The intestinal microflora can be considered as a postnatally acquired organ. Composed of a large diversity of bacterial cells, it has different functions for the host.The microflora has a significant role in gut maturation, gut integrity, prevention of pathogenic and opportunistic bacterial colonization,… It modulates the immune system as well. The mocroflora is also involved in vitamin synthesis, production of short chain fatty acids, metabolism of carcinogenic substances.
Although the intestinal flora is quite stable over time, a number of factors can disturb the normal balance and thus lead to intestinal dysbiosis. The intestinal microflora can be altered by the immune mechanisms of the host, the redox state, the adrenal function, the intestinal pH, the host’s diet, the host’s age, drugs, exogenous organisms and emotional stress.
Intestinal dysbiosis is seen in a number of chronic diseases such as Crohn’s disease, IBS, CFS and may be associated with atopic and development disorders such as autism and ADHD.
At RED laboratories, we have developed a new procedure to analyze bacterial populations in a stool samples. This state of the art procedure is based on 16s PCR amplification followed by high-throughput sequencing. It provides a comprehensive overview of all bacterial species, including those that could not be analyzed by traditional culture techniques.
Sample Collection
- The test requires a small amount of stool.
- The sample must be sent in our test kit.
- Ship within 72 hours at ambient temperature.
- Contact us to order a test kit, get or obtain further information.
