ASCA Test - IgA

Intermittent or persistent diarrhoea, abdominal pain due to IBD, Crohn disease, Ulcerative Colitis

ASCA or Anti-Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Antibodies are immune proteins that are present in people who have inflammatory bowel disease. The ASCA IgA test helps detect ASCA in the blood.

Saccharomyces Cerevisiae is a common yeast that can be found in food items. The relation between Saccharomyces Cerevisiae and the presence of antibodies and their involvement in bowel disease is not known completely.

IBD is a group of chronic disorders that exists because of certain autoimmune processes. The process is characterised by damaged and swollen tissues in the lining of the intestinal tract. The severity and symptoms of IBD differ from person to person. It can fluctuate over time.

Many of those affected experience flare-ups followed by periods of lessened symptoms or even remission.

There are two common types of IBD: Crohn disease, also known as CD and Ulcerative Colitis, known as UC. Crohn disease is known to affect any part of the intestinal tract, including the mouth to anus. However, it is primarily found in the small intestine or colon, while UC occurs in the colon only.

The proper diagnosis of UC and CD is based on endoscopic testing with the examination of biopsy samples from the intestines. CD and UC both can be found in the colon, and sometimes, it is difficult to distinguish between the two even after using biopsies. When this happens, ASCA IgA testing proves to be helpful as ASCA is frequently found in people with CD as compared to UC.

There are two types of Anti-Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Antibodies produced by the body. They are known as ASCA IgG and ASCA IgA. The testing includes both classes. ASCA IgA will predict the severity of the disease and the need for surgery as an option of treatment.

Symptoms that require ASCA IgA testing include abdominal pain and cramps, fever, fatigue, diarrhoea and even rectal bleeding. Some of the other symptoms include skin, bone, joint and organ-related symptoms. It can also lead to delayed development and growth retardation in children. The ASCA IgGA profile test helps with the diagnosis of inflammatory bowel.

The ASCA IgA test will be ordered by your health practitioner if he is attempting to distinguish between CD and UC infections in your body. ASCA IgA profile test is an ELISA-based, in-vitro test system for the quantitative analysis of ASCA IgA in the human serum or plasma. The test is completely automated. The antibodies are directed towards mannan in the cell membrane of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae.

If you have any of the symptoms, including abdominal pain, you should immediately rush to your doctor as it is important to diagnose inflammatory bowel diseases in time.

India is seeing a rise in inflammatory bowel diseases. In fact, it even tops the list of bowel diseases in Southeast Asian countries. The northern part of the country experiences Ulcerative Colitis, while the southern part of the country experiences Crohn disease. Paediatric IBD is more severe as compared to adult IBD. IBD is common among kids in India as well. The direct connection is still unknown, but most medical experts feel that unhygienic living and cooking conditions lead to IBD in most cases.

Other Names of ASCA IgA Test

• Anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae mannan antibodies
• Saccharomyces cerevisiae Antibodies

What Does the ASCA IgA Test Detect/Measure, and who is it Prescribed for?

The ASCA IgA test helps distinguish between Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn disease.

IBD disease is experienced by people who have the following:

• Fatigue
• Fever
• Abdominal pain and cramps
• Rectal bleeding
• Bone, joint, skin and organ-related symptoms
• Delayed development in growth retardation in children

For people with such complaints, amongst other tests, the ASCA IgA profile test is prescribed by the consulting physician. Following a diagnosis, the treatment for IBD is initiated by the consulting physician. The ASCA IgA test is prescribed after 15-20 days to monitor and regulate the dosage.

The ASCA IgA profile test is applicable for males and females, both adults and children. You must discuss every symptom in detail with your doctor.

The results of the ASCA profile test are expressed as positive or negative. However, a positive result does not diagnose CD, UC or even an IBD for that matter. The results of the ASCA IgA test are often interpreted in conjugation with the results of p ANCA  testing.

Several tests need to be done together to diagnose the proper disease. However, the results of the ASCA IgA test are often described as positive or negative.

But, when combined with the pANCA test, the values should be:

• If the ASCA IgA test results are positive and pANCA is negative, then the person may have CD disease.
• If the ASCA IgA test results are negative and pANCA is positive, then the person may have UC disease.

A negative result of ASCA and pANCA does not rule out the possibility of IBD. A person with negative results can still have IBD, CD OR UC. The presence of multiple antibodies also indicates a likelihood of aggressive disease. Also, the negative results do not rule out the possibility of the same.

However, you should consult an expert doctor, and he will be able to analyse the problem properly based on your results of the ASCA IgA profile test.

The results of the ASCA IgA profile test are based on the analysis of the blood sample.

Test Preparation

The ASCA IgA profile test is a blood test that does not require any specific fasting preparations. The usual way to collect a blood sample is by drawing it from the veins of the person. The blood sample is collected from the most prominent vein of the forearm. The ASCA IgA test procedure will last for  5-10 minutes.

Test Inclusions: What Parameters Are Included?

The ASCA IgA test helps distinguish between Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn disease. The testing usually includes two different classes of ASCA in the blood, which include IgA and IgG.

These are the only parameters that are covered in the test. These values give an idea about which kind of bowel disease you have. The results of the ASCA IgA test are often expressed as positive or negative. However, the results are often combined with the p-ANCA test. Based on that, the doctor can confirm the diagnosis.

This test cannot detect changes at the organ level or changes in the body due to the presence of yeast in the body.

How Frequently Should You Take This Test?

ASCA IgA test is included in the quarterly or yearly check-up. This is a test that you will have to take if your body shows any symptoms of IBD. Your doctor will usually assign this test if you show certain symptoms like abdominal pain or diarrhoea. Also, the doctor will ask you to only take the ASCA IgA profile test if the biopsy fails to distinguish between UC and CD.

After that, you might have to take the ASCA IgA test once your medication starts to check if it is working effectively or not.