Smooth Muscle Antibodies (SMA), identified through the Immunofluorescence Assay (IFA), are pivotal in diagnosing autoimmune liver diseases, particularly Autoimmune Hepatitis (AIH). SMA-IFA testing detects antibodies targeting actin, a protein in smooth muscle cells, often found in patients with AIH.

Sodium (Na+) and potassium (K+) are electrolytes that affect most metabolic functions. They serve to maintain osmotic pressure and hydration of various body fluid compartments, body pH and regulation of heart and muscle functions. Electrolytes are also involved in oxidation-reduction reactions and participate in essential enzymatic reactions. Electrolytes can be affected by state of hydration. Hemolysis can result in falsely elevated K+.

Sodium is an essential mineral for maintaining water balance and blood pressure in the body and is a primary extra-cellular element

What is a Sodium test?

This test measures the levels of sodium in your blood and is usually done as part of an electrolyte or basic metabolic panel blood test.

The sodium test may also be ordered separately if you have:

• eaten large amounts of salt
• not eaten enough or had enough water
• a serious illness, or gone through surgery
• received intravenous fluids

You may also receive this test to monitor medications that affect your sodium levels. These include diuretics and certain hormones.

Elevated or decreased amounts of sodium in your body can have many adverse health effects ranging from as minor as thirst to as serious as a coma in incredibly severe cases. Monitoring the healthy level of this essential mineral is incredibly important to your overall health.

A sodium blood test is used to detect an abnormal sodium level, including low sodium (hyponatremia) and high sodium (hypernatremia). It is often used as part of an electrolyte panel or basic metabolic panel for a routine health exam.

Sodium is an important electrolyte (a mineral in your blood and other bodily fluids) that helps your body and cells function. It helps your body regulate how much fluid it retains.

The "Sodium/Creatinine Ratio" marker is an important test used to assess the concentration of sodium in relation to creatinine in urine. This ratio is crucial for determining how well the kidneys are managing sodium and water balance in the body. Sodium, a key electrolyte, helps regulate blood pressure, blood volume, and cellular function, while creatinine, a waste product produced by muscle metabolism, serves as a marker for kidney function. By measuring the amount of sodium per unit of creatinine, this test provides a normalized value that isn't affected by urine concentration, which can vary greatly. This makes the Sodium/Creatinine Ratio a reliable indicator for evaluating kidney health, particularly in diagnosing conditions related to abnormal sodium handling such as dehydration or conditions that cause excessive sodium loss. Understanding this ratio can help healthcare providers manage and diagnose various renal and systemic disorders effectively.

The Sodium/Potassium (Na/K) ratio is a key metric derived from sodium and potassium levels measured on a comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP). This ratio reflects the balance between these two essential electrolytes in the body, both of which play crucial roles in maintaining cellular function, fluid balance, and overall health.

Elevated antibody levels can be clinically significant — while the antibodies themselves don’t destroy anything, they do trigger an inflammatory response that can cause significant destruction of tissue and resulting symptoms. This response is not necessarily dependent on antibody levels. However, an equivocal result may mean you are just beginning to exhibit an immune reaction, so this is an important time to take measures to support the body in damping immune reactivity.

Solobacterium moorei is an intriguing and less commonly known marker in the analysis of gut microbiota. This bacterium belongs to the Clostridia class and is a Gram-positive, anaerobic species. It has been relatively recently identified and characterized in the context of human gut flora. Solobacterium moorei is noteworthy for its association with oral and gastrointestinal malodor, as it is known to produce volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) which are often linked to conditions such as halitosis.