InstalabGI-MAP™
Should you take a GI-MAP™ test?
This test is most useful if any of these apply to you.
88 biomarkers included
- Immune Function1
- Secretory IgAThe main antibody guarding the gut lining, reflecting how active your mucosal immune defense is.Very high or very low levels hint at an overactive or exhausted gut immune response worth interpreting in context.
- Autoimmunity1
- Anti-gliadin IgAAn antibody against gliadin, a wheat protein, measured in stool.A raised result suggests an immune reaction to gluten and warrants proper celiac testing in blood.
- Infectious46
- Helicobacter PyloriA stomach bacterium tied to ulcers, chronic gastritis, and gastric cancer.A positive result identifies an infection worth treating, especially with symptoms or a family history of gastric cancer.
- Virulence Factor, babAAn H. pylori adhesion gene that helps the bacterium stick to the stomach lining.Presence may indicate tighter colonization, one input to a strain's virulence picture, exploratory when read from stool.
- Virulence Factor, cagAThe most studied H. pylori virulence gene, tied to stronger inflammation and higher gastric cancer risk in population studies.A cagA-positive strain may carry higher long-term gastric risk, but this link comes mainly from biopsy research.
- Virulence Factor, dupAAn H. pylori gene with a mixed, debated association with ulcers and inflammation.Its clinical meaning is still uncertain and should be read as background, not a decision point.
- Virulence Factor, iceAAn H. pylori gene switched on when the bacterium contacts stomach cells, studied in ulcer disease.A supporting virulence marker whose stand-alone predictive value is not established.
- Virulence Factor, oipAAn H. pylori outer-membrane protein gene linked to the intensity of stomach inflammation.It adds to a strain's inflammatory profile but is not independently actionable.
- Virulence Factor, vacAA major H. pylori toxin gene linked in biopsy studies to ulcers and more aggressive gastric disease.Its presence marks a potentially more damaging strain, though stool-based virulence reading remains exploratory.
- Virulence Factor, virBPart of H. pylori's injection machinery that delivers effectors into stomach cells.Its presence supports a more interactive, potentially inflammatory strain, exploratory in stool testing.
- Virulence Factor, virDAnother component of H. pylori's injection system.It contributes to the virulence map of the strain rather than a specific treatment decision.
- Amoxicillin ResistanceA gene marker for H. pylori resistance to amoxicillin, a common eradication antibiotic.If detected, it may steer treatment away from amoxicillin, though evidence is more limited than for clarithromycin.
- Clarithromycin ResistanceA gene marker predicting whether H. pylori will resist clarithromycin, the antibiotic in standard triple therapy.If present, common triple therapy is far more likely to fail, so a different regimen should be chosen.
- Tetracycline ResistanceA gene marker for H. pylori resistance to tetracycline, used in some four-drug regimens.If present, it flags a regimen to avoid, though this marker is less validated than clarithromycin resistance.
- GiardiaA common waterborne parasite causing prolonged diarrhea, bloating, and malabsorption.A positive result identifies a treatable cause of chronic diarrhea that routine tests often miss.
- CampylobacterOne of the most common bacterial causes of food-borne diarrhea.Detection points to an active bacterial infection as the driver of acute diarrheal illness.
- C. difficile Toxin AOne of two toxins from C. difficile, a bacterium that overgrows after antibiotics and inflames the colon.A positive toxin gene supports C. difficile as the cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea.
- C. difficile Toxin BThe second, more potent C. difficile toxin gene.Its presence signals toxin-producing C. difficile capable of serious colitis, warranting clinical evaluation.
- E. coli EPEC and EHECGenes for diarrhea-causing strains of E. coli.Detection flags a bacterial cause of diarrhea; the toxin-producing EHEC strains can be serious and need attention.
- E. coli O157A specific Shiga-toxin E. coli strain linked to bloody diarrhea and kidney complications.A positive result is a red flag for a strain that can cause severe, sometimes dangerous illness.
- Enteroinvasive E. coli/ShigellaGenes for bacteria that invade the colon lining and cause dysentery.Detection points to an invasive bacterial infection that can cause fever and bloody stool.
- Enterotoxigenic E. coli LT/STThe classic cause of traveler's diarrhea.A positive result explains watery diarrhea, especially after foreign travel.
