Help interpreting Methylation Panel and my thoughts on NutriPath (Australia)

[andocobo]

Hi everyone,
I just went to the doctor today and got some interesting results. I got a methylation panel done through NurtiPath in Melbourne and thought other Australians might like to hear about my experience. I was also hoping to get some advice regarding how to interpret and what to do (supplements etc.) in response to these results

I had quite a few tests done, the MTHFR gene test with Healthscope, which found that I was heterozygous for C677t, it was just a cheek swab - i believe it cost $50.

I had a plasma amino acid profile done which was generally normal, but found I had high glycine which my doctor tells me can also be a result of poor methylation. Strangely, my plasma homocysteine levels were normal. The glycine result was 422 (normal upper limit was 400).

The most interesting test was the methylation panel with NutriPath. I know this panel isn't as thorough as some that can be done internationally, but I thought it might give some useful info - it cost around $450. Getting it done was simple I just went to QML (I'm in Brisbane) and they took the blood, prepared it and sent it to the NutriPath lab according to their instructions.

The results showed that I have high s-adenosyl homocysteine (SAH) and a slightly low SAMe to SAH ratio. It also showed that 5-mthf levels were a little on the lowish side - i've pasted results below.

So, for any Australians interested in getting a methylation panel done locally, NutriPath seem pretty good but pricey. This test only covered SAMe, SAH, and different folates, though they do offer other tests which cover different methylation related stuff.

I'd really love to know what others have taken to reduce SAH, my doctor said I should take SAMe, but I don't know about that, not many people seem to recommend it. It seems to be that TMG and 5-mthf are recommended.

Any help or advice on what these results mean (SAH and glycine especially) and what to do regarding these results would be very much appreciated!

Thanks!

 

[helen1]

To reduce homocysteine levels, the basics recommended are to take B6, B12 and folate (not folic acid). Five easy to read pages of info here on homocysteine:

http://www.lifeextension.com/protocols/heart-circulatory/homocysteine-reduction/Page-01

I noticed in their list of problems caused by high homocysteine they didn't include depression. It should be on that list.

 

[andocobo]

Thanks for the info @helen1, I appreciate you taking the time to respond and help me out

I've been doing some research and found that the supplements that generally work to lower homocysteine don't seem to be effective for lowering s-adenosyl homocysteine (SAH). From what I can gather SAH can drastically reduce methylation because it preferentially binds to methyltransferases over SAMe, so figuring out how to reduce it is important.

My doctor has recommended SAMe, he didnt explain why, but I suspect it was to try to boost methylation by making more methyl groups available and increasing the ratio of SAMe to SAH, from what little research I've done though this doesn't seem to be effective.

I'd love to know what others think about taking SAMe - have you found it helpful? Or harmful? Or just doesn't do anything?

I have 2 main theories about what may be causing my high levels of SAH but normal levels of plasma homocysteine.

1. The homocysteine and adenosine which was hydrolyzed from the SAH is being re-synthesised back into SAH because it is not being either recycled back into methionine properly or it is not being used in the transsulfuration pathways properly (or both). Could be related to the methionine synthase (MS) enzyme or the cystathionine beta synthase enzyme. It might be more likely the MS is problematic because of the MTHFR gene mutation, maybe not enough folate?
2. Underactivity of the S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase (SAHH) enzyme preventing the SAH from hydrolyzing efficiently into homocysteine and adenosine, thus causing a buildup of SAH.

I'm considering getting the 23andme test done so I can get some more info about which gene mutations I have and which enzymes may not be functioning correctly.

I'd love to hear what some of the methylation gurus around here think, especially @Freddd (hope you don't mind me tagging you).

Thanks again everyone!

 

[renski]

This guide is helpful for interpreting methylation panels