ALCAT test: Difference between revisions
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The '''Alcat''' test was developed as a screening test for [[adverse reaction]]s to specific [[food]]s, [[food additive]]s, pharmacoactive agents to food [[chemical]]s and [[food coloring]]s. The ALCAT test is based on the accurate measurement of [[cell]]s volume and counting of the remaining cells. Cell counting is done by counting pulses produced by changes in [[electrical resistance]] as the [[blood cell]]s are suspended in a conductive liquid transverse a small aperture. Data are fed into a computer which compares each reaction mixture with an unreacted control [[aliquot]] and prints a graph of each superimposed on the [[graph]]. <ref>http://www.alcat.com/assets/File/REPRODUCIBILITY%20OF%20THE%20ANTIGEN%20LEUCOCYTE%20CELLULAR%20ANTIBODY%20TEST.pdf</ref> |
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== Food Intolerance == |
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Food intelerance is a [[digestive system]] response rather than an [[immune system]] response. It occurs when something in a food irritates a person's digestive system or when a person is unable to properly digest or break down the food. <ref>[http://www.webmd.com/allergies/guide/foods-allergy-intolerance Food Allergy vs. Intolerance<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> |
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Food intolerance has been shown to cause [[migraine]]s, aching joints, [[fatigue]], [[urticaria]], [[celiac disease]], [[diabetes]], gastrointestinal disorders, [[eczema]], hyperactivity/[[ADD]], nausea, stomach pain, gas, cramps, bloating, vomiting, [[heartburn]], [[diarrhea]], irritability, nervousness, [[asthma]] and [[obesity]]. <ref>[http://www.webmd.com/allergies/guide/foods-allergy-intolerance Food Allergy vs. Intolerance<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> <ref>[http://www.alcat.com/aboutus.php Food Allergy & Intolerance Symptoms, Chemical Sensitivity Test, Migraine Headaches, Eczema, ADD, Asthma & Obesity Treatment - ALCAT<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> |
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== Controversy == |
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There has been a number of controversies regarding the effectiveness of the Alcat test. The Alcat test is basically a more sophisticated version of the older Leukocytotoxic Test, which was stopped in the USA by the government after negative statements from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology ([[AAAAI]]). |
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Another review has also stated that cytotoxic testing (such as Alcat) is ineffective for diagnosing food or inhalant allergies.<ref>http://www.jiaci.org/issues/vol15issue02/1.pdf</ref> |
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On May 21th 1008, the Danish television channel [[TV2 (Denmark)|TV2]] did a report on the Alcat test, where multiple doctors expressed their disbelief concerning the actual effectiveness of the Alcat test. The programme, however, never explained the difference between [[food allergy]] and [[food intolerance]], nor did it explain anything technical about the various types of tests. The main focus was on a doctor who offers the Alcat test to her patients but fails to tell them that it is not endorsed by commonly approved scientifical tests or articles. An example mentioned in the programme was one patient whose written Alcat test report contained lists of 'positive' and 'negative' food stuffs. According to these lists, she could not tolerate [[ascorbic acid]], also known as Vitamin C, which is a vital component of human diet: however, she was also informed that she ''could'' tolerate vitamin supplement pills, which themselves contained ascorbic acid.<ref>[http://nyhederne.tv2.dk/baggrund/article.php/id-11036013.html TV 2 Nyhederne - Se seneste udsendelse fra PraXis<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Another patient had a known allergy against [[hazelnut]]s, but the Alcat test failed to detect this allergy, thus rendering hazelnuts on the list of approved foods. The programme concluded that patients with food allergy would benefit more from a simple [[skin allergy testing|skin allergy test]] than from the Alcat test. The difference between rapid-response [[food allergy]] and slow-response [[food intolerance]] was, however, not explained in the programme. Nor did the programme distinguish those allergies causing classical respiratory and skin reactions from those causing digestive problems. |
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== References == |
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<references/> |
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1. WML Neetling PhD, F.A.C.A & AM Kachelhoffer, Mmed. Reproducibility of the Antigen Leucocyte Cellular Antibody Test (ALCAT) (Statistical Analysis, Summery Statistics & Scientific Report) [http://www.alcat.com/assets/File/REPRODUCIBILITY%20OF%20THE%20ANTIGEN%20LEUCOCYTE%20CELLULAR%20ANTIBODY%20TEST.pdf] |
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2. WebMD [http://www.webmd.com/allergies/guide/foods-allergy-intolerance] |
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3. ''Cell Science Systems''[http://www.alcat.com/aboutus.php] |
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4. WebMD [[http://www.webmd.com/allergies/guide/foods-allergy-intolerance] |
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5. ''Unproven techniques in allergy diagnosis'' [http://www.jiaci.org/issues/vol15issue02/1.pdf] |
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6. ''TV2.dk (Danish)'' [http://nyhederne.tv2.dk/baggrund/article.php/id-11036013.html] |
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{{uncategorized|date=June 2008}} |
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