Private blood test

[Sunnydevon]

Hi there, is there a reliable private blood test I can get to check for PA and AMG? Would it be intrinsic factor test? I saw Medichecks do one. Also would it effect results if my levels are ok at the moment( have been supplementing with a B12 spray. Blood results last April (1 year after loading injections) ferritin 66.2 13-150

Serum folate 16.9 3.89-26.8

Active B12 69.5 37.5-188

Vit D 31.6. 50-185

Recent blood test after vit b12 spray.

Serum folate level (42U5) >20.0ug/L (3.9-20.0

Serum vitamin B12 level(XE2pf) 651 ng/L(>180.0)

[fbirder]

By I presume you mean AMGA, Autoimmune Metaplastic Gastric Atrophy - the underlying cause of PA?

The only way to tell if there is gastric atrophy is for a doctor to look with an endoscope. The only way to tell if there is metaplasia is to take biopsy samples during an endoscopy. To tell if it is autoimmune you want to find antibodies.

There are two types of antibodies they can test for - those against Gastric Parietal Cells (GPCs) and those against Intrinsic Factor. But each test has problems.

The anti-GPC test gives too many false positives. People with PA, especially older ones, will have the antibodies even without PA.

The anti-IF test gives false negatives. Even if one has PA there’s a 50:50 chance you’ll test negative for the antibodies.

Neither test should be affected unless you’ve had an injection within a week.

[Sunnydevon in reply to fbirder]

Thank you. So there isn’t a test that is completely reliable? I had an endoscopy last year and they said it appeared normal.

[JanD236 in reply to Sunnydevon]

That’s right. There’s no completely reliable test for B12d (unless of course you test positive for intrinsic factor antibodies and then it’s almost certain that you have PA).

I see you have one thing clearly showing that you are deficient and that’s Vitamin D. Presumably this is being treated?

[Sunnydevon in reply to JanD236]

Yes I’m supplementing and it’s up to 58 now. My doctor got irritated with me when I suggested PA test wasn’t reliable. Thank you for your reply.

[Sunnydevon in reply to fbirder]

Thank you.