- Shiga-like Toxin E. coli stx1A gene for one Shiga toxin variant produced by dangerous E. coli.Its presence marks a toxin-producing strain that can cause bloody diarrhea and kidney injury.
- Shiga-like Toxin E. coli stx2A second Shiga toxin gene, more strongly linked to severe disease.stx2 detection raises concern for the most serious complications and needs prompt medical review.
- SalmonellaA leading bacterial cause of food poisoning.Detection identifies an active infection that can range from self-limited to invasive and reportable.
- Vibrio choleraeThe bacterium causing cholera, a severe watery-diarrhea illness.A positive result is a serious public-health finding usually tied to contaminated water or travel.
- Yersinia enterocoliticaA bacterium causing diarrhea and belly pain that can mimic appendicitis.Detection explains symptoms otherwise easy to misattribute to an inflamed appendix.
- CryptosporidiumA hardy waterborne parasite causing watery diarrhea, dangerous in weakened immune systems.A positive result identifies a treatable parasite that standard testing often overlooks.
- Entamoeba HistolyticaA parasite that can invade the colon and liver, causing amoebic dysentery.Detection of this species, not its harmless look-alikes, signals a potentially invasive infection needing treatment.
- Adenovirus 40/41Viruses that cause gastroenteritis, mainly in children.A positive result points to a viral cause of diarrhea, which does not respond to antibiotics.
- Norovirus GI/IIThe most common cause of viral gastroenteritis outbreaks.Detection explains sudden vomiting and diarrhea and signals a highly contagious viral cause.
- Candida AlbicansThe most common Candida species in the gut.A positive result is common in healthy people, so treat it as context, not proof of a yeast problem.
- Geotrichum SpeciesA yeast-like fungus occasionally found in stool.Higher levels flag a yeast-like fungus that occasionally overgrows, meaningful mainly with digestive symptoms.
- Microsporidium SpeciesSpore-forming parasites that mainly cause disease in weakened immune systems.Detection matters most in immunocompromised people with diarrhea.
- Rhodotorula SpeciesAn environmental yeast sometimes detected in stool.Detection flags an environmental yeast that becomes a real concern only in strongly immunocompromised people.
- CytomegalovirusA common latent herpes-family virus that can reactivate in the gut.Stool detection has unclear meaning in healthy people and matters mainly in immunosuppressed or inflammatory-bowel settings.
- Epstein-Barr VirusA near-universal latent virus detectable in stool.A positive result rarely guides treatment on its own and is easy to over-interpret.
- Blastocystis HominisA very common gut protozoan of debated significance.It is frequently found in healthy people, so a positive result is not automatically the cause of symptoms.
- Chilomastix MesniliA non-pathogenic protozoan.Its presence reflects exposure to contaminated water, not an illness to treat.
- Dientamoeba FragilisA protozoan sometimes linked to gut symptoms but often carried without illness.Detection needs symptom context before any decision to treat.
- Endolimax NanaA non-pathogenic amoeba.Detection indicates fecal-oral exposure rather than a disease requiring treatment.
- Entamoeba ColiA harmless amoeba that does not cause disease.A positive result mainly signals exposure to contaminated food or water, not an infection needing treatment.
- Pentatrichomonas HominisA protozoan of uncertain disease significance.Detection is interpreted cautiously and usually alongside clearer findings.
- Ancylostoma DuodenaleA hookworm that can cause anemia and malabsorption.Detection identifies a worm infection worth treating, especially with unexplained iron-deficiency anemia.
- Ascaris LumbricoidesA large roundworm and one of the most common human parasites worldwide.Detection identifies a treatable worm infection that can affect nutrition and, rarely, block the bowel.
- Necator AmericanusThe other major human hookworm.A positive result points to hookworm as a cause of blood loss and iron deficiency.
- Taenia SpeciesTapeworms acquired from undercooked beef or pork.A positive result identifies a tapeworm infection that is treatable once found.
- M. Avium Subspecies ParatuberculosisA bacterium studied for a debated link to Crohn's disease.Detection is exploratory; its role in inflammatory bowel disease remains unproven.
