PA test

[pslmt]

I was diagnosed with PA this past October. The test is positive for Abnormal Intrinsic Factor. How do I know if this is autoimmune? Is there another test for that? The first test in April came back negative/equivocal, second time positive. I am from the US maybe we have different testing??

Thanks for your help!

[clivealive Forum Support]

Hi pslmt sadly the Intrinsic Factor test is only about 50% accurate but if you have a definite diagnosis of P.A. I shouldn't worry about the different results.

Have you started treatment with B12 injections yet?

Do you know what your Vitamin B9 - Folate level is as this is essential to process the B12?

I wish you well.

[pslmt in reply to clivealive]

Thanks for replying. The last time I had folate tested was 2015. It was high at 24 where the range is 3-17. I will look into rechecking. After learning the British protocol I realized I did not start out by injecting every or every other day at the beginning. I have been self injecting with methylcobalamin somewhat weekly since last June. I alternate daily between dibencozide one day and the other day hydroxy and methyl sublingually. (this combination is new). I am lucky to have a functional doctor here that is very understanding. I self diagnosed my b12 deficiency after 1 year of going to 5 doctors and 2 neurologist with nobody telling me what was wrong. I would like to mention to others who might be in my position that I went on a blog called neuro-talk. This is where I figured it out and heard of functional doctors. I am truly disillusioned with doctors as b12 deficiency is somewhat common and I had a lot of symptoms that would indicate such.

[Galixie]

It sounds like you tested positive for intrinsic factor antibodies. A positive result to that test means that you do have Pernicious Anemia and it is an autoimmune condition. The intrinsic factor antibody test is used to look for antibodies your immune system is mistakenly making that attack intrinsic factor which is produced by the parietal cells that line the stomach. Because your immune system is attacking intrinsic factor, B12 is not absorbed and you become deficient. Injections of B12 will correct the deficiency, but there is, currently, no cure for the underlying autoimmune problem. That is why injections are needed for the rest of your life.

I am making an assumption that you were tested for intrinsic factor antibodies because I have never heard of a test for intrinsic factor abnormalities. A positive intrinsic factor antibody result is over 90% specific to Pernicious Anemia (I can't remember where the exact percentage can be found, but I do know it is in the 90's), while a negative result is only 50% specific. What this means is that a positive result definitely means you have PA, and a negative result doesn't rule out having PA because the test is not specific enough. The test doesn't catch all of the people who have PA. Your positive test result indicates that you have PA without a doubt.

By the way, you should hang on to a copy of that positive result in case any future doctors try to 're-diagnose' you or if your injections are discontinued for any reason. Hopefully you will not experience those problems, but it is better to be prepared.

[pslmt in reply to Galixie]

Thank you very much for your reply galixie!