to several viruses at the same time. I do this because compromised individuals may harbour latent viruses and those may be reactivated. For more details on the implications of this, I recommend you read my book Chronic Fatigue, the Silent Epidemic.In such cases one can retest after the Candida problem has been resolved to find out if Candida played a major or a minor role. In other words: was it the cause or the trigger?Conversely, we run Candida antibodies tests on all patients with immune problems and all CFS patients. It is one of the most elucidating tests one can do to differentially diagnose illnesses related to immunity and viral problems.A study reported in the Journal for Advancement in Medicine (Vol.3, No.2, 1990) compared the validity of several diagnostic methods for Candida infections. It concluded that the antibodies test had a high degree of correlation, as did some of the questionnaires. A combination of the two obviously produces the best results.*64\145\2*

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