Other names: Thyroid Peroxidase AB, Anti-Thyroidperoxidase abs, Thyroid Peroxidase (TPO) Ab, MICROSOMAL ANTIBODIES (TPO), THYROID PEROXIDASE Abs, MICROSOMAL ANTIBODIES (TPO)
Thyroid Peroxidase (TPO) Antibodies: What They Are and Why They Matter
What are TPO Antibodies? Thyroid peroxidase (TPO) antibodies are a type of antibody that targets thyroid peroxidase, an enzyme essential for thyroid hormone production. These antibodies often develop in people with autoimmune thyroid diseases, such as Hashimoto's thyroiditis and Graves' disease. The presence of TPO antibodies in the blood can signal an autoimmune cause of thyroid disease.
What is Thyroid Peroxidase (TPO)? Thyroid peroxidase (TPO) is an enzyme found in the thyroid gland, which plays a critical role in producing thyroid hormones, including triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). TPO helps add iodine to thyroglobulin, a necessary process in the creation of these hormones. These thyroid hormones regulate essential body functions, such as metabolism, growth, and brain development.
Where is the Thyroid Gland? The thyroid gland is a small, bow-shaped organ located at the front of the neck, just below the Adam’s apple. It produces three hormones:
- Triiodothyronine (T3)
- Thyroxine (T4)
- Calcitonin, which helps regulate calcium levels in the body.
Why Do TPO Antibodies Form? Normally, the immune system produces antibodies to fight off harmful invaders like bacteria and viruses. However, in autoimmune conditions, the immune system mistakenly targets the body’s own proteins. In autoimmune thyroid diseases, TPO antibodies are produced when the immune system mistakenly attacks thyroid tissue, leading to inflammation and thyroid dysfunction.
Why Test for TPO Antibodies? A TPO antibody test is often recommended if you’ve been diagnosed with thyroid disease. It helps determine whether the thyroid condition is caused by an autoimmune disorder like Hashimoto's thyroiditis or Graves' disease. Detecting TPO antibodies in the blood suggests that the immune system is attacking the thyroid, which can lead to swelling, reduced thyroid function, and in some cases, tenderness.
It’s important to note that while some people with TPO antibodies don’t have thyroid disease, the presence of these antibodies increases the risk of developing thyroid issues in the future.
Autoimmune Thyroid Diseases: Graves' Disease and Hashimoto's Thyroiditis
Graves' Disease: This condition leads to hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) due to excessive hormone production. The immune system attacks the thyroid, causing it to produce too much thyroid hormone, speeding up many body functions.
Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis: The most common cause of hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) in the U.S., Hashimoto's is characterized by chronic inflammation of the thyroid. Over time, this can impair the thyroid’s ability to produce hormones, leading to a gradual decline in thyroid function.
Normal Range for TPO Antibodies TPO antibody levels are measured in international units per milliliter (IU/mL). The normal range for TPO antibodies is typically less than 34 IU/mL, though this can vary by laboratory. Elevated TPO antibodies suggest an autoimmune process affecting the thyroid. It's important to note that there is no "too low" range for TPO antibodies.
Example Ranges from Laboratories:
TPO Antibodies vs. Thyroglobulin Antibodies Both TPO and thyroglobulin antibodies are types of thyroid antibodies, and they are often elevated in people with autoimmune thyroid diseases. Thyroglobulin is another protein necessary for thyroid hormone production. While both antibodies may be present in autoimmune conditions, TPO antibodies are found more frequently in those with autoimmune thyroid disorders.
Understanding and monitoring TPO antibodies can provide valuable insights into thyroid health and the potential risk for autoimmune thyroid disease.
References:
Frohlich E, Wahl R. (2017).Thyroid Autoimmunity: Role of Anti-thyroid Antibodies in Thyroid and Extra-Thyroidal Diseases. Front Immunol.9;8:521. PMID: 28536577; PMCID: PMC5422478.
Godlewska M et al. (2019). Thyroid Peroxidase Revisited–What's New?. Hormone and Metabolic Research, 51(12), 765-769.
Rrupulli A et al. (2019). Significance of testing anti-thyroid peroxidase in euthyroid patients. In Endocrine Abstracts (Vol. 63). Bioscientifica.
Xiao Y et al. (2019). Positive thyroid antibodies and risk of thyroid cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Molecular and clinical oncology, 11(3), 234–242.
