Wheat Zoomer™ Test

For the detection of wheat and gluten-related disorders, intestinal permeability, celiac disease, and gluten-related autoimmunity.

1 in 7 individuals in the United States has a wheat-related disorder.
As gluten- and wheat sensitivity become better recognized in the medical community, the need for accurate and highly sensitive testing to identify affected individuals has grown. 
The Wheat Zoomer^TM aids in the specific recognition of antibodies to wheat peptides – including gluten and non-gluten components, along with antibodies that indicate the presence of intestinal permeability. It is also a highly sensitive peptide-based array designed to detect autoimmune reactions to gluten.

Markers Measured

• All known deamidated gliadins
• Alpha, alpha-beta, gamma, and omega gliadin
• HMW and LMW glutenin family
• Zonulin protein
• Anti-zonulin
• Anti-actin
• Anti-lipopolysaccharide (LPS)
• tTG-DGP Fusion Peptides
• Wheat germ agglutinin (WGA)
• Differential transglutaminase: 2, 3 and 6
• Wheat IgE antibodies (for wheat allergies)
• Non-gluten wheat proteins
  • Farinins
  • Globulins
  • Serpins
  • Amylase/Protease Inhibitors

Symptoms

Symptoms and conditions associated with wheat and/or gluten sensitivity include:

• Digestive discomfort/IBS
• Low vitamin D levels
• Difficulty concentrating or “brain fog”
• Low energy levels/fatigue
• Intestinal permeability (“leaky gut syndrome”)
• Skin inflammation (eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis)
• Chronic headaches or migraines
• Weight gain/weight loss
• Joint pain or numbness in the legs, arms, or fingers

About Test

The Wheat Zoomer^TM requires a blood draw and fasting for at least 8 hours prior to your draw is recommended, but not required.

Comprehensive antibody recognition will simultaneously identify any of the conditions which may be associated with gluten and/or wheat, to include:

• Intestinal permeability (“leaky gut syndrome”)
• Celiac disease
• Wheat allergy
• Wheat germ agglutinin-related vitamin D deficiencies
• Gluten ataxia and other neurological symptoms
• Dermatitis/eczema (skin-related disorders)
• Gluten sensitivity
• Wheat sensitivity

FAQs

What medications can interfere with the Wheat Zoomer^TM  test results?

As with all antibody testing, immunosuppressant and corticosteroid drugs can reduce antibody production and cause false-negative results. A patient should ask their pharmacist if their prescribed medications are immunosuppressant or steroid-class medications. If so, it is recommended to wait 30-60 days (immune-response is individually variable) after completing the prescription for it to clear the system and allow the normal production of antibodies. This is required for accurate antibody measuring. Do not stop these medications without instructions from your prescribing doctor. A list of immunosuppressive drugs can also be found here:
https://www.drugs.com/drug-class/immunosuppressive-agents.html
Inhalers can affect test results. Wait two weeks after completion of the inhalant dosage before collecting the specimen. Do not stop these medications without instructions from your prescribing doctor.

Certain infections can interfere with test results.
For best assessment, it is important for a physician to evaluate total immunoglobulins (total IgG and total IgA) to determine a patient’s baseline immunoglobulin production and thus accuracy of a patient’s antibody response. Total IgG and total IgA are available on the Vibrant Wheat Zoomer^TM.

Does the patient need to be actively eating gluten to run the Wheat Zoomer^TM?

Our Vibrant Clinical Team does not recommend a “gluten challenge” to a patient who is already aware they have adverse symptoms driven by gluten. However, with any antibody testing, if the antigen (in this case gluten or other peptides in wheat) has been removed for a significant amount of time (variable amongst individuals), the body will no longer mount an IgA/IgG antibody response and will render an antibody test as a “false negative”. Such is the case with our Wheat Zoomer^TM test.

