Candida albicans is a fungus which is able to grow as yeast and as filamentous cells, that is cells in a long thin structure. Candida is considered as part of the normal gut. In a healthy gut, the concentration of Candida is held low by the normal gut flora and is hardly detectable in stool.
Under normal conditions, Candida should not represent a threat for the human organism. Yet under certain circumstances – such as use of antibiotics and other immune compromising medications, inappropriately high carbohydrate diets and alcohol abuse – the gut micro-environment is altered and Candida may overgrow, leading to an impaired gut permeability. The filamentous form of Candida is able to enter through the gut barrier and is then detected by the immune system. In patients with a normal immune response, the immune system fights Candida by producing IgA, IgM and IgG antibodies which prevent Candida from proliferating in the body. The latter is a persistent antibody and detectable for a long time in human serum.
A similar reaction might occur with Candida infections on the skin, in the mouth cavity or on sexual organs.
A real Candidiasis – a proliferation of Candida in the blood – is seen only in immune compromised patients, like patients suffering from AIDS.
How to interpret a positive Candida reaction in an ImuPro test?
First of all, a positive ImuPro test result for Candida does not mean that you have a Candida albicans infection and it should not lead to immediate treatment!
The ImuPro test detects IgG antibodies to Candida albicans. As shown above, IgGs are persistent antibodies which stay present in human serum for several months or years. This means that a positive reaction to Candida does not reflect an acute or present infection. It rather shows that the immune system had to fight Candida albicans in the past or present.
What to do next?
Please consult your physician! Normally a clinical investigation is done to see if any obvious infection on the skin (nails), in the oral cavity or on the sexual organs can be identified. If such an infection is localized, an appropriate treatment is put into place.
If no such infection could be localized, we suggest performing a stool test, in order to evaluate the gut burden of Candida albicans. If again no Candida albicans was detected, no further action is needed. The detected IgG to Candida albicans most probably reflects an old infection which has either been treated or which was resolved by the body’s immune system.
If a high amount of Candida albicans has been detected, a possible impairment of the gut’s barrier and permeability cannot be ruled out. In order to help the gut to recover, we suggest to treat the Candida infection, to restore the normal gut flora and to change your life style accordingly.