ELISA · HECES
Zonulin - Intestinal permeability
Proposed marker of intestinal barrier permeability, reported with rigour as accessory data of the intestinal axis and never as an isolated diagnosis.
Request information- Proposed marker of barrier permeability
- Accessory data of the intestinal axis, never an isolated diagnosis
- Determination by ELISA
Description
Zonulin is a protein proposed as a marker of intestinal barrier permeability, a concept popularised as “leaky gut”. It would modulate the opening of the tight junctions between enterocytes and, with it, the paracellular passage across the intestinal epithelium.
Xenogene reports it as accessory data within the study of the intestinal axis, never as an isolated diagnosis.
Scientific transparency note
The evidence on commercial zonulin immunoassays is currently the subject of scientific debate. Several studies question which protein these assays actually detect and to what extent their values correlate with intestinal permeability measured by reference methods. For this reason, a zonulin value must not be interpreted in isolation nor taken as definitive proof of barrier dysfunction.
This rigour is part of our commitment: to report the data with its context and its limitations, rather than presenting it as a diagnostic certainty.
Method
ELISA
The determination is performed by immunoassay (ELISA), with a quantitative result. The value is always accompanied by the corresponding interpretive caveats.
Sample
Stool or serum
Depending on the assay, the determination can be performed on a stool or a serum sample. Collection conditions are detailed in the kit instructions.
Results
One data point within the whole
The zonulin result is delivered as part of the functional picture, not as a standalone value. Within an integrated panel (metagenomic NGS + functional biochemistry), the AI assistant Sophia places it in context alongside the patient’s clinical presentation and validated markers, recommending its correlation with fecal calprotectin and, where appropriate, with dual-sugar permeability tests.
See the integrated profiles for its joint reading with the rest of the intestinal axis.
Clinical indications
Responsible use as accessory data
- Exploratory complement to the intestinal axis in dysbiosis
- Contextualisation alongside validated inflammation markers (e.g. calprotectin)
- Never as a sole diagnostic criterion for “leaky gut”
Correlation recommendations
- Mandatory correlation with the patient’s clinical presentation
- Confirmation, where appropriate, by dual-sugar tests (lactulose/mannitol)
- Interpretation by a licensed healthcare professional