Positive for Thyroid Peroxidase and Myocardial Peptide autoantibodies??? What does this mean??

[Jesse2233]

Got results back from Cyrex #5 today, didn't except this... also equivocal for Intrinsic Factor

Does this mean autoimmune? Can I still also have a chronic CBV4 virus?

I do have chest pain, shortness of breath, and occasional feelings of a straining heart which may be associated with the Myocardial Peptide. And I know CBV can infect the heart and cause autoimmunity.

I've not seen Myocardial Peptide linked to CFS/ME and nothing comes up on PR searches.

Currently treating with IVIG, wondering if anything should be added in light of these findings

ANA, CRP, ESR are negative

Still waiting on labs from CellTrend

 

[A.B.]

Autoimmune diseases are not diagnosed based on antibody test results alone for reasons that are complex (in short: the lab tests are not reliable). They are diagnosed based on the combination of symptoms and lab tests.

My understanding is that it is not uncommon for healthy people to have a few antibodies a little out of the norm. If you test so many it's likely you would find a few like that. I had mildly elevated thyroglobulin as well, and was told that in real thyroiditis, it's much higher.

Reference ranges are typically constructed so that they encompass 95% of the population's test results (or 19 out of 20). Since you're testing over 20 antibodies it's likely that you would find one that's just a little off, and two isn't unlikely either. This doesn't mean that these results should be rejected without having a doctor look at your situation. It's relevant information however.

 

[Gingergrrl]

Jesse, I'm still at IVIG and hard to type w/IV in my wrist but bookmarked your post for later. Thank you for sharing it with us and am still so curious to see what your Cell Trend results will be.

Did any of your doctors explain what these test results mean yet? I have not had this panel, and have never been tested for myocardial peptide autoantibodies, but am curious what they mean? Are they an autoantibody that attacks the heart in general or something much more specific?

I am positive for both thyroid auto-antibodies b/c I have Hashimotos but the test ranges are totally different than yours so my numbers are very high.

From your list, I am also positive on GAD65 (the sixth one from bottom).

Once I reached 11 autoantibodies, my doctor said there was no need to keep looking b/c we'd just find more and it would not change my treatment plan which was/is high dose IVIG (which would be diagnostic if I responded to it and it's been life changing) and part 2 which will be Rituximab.

I would love to hear how your doctors end up interpreting this panel and what they recommend for you.

Edit: fixed typos and made this more readable!

 

[Jesse2233]

Thanks @A.B. always appreciate your intelligent feedback and commentary

@Gingergrrl so I talked with my cardiologist today and he said the myocardial peptide antibody is due to a viral infection. My rheumatologist didn't know either way. Need to see a thyroid specialist about the other one.

I'm curious about CellTrend too!

 

[Gingergrrl]

@Gingergrrl so I talked with my cardiologist today and he said the myocardial peptide antibody is due to a viral infection

Jesse, did your cardio mean a viral infection that is currently in your heart or did he mean a PAST viral infection that was in your heart that is now gone but autoantibodies are now attacking your heart? Or something different altogether? Did he say if there was any treatment for it (or would IVIG be the treatment)?

It's interesting b/c when I asked cardio questions like this (in 2014 and 2015) he said that there was zero chance of a virus in my heart b/c my Echo was clear. But I now wonder why he did not test me for the myocardial peptide antibody?

Need to see a thyroid specialist about the other one.

My Endo who monitors my thyroid since 2013 is great so if you want his info, just let me know. Are your TSH and other thyroid numbers normal?