Reliable PA test

[Sunnydevon]

Is there a test for P A that is completely reliable? I mentioned to doctor that I’d read intrinsic factor test could be unreliable and she got irritated with me and said what’s the point of doing it if I don’t trust results! Just want to know for sure.

[fbirder]

No, there is no reliable test.

Perhaps you need to print out this document from the biggest brains in British blood - the BCSH. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi...

Highlight the paragraph about the IF antibody test

Anti-intrinsic factor antibody (anti-IFAB). The finding of a low total serum cobalamin level may be further evaluated by testing for anti-IFAB. If positive, the test has a high positive predictive value (95%) for the presence of pernicious anae- mia (Toh et al, 1997), with a concurrent low false positive rate (1–2%) i.e. a high specificity. It identifies those patients with a need for lifelong cobalamin replacement therapy. IFAB is positive in 40–60% of cases (Ungar et al, 1967), i.e., low sensitivity, and the finding of a negative IFAB assay does not therefore rule out pernicious anaemia (hereafter referred to as AbNegPA).

And post it to the doc with a covering letter.

[Sunnydevon in reply to fbirder]

Thank you for your reply. Very helpful.