Rayman, M. (2019). Multiple nutritional factors and thyroid disease, with particular reference to autoimmune thyroid disease. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 78(1), 34-44.
Chahardoli R et al. (2019). [Can supplementation with vitamin D modify thyroid autoantibodies (Anti-TPO Ab, Anti-Tg Ab) and thyroid profile (T3, T4, TSH) in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis? A double blind, Randomized clinical trial. Hormone and Metabolic Research, 51(05), 296-301](https://doi.org/ 10.1055/a-0856-1044).
Zhang W et al. (2021) Immunomodulatory function of vitamin D and its role in autoimmune thyroid disease. Frontiers in immunology, 12, 574967.
Thyroid function tests. American Thyroid Association. https://www.thyroid.org/thyroid-function-tests/.
Overview of thyroid function. Merck Manual Professional Version. https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/endocrine-and-metabolic-disorders/thyroid-disorders/overview-of-thyroid-function?query=overview thyroid function.
Postpartum thyroiditis. American Thyroid Association. http://www.thyroid.org/postpartum-thyroiditis/
Jameson JL, et al., eds. Thyroid gland physiology and testing. In: Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. 20th ed. The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2018. https://accessmedicine.mhmedical.com
Laposata M. The endocrine system. In: Laposata's Laboratory Medicine: Diagnosis of Disease in the Clinical Laboratory. 3rd ed. The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2019. https://accessmedicine.mhmedical.com
Your medical lab tests hold vital information about your health. Our tools help you understand what's going on and how to take action.
Cancel or upgrade anytime
Thyroid peroxidase (TPO) antibodies are autoantibodies, which means the body mistakenly produces these antibodies that act against a normal protein, TPO. As such, thyroglobulin antibodies usually indicate an autoimmune disease. TPO antibodies are present in roughly 90% of people with Hashimoto's thyroiditis and in half to three-quarters of people with Graves' disease. Thyroglobulin antibodies may be detectable in people without symptoms of thyroid hormone imbalance (subclinical hypothyroidism).
When hypothyroidism causes symptoms, it may cause weakness and fatigue, cold intolerance, shortness of breath, weight gain, constipation, cognitive problems, dry skin, hoarseness, and swelling (edema). In about 10% of cases, TPO antibodies will be detectable in non-autoimmune thyroid disease such as pernicious anemia and type 1 diabetes mellitus.
Some specific causes of thyroid peroxidase (TPO) antibodies are:
- Hashimoto's thyroiditis/chronic autoimmune hypothyroidism
- Goitrous autoimmune thyroiditis
- Atrophic autoimmune thyroiditis
- Grave’s disease
- Differentiated thyroid carcinoma
- Subclinical hypothyroidism
- Pregnancy (abnormal)
- Neonatal period (transient)
- Postpartum thyroiditis
- Painless (silent) thyroiditis
Does high TPO antibodies mean cancer?
High TPO antibodies does not necessarily mean cancer. TPO antibodies are raised in 1-20% of people who have thyroid cancer and they can be raised in healthy people. The main symptom of thyroid cancer is a painless neck lump. It is important to speak to your doctor if you think you have thyroid cancer or any other thyroid disease. At a population level, having a raised TPO antibody level alone does not increase your risk of developing thyroid cancer. A raised TPO antibody level should be considered together with other blood tests and clinical assessment. The meaning of a raised TPO antibody test in isolation is difficult to interpret and additional investigations may be needed.
Anthony
Unlimited Plan Member since 2021
I have been using Healthmatters.io since 2021. I travel all over the world and use different doctors and health facilities. This site has allowed me to consolidate all my various test results over 14 years in one place. And every doctor that I show this to has been impressed. Because with any health professional I talk to, I can pull up historical results in seconds. It is invaluable. Even going back to the same doctor, they usually do not have the historical results from their facility in a graph format. That has been very helpful.
Karin
Advanced Plan Member since 2020
What fantastic service and great, easy-to-follow layouts! I love your website; it makes it so helpful to see patterns in my health data. It's truly a pleasure to use. I only wish the NHS was as organized and quick as Healthmatters.io. You've set a new standard for health tracking!
