TestingForCIRS

Testing For CIRS/Mold/Biotoxin Illness

This page contains educational material about Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS)/Mold Illness testing. This information is for educational purposes only. Nothing in this text is intended to serve as medical advice. All medical decisions should be made only with the guidance of your own personal medical authority. I am doing my best to get this data up quickly and correctly. If you find errors in this data, please let me know.

Biotoxin/Mold

Dr. Tilgner's Book: Herbal Medicine From the Heart of the Earth is Available Here! bookphoto

This is a list of tests that may be useful in the diagnosis of Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome due to water damaged building. I have marked those that I think are usually necessary in bold. The others should be considered depending on the situation/patient. As I have time I will put a link for these tests to explain the test and what lab provides the test.

The main lab tests used to diagnose CIRS-due to water damaged buildings are HLA DR, VIP, MSH, ADH/osmo, ACTH/cortisol, TGFb1, MMP9, MARCoNS, anti-cardiolipin antibodies/anti-gliadin antibodies, and C4a.

In children younger than 11, 4 abnormal tests are needed. In children 11 and older and adults, 5 abnormal tests are needed.

Brain Tests

VCS - Visual Contrast Sensitivity

Brain MRI Neuro Quant

Hormone Tests

Hypothalmaic Hormones: MSH - Melanocyte Stimulating Hormone, Leptin, Oxytocin

Pituitary Hormones: Adrenal Cortico Trophic Hormone (ACTH), AntiDiuretic Hormone (ADH), Thyroid Stimulating Hormone(TSH), Urine Osmolality

Periperal Hormones : Cortisol, Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S), Androstenedione, lipase, Testosterone, Free T3 (FT3), Free T 4 (FT4), Total T3/Reverse

I like to access also for acetylcholine, GABA, serotonin, dopamine/epi/norepi.

Immune System Tests

Autoimmune Antibody Testing: Antigliadin, IgA, IgG, Anticardiolipins,thyroid peroxidase antibodies, thyroglobulin Panel

Please realize that antibody testing for molds finds an allergy to molds and not the genetic susceptibility that we see in CIRS. If one thinks they have an allergy to mold rather than a genetic sensitivity they can use antibody testing such as ALCAT who offers a Mold Panel to look for sensitivities to 21 different molds.

There is also Alletess Medical Laboratory of IgG atnibody testing to various molds.

Other Immune System tests: Complements C4a, C3a, TNF alpha,Transforming Growth Factor Beta-1(TGF B-1), MMP9, Il-1B, Il-6, CD4+CD25+

C3a: Will help you to know if you might have a lyme borreliosis infection or other associated infection

C4a: Will help you decide if you have a biotoxin issue and if you are actively being exposed.

TGF b-1: This test will help you decide if you have an issue with biotoxins and if you are currently being exposed.

MMP9: Elevated in many inflammatory diseases including biotoxin related disease. Although MMP9 is useful for breakingn down tissue for replacement. It can get out of hand. MMP's are even involved in breaking down the blood brain barrier.

Genetic Testing: HLA DR by PCR, Genomic Analysis SNPs - Using genomic analysis to ID SNPs that cause health issues.

Infectious/Opportunistic Organisms Testing: Multiple antibiotic resistant coagulase negative staphylococci MARCONs Parasite testing, bacerial, viral, Lyme WB

Other Tests: VIP - Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide, VEGF - Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor, Von Willebrands Profile, Erythropoietin, Mycotoxin Testing in Urine, Heavy Metals - urine challange if not too sensitive (Too hard for many folks to do.), Gastrointestinal Funtion Profile.

Testing urine, nasal washes, sputum for tricothecenes, aflatoxins, ochratoxin.

Please realize that tests such as urine tests may not turn up positive even if the person has a high amount of mycotoxins if they are unable to appropriately present the mycotoxins as an antigen (tagging them as agntigens) due to their HLA haplotypes.

The company Cell Science Systems does testing for mold sensitivity as part of their testing for food sensitivity. They use an alcat test panel. As opposed to other food sensitivity testing such as IgG or IgE tests, the ALCAT test does not monitor antibody production. Rather, the patient's blood is exposed to a panel of over 350 different chemicals and foods, including certain molds depending on the test. Their emphasis is on white blood cell reaction.

ProgeneDx: This is a genetic gest. Dr. Shoemaker has made testing for gene acivity or suppression in relation to CIRS (ProgeneDx) availble at www.survivingmold.com.

Testing for Non-Docs

Life Extension has a link for testing for a few mold related biomarkers that can be used. I would personally add an HLA DR Haplotype test to this panel.

Testing the House, Work or School.

The best testing is an ERMI at Mycometrics.com

If MSH is normal, an ERMI score of < 2 is usually safe.
If MSH is < 35 and c4a > 20,000, an ERMI score of < -1 is desired.

Tests you do not see elevated due to CIRS- due to water damaged building and should cause you to look for other issues.

High SED rate, high CRP: Can see with CIRS, but may also be something else.

High BUN is not related to CIRS.

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Biotoxin/Mold