Serum Zonulin Test in India: Leaky Gut Blood Test

It is a blood test that measures zonulin, a protein linked to how tightly the cells of the gut lining are sealed together. Your doctor reads the result with your child's symptoms and other tests. At Altus Lab it costs ₹9,500 with free home sample collection.

It is often called a leaky gut blood test, because zonulin is linked to the seals in the gut lining. But no single test can confirm "leaky gut", and leaky gut syndrome is not a recognised medical diagnosis. The result adds information for your doctor.

No. It does not diagnose autism or tell whether a child is autistic. Doctors may suggest it when an autistic child has ongoing gut problems, to look more closely at gut health.

Besides autism, researchers have studied serum zonulin in coeliac disease, non-coeliac gluten sensitivity, IBS, inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis), type 1 and type 2 diabetes, obesity, fatty liver disease and rheumatoid arthritis. Higher levels have been reported in some of these groups, but results vary between studies. Zonulin does not diagnose any of these conditions; doctors read it alongside the standard tests for each.

Gut problems such as constipation, diarrhoea and tummy pain are more common in autistic children, and some children cannot easily say they are in discomfort. Doctors may use gut tests to look into these problems.

"Leaky gut" is the everyday name for increased gut permeability, when the gut lining lets more through than usual. Some studies have found signs of this in a group of autistic children, especially those with gut problems; other studies have not. Researchers are still working out how often it happens and what it means. Serum zonulin is one of the markers studied.

At Altus Lab, the serum zonulin test costs ₹9,500, with free home sample collection included. The price is the same in every city in India, with no hidden charges.

Yes. We collect samples at home across India, including Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kochi, Delhi NCR, Mumbai and Pune, and test them at Altus Reference Lab in Chandigarh. Call +91 628 421 4977 to confirm your area.

No fasting is needed. Our team calls before the visit to confirm the details and explain what to expect.

Zonulin is not stable at room temperature, so the serum is separated and kept frozen at −20 °C, then air-lifted to our reference lab in Chandigarh through cold-chain logistics.

About 2 weeks from the day the sample reaches our lab. We send it on WhatsApp and email.

Every report is supervised by an MD pathologist at our NABL-accredited lab. Research groups have shown that zonulin tests pick up a family of related proteins, not only zonulin, so the result should be read with your child's symptoms and other tests.

Normal ranges depend on the test kit and the lab. Your report shows our lab's reference range next to your child's result.

A high result means the level is above our reference range. It has been linked in research to changes in the gut lining, but it does not confirm a diagnosis. Please show the report to your child's doctor.

A normal result does not rule out gut problems. Your doctor may suggest other tests depending on your child's symptoms.

Your child's paediatrician, a paediatric gastroenterologist, or the doctor who advised the test.

Please don't change your child's diet based on this result alone. Studies of these diets in autism show mixed results, and restricted diets need medical and dietitian guidance to keep a child well nourished.

Zonulin can be measured in blood (serum) or stool. Altus offers the blood test, collected at home. Stool zonulin has been studied less than the blood test.

Yes, if your doctor advises them. They are separate tests, booked separately, and the samples can be collected in one home visit.

Altus Lab is NABL accredited, and our reports are accepted at PGI, AIIMS, GMCH and major hospitals. Every report is supervised by Dr. Alok Gupta, MD Pathology, Ex-PGIMER, Chandigarh.