P88 Dietary Antigen Test

Ordering The P88 Dietary Antigen Test From Precision Point

The P88 DAT is one single test combining IgE, IgG, IgG4 and complement (C3d) reactions to 88 of the most common foods found in the diet. It helps you identify and address food allergies and food sensitivities in patients with chronic illness.

IgE

IgE (immunoglobulin E) allergies are the immediate responses to a foreign substance that has entered the body via food or inhalation. IgE allergies can cause severe symptoms like difficulty breathing, swelling, and hives. In more serious cases, IgE reactions can lead to anaphylactic shock. The DIY P88 test measures the blood level of IgE, one of the five subclasses of antibodies. Antibodies are proteins made by the immune system that attack antigens such as bacteria, viruses, and allergens. They can become confused or cross-reactive and begin attacking foods we ingest, causing an allergic reaction.

IgG

IgG (immunoglobulin G, total) are antibodies that provide long-term resistance to infections and have a much longer half-life than an IgE allergy. IgG-mediated food sensitivity can be more subtle, and many people live with it for years, if not their entire lives, not realizing these foods are the reason for a decreased quality of life. Sensitivity symptoms range from fatigue, headache/nausea, seizures, hyperactivity, bloating, mood changes, or dark circles under the eyes. IgG symptoms typically occur within 3-72 hours after the offending food was ingested, making it very difficult to pinpoint the offending food without testing. These antibodies can create ongoing inflammation that can make other health conditions worse.

The degree and severity of symptoms of IgG sensitivity vary significantly from person to person because of genetic makeup. The complete elimination of IgG-positive foods may dramatically improve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, autism, ADHD, cystic fibrosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and epilepsy, as demonstrated in numerous clinical studies. (5-9)

It is important to get tested for food sensitivities to know what foods work for the patient's body and what foods don't. If you only look at allergies (IgE), you will miss the IgG-mediated symptoms, creating an incomplete picture and diagnosis. The DIY teases out IgG4, which has an entirely different mechanism of action and represents it separately. Precision Point Diagnostics believes that the most accurate result is created by measuring IgG 1-3 together and IgG4 separately. IgG4 blocks allergies, whereas types 1-3 increase sensitivities. Looking at individual values increases the clinical utility of the test.

IgG4

IgG4 (immunoglobulin G subtype 4) is another antibody produced to fight infection. IgG4 is used in allergy therapies to help neutralize the reaction of IgE. This is because of its potential to decrease histamine responses by blocking IgE from attaching to receptors. IgG4 is generally beneficial and will block allergic reactions from occurring. It does this by slotting into the receptor where IgE would bind and blocks it, inhibiting IgE's ability to create histamine release. However, too much IgG4 causes immune-mediated conditions, known as IgG4-RD, that typically affect multiple organ systems in the body. For these reasons, it's important to know the levels of IgG4 in the body to maintain a correct balance. An example of a tissue that is susceptible to higher levels of IgG4 is the esophagus, resulting in Eosinophilic Esophagitis. IgG4 also interferes with the thyroid, contributing to autoimmune thyroiditis, and can also cause IgG4- Related Diseases (IgG4-RD) of the ovaries and prostate.

C3D

C3D (Complement) is a protein of the innate immune system that is activated by microorganisms in the absence of an antibody. When C3d is activated in response to an antigen, the C3 portion attaches to the antigen. This activation, even though independent, will amplify the reaction that occurs with total IgG, significantly increasing inflammation and sensitivity symptoms. This same reaction which was designed to amplify inflammation in microorganisms can be triggered in response to foods. If complement is present, it will amplify an IgG reaction as much as 1000 to 10,000-fold. Therefore, tests that only measure IgG may miss the reactions to foods that are most clinically relevant. If complement is known to have a high level of reactivity in the condition you are treating, then foods that confuse and irritate this part of the immune system should be given special attention.

In addition to groundbreaking technology that measures four independent ways our body reacts to food, we also recognize that no matter how profound a technology is, if it isn't readily accessible, it will lose value. The DIY P88 test is the first of its kind to utilize a fingerstick technology with an activated tip that gives the ability to use a very tiny prick that is barely felt at all and gives the ability to get a large amount of specimen that allows over 350 reactions to foods to be run on a single test.  

Note: Avoid any immune suppressive drugs 72 hours before the test.