Paul
Healthmatters Pro Member since 2024
As a PRO member and medical practitioner, Healthmatters.io has been an invaluable tool for tracking my clients' data. The layout is intuitive, making it easy to monitor trends and spot patterns over time. The ability to customize reports and charts helps me present information clearly to my clients, improving communication and outcomes. It's streamlined my workflow, saving me time and providing insights at a glance. Highly recommended for any practitioner looking for a comprehensive and user-friendly solution to track patient labs!
Guiding our users for 10 years to promptly understand, track, and act on their laboratory results.
$15/month
Cancel your subscription at any time.
$250/once
full premium version
$45/month
track your clients’ labs
Cancel your subscription at any time.
Guiding our users for 10 years to promptly understand, track, and act on their laboratory results.
Personal plans
track personal results
Professional Plan
track multiple client's results
$15/month
$250/once
own it for life
$45/month
for health professionals
Complete Plan
Unlimited Plan
$15 / month
$250 full version
Are you a health professional?
Level up your lab report analysis with our Pro plan, built for health practitioners like you.
Health Business Account
$45/month
Cancel your subscription at any time.
Unlock additional Pro plans when you sign up.
Anthony
Unlimited Plan Member since 2021
I have been using Healthmatters.io since 2021. I travel all over the world and use different doctors and health facilities. This site has allowed me to consolidate all my various test results over 14 years in one place. And every doctor that I show this to has been impressed. Because with any health professional I talk to, I can pull up historical results in seconds. It is invaluable. Even going back to the same doctor, they usually do not have the historical results from their facility in a graph format. That has been very helpful.
Karin
Advanced Plan Member since 2020
What fantastic service and great, easy-to-follow layouts! I love your website; it makes it so helpful to see patterns in my health data. It's truly a pleasure to use. I only wish the NHS was as organized and quick as Healthmatters.io. You've set a new standard for health tracking!
Paul
Healthmatters Pro Member since 2024
As a PRO member and medical practitioner, Healthmatters.io has been an invaluable tool for tracking my clients' data. The layout is intuitive, making it easy to monitor trends and spot patterns over time. The ability to customize reports and charts helps me present information clearly to my clients, improving communication and outcomes. It's streamlined my workflow, saving me time and providing insights at a glance. Highly recommended for any practitioner looking for a comprehensive and user-friendly solution to track patient labs!
Healthmatters is a highly-personalized health dashboard.
Instead of searching for your lab results in different places or tracking them down from different providers, Healthmatters houses, organizes, and interprets them all in one central location.
With a Healthmatters account, you can dive into the details of each biomarker and gain insights into the meaning behind your medical test data, anytime, anywhere.
For our professional users, Healthmatters provides intuitive tools that not only streamline analysis but also save valuable time when delving into your client's lab report history.
Healthmatters.io personal account provides in-depth research on 4000+ biomarkers, including information and suggestions for test panels such as, but not limited to:
You can combine all test reports inside your Healthmatters account and keep them in one place. It gives you an excellent overview of all your health data. Once you retest, you can add new results and compare them.
If you are still determining whether Healthmatters support your lab results, the rule is that if you can test it, you can upload it to Healthmatters.
While we work with many popular labs, we welcome reports from lots of other places too.
It's as simple as this: if you can get a test done, you can upload it to Healthmatters and we can interpret results from any lab out there. If laboratories can analyze it, we can interpret it.
If you’re on the hunt for a specific biomarker, contact us and we'll add it to our database. Anything from blood, urine, saliva, or stool can be uploaded, understood, and tracked with your Healthmatters account.
There are two ways to add your test reports to your Healthmatters account. One option is to input the data using the data entry forms. The other method is to utilize our "Data entry service."
Our data entry forms offer an easy, fast, and free way for you to input the reports yourself. Self-entry allows you to add an unlimited number of reports at no cost. We make the self-entry process user-friendly, providing dozens of templates that pre-populate the most popular laboratory panels and offering instant feedback on entered values.
For those who prefer assistance, we offer a "Data entry service" to help you input your data. Simply attach an image or file of your lab test results, and a qualified team member from our data entry team will add the results for you.
We support various file types, including PDFs, JPGs, or Excel. This service is particularly useful if you have many reports to upload or if you're too busy to handle the data entry yourself.
Our special data entry service makes it easy to add your results to your private dashboard. Just attach an image or a file of your lab test results, and our skilled data entry team will do the work for you. It's all done by humans, ensuring that your data is entered accurately and with personal care for each client.
