COMPENDIUM ON FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE - Flipbook - Page 808
Interpreting Pathogen Assessments
When examining potential pathogens, advanced microbiome
testing provides nuanced analysis beyond simple
presence/absence [80]:
Relative Abundance Context
Rather than focusing solely on the presence of potential
pathogens, consider:
● Relative abundance compared to healthy populations [81]
● Context within the overall ecosystem [82]
● Presence of controlling organisms [83]
● Evidence of virulence factor expression [84]
Many organisms considered "pathogens" are actually normal
members of healthy microbiomes when present at appropriate
levels and properly regulated by the broader microbial
community [85].
Pathobiome Assessment
The concept of a "pathobiome" examines the collective impact of
multiple potentially problematic organisms rather than focusing on
individual pathogens [86]:
● Overall pathogen control capacity [87]
● Ecological factors regulating pathogen expression [88]
● Balance between beneficial and potentially harmful
organisms [89]
● Functional outputs that influence pathogen activity [90]
This ecological approach provides more meaningful clinical
guidance than targeting individual organisms [91].
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