- Digestive symptoms: Chronic diarrhoea, constipation, bloating, gas or abdominal pain.
- Altered bowel habits: Ongoing changes in stool frequency, urgency or consistency.
- Suspected gastrointestinal disorders: Evaluation in contexts such as irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease or coeliac disease.
- Recurrent gastrointestinal symptoms: Exploration of potential bacterial contributors including Escherichia coli or Helicobacter pylori.
- Malabsorption concerns: Unexplained weight loss, anaemia or signs of nutrient insufficiency.
- Immune-related conditions: Investigation of gastrointestinal factors in autoimmune or inflammatory presentations.
- Skin conditions: Eczema, acne or psoriasis where gut involvement is considered.
- Fatigue or neurological symptoms: Brain fog, low energy or mood changes in complex clinical presentations.
The Gastrointestinal Microbial Assay Plus (GI-MAP) is an innovative clinical tool that measures gastrointestinal microbiota DNA from a single stool sample using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) technology.
The panel provides insight into microbial balance and potential contributors to gastrointestinal dysfunction. It assesses a wide range of organisms that may influence gut health, including pathogenic bacteria, commensal bacteria, opportunistic organisms, fungi, viruses and parasites, together with key intestinal and immune markers such as calprotectin, secretory IgA and pancreatic elastase. This comprehensive analysis helps practitioners understand how microbial patterns may relate to digestive symptoms or broader health presentations.
Results are interpreted alongside clinical history, digestive function and environmental factors. Quantitative reporting allows comparison over time to help review changes in microbial patterns following dietary, lifestyle or therapeutic interventions. Add-ons available include zonulin, StoolOMX (bile acids and short-chain fatty acids) and gluten peptide.
Specimen Stool sample Container - 1x orange-capped stool vial
Patient preparation - Please refrain from taking aspirin for two days prior to collecting your sample.
- Never discontinue prescription medication without first consulting your physician.
Age requirements Can be used on all ages. However, often the microbiome of infants will appear very “dysbiotic”, as the microbiome and the infant’s immune system is very immature. Available add-ons: • Zonulin Medications We recommend continuing all prescription medications prior to testing. Please carefully document any relevant recent or current medication use. Medications that may alter the composition of the microbiome include: - Antibiotics -(after finishing Antibiotics, wait 4-6 weeksbefore collecting sample)
- Immune Suppressants/ Oral steroids- will likely cause a lower Secretory IgA, Anti-gliadin, and calprotectin result (after finishing these meds, wait 4-6 weeks before collecting sample)
Gastroenterology Procedures:
Wait at least 4 weeks from colonoscopy or barium enema before beginning the test.
Supplements:
It is not necessary to discontinue most supplements before testing. It is the provider’s discretion to recommend discontinuing supplements. Many providers will want to understand the impact of supplements on the gut ecosystem and will want their patients to continue supplements during testing. If a provider wants more of a “baseline” assessment using the GI-MAP, they may recommend discontinuing supplements prior to testing. There are a few categories of supplements that deserve consideration:
Non-prescription anti-microbial agents:
While we don’t require that people discontinue antibiotics or antimicrobial substances before collection their stool sample, doing the test while taking these substances can influence the test results. If possible, we recommend discontinuing anti-microbial agents 4-6 weeks before testing.
Enzymes:
Oral enzyme use will not change the elastase-1 finding. If the enzyme contains lipase or ox bile, it may decrease the value for steatocrit.
Ox Bile/Lipase:
Ox bile/lipase intake will affect the steatocrit level but will not affect Elastase-1. If you would like to see your patient’s baseline without supplementation, discontinue at least 3 days before testing. If you would like to see how well-managed your patient is on their supplement, do not discontinue.
Probiotics:
Probiotic supplements can influence the normal and opportunistic bacteria flora. If you would like to assess your patient’s baseline microbial balance without supplementation, discontinue for ~2 weeks prior to testing. If you would like to see the influence of the current probiotic supplement, do not discontinue prior to testing.
Biofilm disruptors:
There is no published evidence to suggest that a biofilm disruptor will improve detection of organisms. However, some clinicians choose to use a biofilm disruptor with their patients up to 14 days before testing. This is an option but not a requirement for testing.
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See also Brochure under ‘Downloadable files’ for even more research.
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