The GI Effects® Comprehensive Stool Profile is an advanced stool test that provides immediate, actionable clinical information for the management of gut health. Using the most innovative technologies available, this ground-breaking stool test offers:

• PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction), a molecular assay optimized for stool testing assesses 24 commensal bacteria associated in the scientific literature with health and disease, and provides valuable insight into the human microbiome

• Calprotectin, a biomarker that effectively differentiates between Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)*

• O&P (ova & parasite), the gold standard for parasite identification

• Choice of either 1 or 3 day collection, based on clinician index of suspicion for parasitic infection
• If low/no suspicion, a one day sample will likely be adequate. If high suspicion, a 3-day sample collection is optimal

• Enhanced Test Reporting that includes an Interpretation At-a-Glance overview that highlights clinically actionable biomarkers in three key areas of gut health: Infection, Inflammation, and Imbalance (Metabolic)

Why is this the Best Stool Test for GI Diagnostics?

Gastrointestinal function is critical for good health. Emerging evidence has associated overall GI function and gut microbiome status with a wide variety of common illnesses including, but not limited to:

• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Cardiovascular Disease
• Celiac and Other Malabsorption Disorders
• Mood Disorders
• Autoimmune
• Autism

The sophisticated biomarkers from the GI Effects Comprehensive Profile are reported using an intuitive DIG framework, providing key clinical information for three main gastrointestinal functional areas:

• Digestion/Absorption:
• Pancreatic Elastase-1, a marker of exocrine pancreatic function
• Products of Protein Breakdown, markers of undigested protein reaching the colon
• Fecal Fat, markers of fat breakdown and absorption

• Inflammation/Immunology:
• Calprotectin, a marker of neutrophil-driven inflammation; produced in abundance at sites of inflammation, this biomarker has been proven clinically useful in differentiating between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)*
• Eosinophil Protein X, a marker of eosinophil-driven inflammation and allergic response
• Fecal Secretory IgA, a marker of gut secretory immunity and barrier function
• Additional biomarkers available: Fecal Lactoferrin

• Gut Microbiome:
• Metabolic indicators, demonstrating specific and vital metabolic functions performed by the microbiota
• Short-Chain Fatty Acids, a metabolomic indicator of GI microbiome health
• Beta-glucuronidase, an inducible enzyme involved in the metabolism and bioavailability of food and drug compounds; also produced by gut bacteria

• Commensal Bacteria, demonstrating the composition, diversity, and relative abundance of gut organisms, all of which are linked to both gastrointestinal and general health
• More than 95% of commensal gut organisms are anaerobic and are difficult to recover by traditional (aerobic) culture techniques; molecular DNA techniques are now considered the standard for anaerobic bacteria assessment in research, permitting identification and quantification of multiple organisms with a single specimen.
• The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) methodology can identify bacterial populations at any level of taxonomy, as broadly as phylum and as narrowly as species. This ability permits analysis of the gut microbiome at a desired degree of complexity.
• GI Effects assesses a key set of 24 clinically relevant genera/species that map to 7 major phyla.

• Bacterial and mycological culture, which demonstrate the presence of specific beneficial and pathological organisms
• Traditional bacterial culture complements DNA-based tests to provide an expanded survey of a patient's gut microbiota, beyond the specific organisms targeted by PCR.

• Parasitology
• GI Effects provides microscopic examination of fecal specimens for ova and parasites (O&P), the gold standard of diagnosis for many parasites.
• Enzyme immunoassay (EIA), widely recognized for its diagnostic utility in the detection of pathogenic antigens, is used for the identification of Cryptosporidium, Entamoeba histolytica, and Giardia lamblia.
• Determination of one-day or three-day sample collection is based on clinician's clinical index of suspicion for parasitic infection. If no/low suspicion, a one day sample will likely be adequate. If high suspicion, a three day sample collection is optimal.