- Allergy1
- Eosinophil Protein XA protein released by allergy-type immune cells, reflecting allergic or parasite-driven gut inflammation.An elevated result points to allergic or eosinophilic inflammation rather than the neutrophil-driven inflammation calprotectin tracks.
- Cancer Detection1
- Fecal Occult Blood (FIT)Detects blood in stool you cannot see, the core signal used in colorectal cancer screening.A positive result should trigger a prompt conversation about colonoscopy to rule out bleeding polyps or cancer.
- Gastrointestinal3
- CalprotectinA protein your gut's immune cells release when the intestinal lining is inflamed, used to separate inflammatory bowel disease from irritable bowel.A high result points toward true intestinal inflammation that usually warrants a colonoscopy discussion, not functional gut symptoms.
- Pancreatic Elastase 1An enzyme made by your pancreas and measured in stool to gauge whether you produce enough digestive enzymes.A low value suggests your pancreas is not making enough enzymes to digest food properly.
- SteatocritMeasures fat left behind in stool, a sign of fat malabsorption.A high result suggests your body is not absorbing dietary fat, often alongside low pancreatic enzyme output.
- Microbiome35
- Fluoroquinolones ResistanceA gene marker for H. pylori resistance to fluoroquinolone antibiotics such as levofloxacin.Its presence predicts likely failure of levofloxacin-based rescue therapy.
- β-GlucuronidaseA bacterial enzyme that can reactivate detoxified compounds and hormones in the gut.High activity may reflect a microbial pattern that recirculates toxins and estrogens, an emerging rather than established marker.
- Bacteroides FragilisA common commensal that is usually helpful but can turn opportunistic.High levels flag this common commensal shifting toward an opportunistic role; balanced levels reflect a stable resident.
- Bifidobacterium SpeciesBeneficial bacteria central to a balanced microbiome and common in probiotics.Low levels are read as reduced beneficial flora, a supportive rather than diagnostic finding.
- Enterococcus SpeciesCommon gut bacteria that are usually harmless but can be opportunistic.A bloom points to loss of competitive balance among resident bacteria, weighed against symptoms.
- Escherichia SpeciesThe broad E. coli group, mostly harmless residents of the gut.Abundance here reflects normal flora, separate from the disease-causing E. coli strains tracked elsewhere on the panel.
- Lactobacillus SpeciesBeneficial acid-producing bacteria that help hold back opportunists.Shifts suggest changes in protective flora, useful as context for the overall microbial picture.
- Enterobacter SpeciesCommon gut bacteria that can become opportunistic in some settings.A bloom signals gas-forming Enterobacteria expanding, one push toward an imbalanced community.
- Akkermansia MuciniphilaA bacterium living in the gut's mucus layer, linked to barrier integrity and metabolic health.Low abundance is an exploratory marker of a thinner mucus barrier, though its meaning varies by condition.
- Faecalibacterium PrausnitziiA major butyrate-producing bacterium that helps calm colon inflammation.Low levels are an emerging signal of gut inflammation and are consistently reduced in inflammatory bowel disease.
- Roseburia SpeciesButyrate-producing bacteria that support a calm, well-fed colon lining.Depletion is an exploratory sign of reduced anti-inflammatory fuel in the gut.
- BacteroidetesOne of the two dominant bacterial groups in the gut.Its overall level feeds the Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes ratio, a popular but unvalidated summary figure.
- FirmicutesThe other dominant bacterial group in the gut.Read together with Bacteroidetes, it forms a ratio that is not a proven diagnostic marker.
- Firmicutes:Bacteroidetes RatioA summary ratio marketed as a dysbiosis indicator.A shifted ratio hints at a broad group-level imbalance, but human evidence is contradictory, so read it as exploratory.
- Bacillus SpeciesSpore-forming bacteria, some beneficial and used in probiotics.Higher levels usually reflect spore-forming or probiotic Bacillus passing through, meaningful only with matching symptoms.
- Enterococcus FaecalisA specific Enterococcus species, a normal resident that can occasionally cause infection.Elevated levels are one input to a dysbiosis pattern, not a diagnosis by themselves.
- Enterococcus FaeciumAnother Enterococcus species notable for antibiotic resistance in hospital settings.Overgrowth flags a species known for hospital antibiotic resistance, most relevant in vulnerable or recently hospitalized people.
