Chris Kresser: As I mentioned way back in the gut unit, it seems like a long time ago now probably, DNA PCR testing right now, the best use for that is to detect the presence of acute pathogens like enteropathogenic E. coli, cyclospora, Vibrio, or Cryptosporidium, or a bunch of other acute pathogens, that’s what the DNA PCR 16S testing methodology has been validated for. But when it comes to testing for chronic stuff and just testing a more comprehensive GI profile overall, that methodology is not ready for prime time. I fully expect that within five years or so it will be, and that’s what we’ll all be using, but for right now, I strongly prefer the Doctor’s Data comprehensive stool analysis, which uses a combination of culture and proteomics, and the BioHealth test, which uses culture and fecal antigen testing because those are still the gold standard for identifying many of the organisms, which can affect the gut on a chronic basis.
Doctor’s Data and LabCorp both have acute GI pathogen profiles that are really great that use the DNA PCR technology, and you could use those in a situation where you have a patient who develops fulminant diarrhea, watery explosive diarrhea, bloody diarrhea with mucus, especially after a recent travel, but doesn’t necessarily need to be after recent travel. There’s actually an outbreak of cyclospora, which is a parasite, happening in the Bay Area right now. I know because I contracted it and I was in Mexico, actually, so it’s hard to say, but there are many people in the Bay Area here who have contracted cyclospora who were not out of the country, so just keep that in mind. It’s totally possible to get parasites like that and the acute pathogens without leaving the country, and Cryptosporidium the most common. We just had a kid yesterday come into the clinic, first case review, and he was five years old and he had Cryptosporidium, and in that case the most common route of exposure would be a swimming pool, and he indeed does a lot of swimming in public pools.