Depending on your account, the data entry service can be included for free or come at an additional cost of $15 per report.
For users on the Complete monthly plan, the first report is entered free of charge, and each additional report incurs a fee of $15.
Unlimited account holders enjoy the entry of ten reports without charge. Subsequent reports are subject to a $15 fee per report.
Additionally, users on the Complete plan can upgrade to a yearly subscription from the account settings. The annual subscription includes a data entry service for five reports.
The Unlimited plan is a one-time purchase for $250, and it covers your account for a lifetime with no additional payments.
For the Complete plan, the cost is $15 per month. You have the flexibility to cancel it anytime through your account settings, ensuring no further payments. To avoid charges, remember to cancel at least a day before the renewal date. Once canceled, the subscription remains active until the end of the current billing cycle.
Additionally, you can upgrade to the yearly Advanced plan from within your account. The annual cost is $79, and it comes with a data entry service for five reports.
You can always upgrade to a lifetime version with a prorated price from a monthly or yearly subscription.
Simply log in and navigate to your account settings to cancel your subscription. Scroll down to locate the 'Cancel' button at the bottom of the page. Ensure you cancel at least one day before the renewal date to prevent any charges. Once cancellation is requested, the subscription remains active until the conclusion of the current billing cycle.
Our goal has been to make your Healthmatters account as intuitive as possible.
We’ve crafted multiple ways for you to navigate your data, whether you're glancing at a single report or delving into your historical test reports.
1. Graph View:Dive into a visual journey with our biomarker graphs, showcasing over 40 data points. Combining years of results unveils trends, empowering you to make informed decisions. Our visualization tools make it a breeze to compare and understand changes over time, even if your results are from different labs. A search function and filters simplify the exploration of extensive data, allowing you to focus on what needs attention.
2. All Tests ViewExplore neatly organized reports on a timeline, highlighting crucial details like dates, critical results, and lab/panel names. Each report opens up to reveal in-depth descriptions and additional recommendations for each biomarker. The history of previous results is just a click away, and you can download a comprehensive report for deeper insights. Color-coded and user-friendly, it's designed for easy reading, understanding, and navigation.
3. Table View:For a holistic view of all biomarkers side by side, our table view is your go-to. Results are neatly displayed in a categorized and dated table, ideal for those with an extensive test history. Utilize sorting, filters, and color-coding to enhance your analysis and gain extra insights.
Yes, you can download information from your account. We can compile your labs into a CSV file. To download all your labs, you can go to Account Settings, and at the bottom of the page, you will find a link to download your information.
Yes, you can print your report. To do so, navigate to "All tests" and open the report you wish to print. You'll find a print button in the right corner of the report. Click on it, and your browser's print window will open. If you prefer to print in a bigger typeface, adjust the scale using the print window settings.
Yes, you can! We highly recommend activating Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) for your account. To do so, please navigate to the "Profile and Security" section of your account, where you will find instructions for activating 2FA.
Yes, you can. When entering values for the biomarker, you will see an "Edit Range" button. Click this button, and you'll have the option to enter a custom range.
A personal account is all about keeping your own lab test results in check. It's just for you and your personal use.
The professional account is designed for health professionals who wish to track and organize their clients' laboratory results.
To learn more about Healthmatters Pro, please refer to the professional page.
At HealthMatters, we're committed to maintaining the security and confidentiality of your personal information. We've put industry-leading security standards in place to help protect against the loss, misuse, or alteration of the information under our control. We use procedural, physical, and electronic security methods designed to prevent unauthorized people from getting access to this information. Our internal code of conduct adds additional privacy protection. All data is backed up multiple times a day and encrypted using SSL certificates. See our Privacy Policy for more details.
Anti-Thyroglobulin ab. (0-39), Antithyroid Antibody, Free Thyroxine, Free Thyroxine Index, Parathyroid Hormone (PTH), Serum, Reverse T3, Serum, T3 - Triiodothyronine (ng/mL), T3, Free (Triiodothyronine), T4, Free, T4, Total (Thyroxine), Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (Anti-TPO Ab), Thyroid Stim Immunoglobulin, Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone (TSH), Total T3, TRAb (TSH Receptor Binding Antibody), Triiodothyronine (T3) Uptake