- Morganella SpeciesOpportunistic bacteria that can produce histamine in the gut.High levels are an exploratory clue in people with histamine-related symptoms.
- Pseudomonas SpeciesEnvironmental bacteria occasionally found in the gut.A rise points to environmental Pseudomonas gaining a foothold, more relevant when the gut barrier is weakened.
- Pseudomonas AeruginosaA specific opportunistic species that can cause infection in vulnerable people.Elevated levels warrant more attention in immunocompromised individuals than in healthy ones.
- Staphylococcus SpeciesCommon bacteria that are usually harmless in the gut.Higher levels flag staph overgrowth that matters mainly alongside toxin-producing S. aureus and symptoms.
- Staphylococcus AureusA species capable of causing infection and producing toxins.Overgrowth may matter more alongside symptoms, though stool detection alone rarely drives treatment.
- Streptococcus SpeciesCommon bacteria that form part of normal flora.A rise points to oral-type streptococci expanding in the gut, sometimes seen with low stomach acid or slow transit.
- Desulfovibrio SpeciesBacteria that produce hydrogen sulfide gas in the gut.High levels are an exploratory clue in bloating and sulfur-smelling gas, not a confirmed diagnosis.
- Methanobacteriaceae FamilyMethane-producing microbes associated with constipation-type patterns.Elevated levels are an emerging clue toward methane-related constipation and slow transit.
- Citrobacter SpeciesOpportunistic gut bacteria.A bloom marks these gram-negative opportunists expanding as beneficial flora recede.
- Citrobacter FreundiiA specific Citrobacter species that can be opportunistic.Elevated levels flag a specific opportunist that can carry drug resistance, weighed alongside symptoms.
- Klebsiella SpeciesOpportunistic bacteria linked in research to gut inflammation and autoimmunity.Overgrowth is an exploratory signal of imbalance, of interest in inflammatory and joint symptoms.
- Klebsiella PneumoniaeA specific Klebsiella species that can be opportunistic and drug-resistant.High levels draw more attention in vulnerable people and inflammatory conditions.
- Proteus SpeciesOpportunistic bacteria sometimes linked to gut and urinary issues.A bloom flags urease-producing bacteria tied to gut and urinary irritation, read with symptoms.
- Proteus MirabilisA specific Proteus species studied in inflammatory and autoimmune conditions.Elevated levels are an exploratory clue rather than a confirmed disease marker.
- Candida SpeciesThe broad yeast group normally present in small amounts.Detection alone rarely means disease; overgrowth matters only with matching symptoms and clinical context.
- Cyclospora SpeciesA parasite causing prolonged watery diarrhea, often from contaminated produce.A positive result identifies a treatable cause of persistent diarrhea.
- Fusobacterium SpeciesBacteria studied for links to colorectal cancer and gut inflammation.High levels are an exploratory research signal, not a diagnostic test for cancer.
- Prevotella SpeciesCommon bacteria whose role shifts between helpful and inflammatory depending on context.Abundance is interpreted as part of the broader community pattern rather than a stand-alone marker.
About GI-MAP™
Your gut shapes a surprising amount of your health, but most standard testing looks at only one slice of it at a time. This panel tries to photograph the whole scene from a single stool sample: the microbes living there, the ones that should not be, and the chemical traces of how well you are digesting food and whether your gut is inflamed.
This is a research and functional-medicine oriented panel. Parts of it rest on solid science, and parts are still exploratory. Knowing which is which is the difference between acting on your results and being misled by them.
What This Panel Reveals
The panel answers four different questions from one sample. Is something infecting you? Is your gut inflamed or failing to digest? Do you carry the stomach bacterium linked to ulcers? And what does your resident microbial community look like? Each question rests on a different strength of evidence, so they deserve to be read differently.
Infection, From One Sample
This is the best-validated part. The panel uses a lab method that copies and identifies microbial DNA (called PCR) to check for many bacteria, viruses, and parasites at once. Compared with older stool cultures, multiplex panels find far more causes of diarrhea. In one head-to-head study, routine testing flagged a pathogen in 8.3 percent of samples, while a multiplex panel found one in 33.0 percent, and it caught mixed infections in 21.1 percent of positives versus 8.3 percent by routine methods. Absolute detection rates vary across studies, but the direction is consistent: DNA-based panels pick up more.
