Hight Anti TPO

I got my blood test results today. FT3 is 3.13 pg/ml; FT4 is 0.76 ng/ml and TSH is 3.30 uUI/ml. They all seem normal but Anti TPO is 963.1.IU/ml and Antitiroglobülin is 1.0 IU/ml. it is confusing.. what does it mean?..thanks.

[goolarra]

Your elevated TPO antibodies indicate that you have Hashimoto's thyroiditis.  This is an autoimmune disease.  Your immune system sees your thyroid as a "foreign" substance, builds antibodies against it, and attacks it until it no longer functions.  Hashi's is the most prevalent cause of hypothyrodiism in the U.S.  There are lots of us around.

You didn't give the reference range for your FT4.  My lab uses 0.6-2.0 (check yours, it may be different).  Your FT4 is quite low in the range.  TSH, at 3.30, is above the currently accepted normal range of 0.3-3.0.  Both your FT4 and TSH indicate that you are becoming hypo and if you don't have hypo symptoms yet, you most likely soon will.

FT3, at 3.13, is still looking quite good, and this could be keeping you from feeling sick for the moment.

Do you have symptoms?  Whether or not to start treatment depends more on how you feel than what your lab results are.  

[ilaydaege]

thank you..I dont feel symptoms..thats why I was suprised to see TPO antibodies so high. maybe I will have another test in a month and see what is happening.

[ilaydaege]

my FT4 is 0.76. Even anti TPO was not that high compared to now (it was 158 in March) I dont know why it went up..
also I looked up for some info. it seems that selenium supplement helps to decrease high antiTPOs..do you know or does anyone know anthing about this? thanks.

[goolarra]

If you are asymptomatic, all you can do is watch and wait, and seek treatment as soon as you develop symptoms.  Once you have TPO antibodies, you have them for life.  

I have heard a lot of people claim that selenium reduces antibody count.  However, there has been no large scale study to prove that...doesn't mean it doesn't work, just hasn't been studied.

[Smilerdeb]

Goolara....I had my antibodies checked 6 moths ago and they were under 30 and my selenium was good (within range) so maybe there is some evidence to that.
or maybe it was because there is no thyroid to attack.
Prior to RAI, my antibodies were over 1000.
Food for thought??

[goolarra]

I should have said that once you have antibodies, you have them for life UNLESS your thyroid is totally removed.  Picky, picky, picky...:-)

There is a lot of anecdotal evidence that selenium works.  I was just saying that it wasn't proven with any kind of large-scale study.  I've even seen a couple of small studies that support it, but they dealt with a very small and fairly isolated and esoteric population.

[Smilerdeb]

You still have antibodies even after your thyroid is removed ...with Graves.

You have Graves for life...only difference is there is no thyroid to attack so they go into remission usually.

[ilaydaege]

thank you both for your comments..It looks like I am stuck with antibodies. It is weird why a body sees a part of its own as an alien/foreign substance and attacks it..peace brother:)

anyway, hope at leats it gets down...
I read an article on internet saying that walnut and sunflower seeds that include selenium helps to lower antibodies..Also I will check with my doctor and start taking selenium..

is there any connection between high TPO antibodies and  Graves disease..in other words, can high antibodies cause Graves..?

[Smilerdeb]

High antibodies (TPO) IS Graves.
Prior to RAI my TPO was over 1000.
After RAI my antibodies have gone down to under <20..the normal range being <30.
My RAI was just over 12 months ago.
Because there is no thyroid to attack, I am in remission and they are dormant.
Hope that gives you some insight to Graves.