However, the Wheat Zoomer^TM looks at more than gluten and wheat antigens, and if a patient is still experiencing symptoms, it would be helpful to look at the intestinal permeability (“leaky gut”) panel from the Wheat Zoomer^TM. Also, many of our practitioners find that running a Wheat Zoomer^TM can demonstrate a person’s true compliance in following a gluten or wheat-free diet. As we know, it’s extremely difficult to eliminate gluten 100%, and often patients will be obtaining gluten from a hidden source unknown to them and will produce an antibody response. Research suggests that a single exposure to gluten can elevate antibodies anywhere from 2-6 months in a person (and this varies individually). Therefore, while the Wheat Zoomer^TM does hold a little more clinical utility and direction if a person is actively consuming gluten, there is still useful insight into an already gluten-free patient

What is the distinction between IgG and IgA antibodies?

A primary piece to understanding antibodies is their area of origin. IgA antibodies are produced by saliva, tears, and mucous linings in the lungs and the intestines. IgG antibodies are the most abundant in serum and are produced by almost every cell in the body. IgG antibodies can cross the placenta.

These antibodies also have considerably different half-lives. IgA antibodies have a half-life of ~6 days. Elevated IgA antibodies indicate exposure 8-12 days ago. The half-life of IgG is much longer and individually variable and can indicate prolonged exposure/sensitivity.

IgA antibodies are produced by the intestinal mucosa as a defense mechanism. If IgA antibodies are elevated to a particular protein (antigen), this can indicate an immune response to mucosal irritation or damage. Elevated IgG antibodies mean that there is exposure of these foods to the bloodstream and the body is producing antibodies.

Specific to celiac disease, tissue transglutaminase IgA is a definitively diagnostic biomarker, whereas IgG is not.

In terms of food sensitivities and intestinal autoimmune disease, IgG antibodies can occur as a consequence of and can be downstream to intestinal permeability. These are likely correlated with more systemic immune responses (brain fog, fatigue, skin, migraines, etc). Vibrant Wellness does not measure IgG subclasses.

As with all immunoglobulin testing, it is important to evaluate the person’s baseline levels of (total) IgA and IgG. These biomarkers are included in the Vibrant Wheat Zoomer^TM.

Can I use the Wheat Zoomer^TM in the pediatric population?

Yes! The Wheat Zoomer^TM has been validated in the pediatric population effective May 2018. If a Wheat Zoomer^TM is ordered on a person under age 18, the test report will automatically be adjusted to reflect the pediatric reference ranges.

Is fasting required for the Wheat Zoomer^TM test?

Fasting status will not influence antibody results and the majority of the Wheat Zoomer^TM measures antibodies to antigens specific for celiac disease and gluten/non-gluten wheat peptides. Fasting status may influence serum zonulin levels (the Wheat Zoomer^TM measures both serum zonulin and zonulin antibodies). Serum zonulin can elevate following a meal, particularly a meal containing gluten, and then can remain elevated for ~6-8 hours.

Are certain foods that are thought to be “cross-reactive” with gluten likely to influence the Wheat Zoomer^TM results?

The Vibrant Wheat Zoomer^TM is a peptide level microarray platform, where IgG and IgA antibodies are measured against wheat peptides. Because peptides in foods are highly specific to the food from which they are derived, they cannot induce “cross reactivity” or be confused by the immune system for another food protein.

When should I re-test after doing the Wheat Zoomer^TM test and going off gluten/wheat?

It is ideal to avoid wheat/gluten for at least 4 months prior to the next test, however, for economic and/or other reasons, it may be more suitable to wait 6 months to a year prior to doing another Wheat Zoomer^TM test.

My Vibrant Food Sensitivity^TM results show no reaction to wheat, but my Wheat Zoomer^TM shows a reaction to wheat. Are my results wrong?

While our Food Sensitivity^TM test is run on our microchip platform and has great reproducibility (the highest in the industry), it is a protein-level antibody test. This is different than our Wheat Zoomer^TM, where we have synthesized the entire wheat proteome at the peptide level. Thus, the Wheat Zoomer^TM is such a magnified look at how our immune system can react to wheat, there’s no way looking at a single “wheat” protein antigen can offer that same view.

Why should my patient with autoimmune disease have a Wheat Zoomer^TM done when they have no GI symptoms?

15-20% of people with celiac disease have no GI symptoms. However, because of villous atrophy, they are not absorbing nutrients efficiently, so their condition may worsen or they may develop another autoimmune disease if root causes such as gluten or wheat sensitivity, celiac disease, or intestinal permeability are not addressed.”

Sample Report

View Wheat Zoomer Sample Report