Digestion and Inflammation
A protein your gut releases when its lining is inflamed (calprotectin) helps separate inflammatory bowel disease, which involves true tissue damage, from irritable bowel syndrome, which does not. The most recent large review puts its ability to distinguish the two at roughly 86 percent sensitivity and 92 percent specificity, with older analyses reporting figures as high as 93 and 96 percent, and the exact numbers depend on the cutoff used. A test for hidden blood (FIT) flags bleeding that can signal colorectal cancer. A pancreatic enzyme measured in stool (pancreatic elastase) shows whether your pancreas makes enough enzymes to digest food, with a pooled sensitivity of 0.77 and specificity of 0.88 for enzyme insufficiency in one meta-analysis, though these figures also shift with the cutoff applied.
The Stomach Bacterium Question
The panel checks for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), a stomach bacterium tied to ulcers and gastric cancer, plus a set of its virulence genes and antibiotic-resistance genes. The resistance side is genuinely useful: detecting the clarithromycin-resistance gene in stool predicts treatment failure with pooled sensitivity of 0.93 and specificity of 0.98, and newer analyses report figures as high as 0.97 and 0.98. The virulence genes are a different story. They are linked to disease in studies of stomach biopsies, but reading them from stool to predict your personal cancer or ulcer risk is exploratory.
The Microbial Community
The panel also counts commensal bacteria, the residents that keep a healthy gut running. Some make butyrate, an anti-inflammatory fuel for the colon lining. Low levels of one butyrate maker (Faecalibacterium prausnitzii) are an emerging signal in inflammatory bowel disease. Other summary numbers, like the Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes ratio, are popular but not validated; human studies contradict each other, so this figure is best treated as exploratory rather than a verdict on your gut health.
How to Read Your Results Together
The value of this panel is in the combinations. A single marker rarely tells the whole story, but two or three read together can point you toward a clear next step. Here are patterns worth recognizing in your own report.
| What Your Results Show | What It Suggests |
|---|---|
| High calprotectin plus a detected pathogen | An infection may be driving your symptoms, not necessarily a new inflammatory-bowel flare. Treat the infection first. |
| High calprotectin, no pathogen found | Investigate for inflammatory bowel disease with a clinician; this pattern often warrants a colonoscopy discussion. |
| Low pancreatic elastase plus high stool fat | Your pancreas may not be making enough digestive enzymes, leaving fat unabsorbed. |
| H. pylori positive plus a clarithromycin-resistance gene | Standard triple-antibiotic therapy is far more likely to fail, so a different regimen is needed. |
One rule cuts across all of these. The infectious, inflammatory, and digestive markers can drive decisions. The commensal counts and dysbiosis scores are context. A shifted Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes ratio or a single low commensal is a clue about your ecosystem, not a diagnosis to chase with antibiotics.
What to Do with Your Results
Some results warrant prompt follow-up. A validated pathogen such as Salmonella, a C. difficile toxin gene, or Giardia, a positive hidden-blood (FIT) result, or a high calprotectin all deserve a conversation with a physician, and a positive FIT specifically warrants discussing a colonoscopy. A positive H. pylori is worth treating, ideally with a regimen chosen around the resistance genes the panel reports. Low pancreatic elastase justifies a workup for enzyme insufficiency.
For the microbiome and dysbiosis findings, the honest next step is usually diet and lifestyle, not antibiotics prescribed off a DNA readout. If you retest to track change, give an intervention time to work and read trends, not single snapshots. Day-to-day variation is real: in one study, 78 percent of bacterial genera varied more within the same person over time than between different people, so one reading is a rough picture, not a fixed portrait.
When Results Can Be Misleading
PCR detects genetic material, not living or active organisms, so a positive can reflect harmless carriage or leftover shedding rather than a current infection. Latent viruses like cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr virus, and yeasts like Candida, are commonly found in healthy people and rarely mean disease on their own. More detections do not equal more disease. The strongest interpretations come from matching a result to your actual symptoms, not from the length of the positive list.