Gastrointestinal Testing

Orlando Health’s GI Specialty Diagnostic Lab performs tests which are not commonly performed in clinical diagnostic laboratories. Testing is performed by highly trained team members, and the laboratory is equipped with robotic instrumentation to ensure accuracy and precision. The laboratory currently offers the gastrointestinal testing listed below and will be expanding soon to include additional tests.

Lactase Activity

Test performed on small bowel mucosal biopsy obtained at endoscopy. Lactase deficiency is common, with prevalence up to 90 percent depending on ethnic background. Lactase deficiency can be the consequence of:

• Generalized intestinal damage
• Isolated (congenital or acquired) enzyme defect

Decreased lactase activity may result in:

• Osmotic diarrhea
• Crampy abdominal pain
• Gaseousness

Disaccharidase Assay

Testing for other related disaccharidase deficiencies, such as:

• Sucrase-isomaltase deficiency
• Glucoamylase deficiency (may present as irritable bowel syndrome)

GI Specialty Diagnostic Lab

Multiple deficiencies are seen in conditions leading to mucosal injury:

• Viral, bacterial or protozoal infections
• Post infectious enteritis
• Small bowel bacterial overgrowth
• Allergic enteropathy
• Celiac disease
• Crohn’s disease
• NSAID enteropathy
• Other drugs and toxins
• Intestinal lymphoma
• Graft-Versus-Host disease
• Whipples disease

Pancreatic Enzyme Analysis

Test performed on pancreatic juice obtained at endoscopy after pancreatic stimulation with CCK or secretin.

Pancreatic juice is evaluated for amylase, lipase, trypsin, chymotrypsin and elastase.

Only 0.5 ml of fluid is required; single or multiple fluids.

Low pancreatic enzyme activity can be the consequence of: