Thyroid peroxidase (TPO) antibodies are a type of thyroid antibody. Thyroid antibodies can form in autoimmune thyroid disease.
Thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOAb) are antibodies that can affect the thyroid in different ways. The presence of TPO antibodies in the blood can suggest that the cause of thyroid disease is an autoimmune disorder, such as: Hashimoto's disease, Graves' disease.
Thyroid peroxidase (TPO) is an enzyme normally found in the thyroid gland. Thyroid peroxidase helps to make thyroid hormones (T3, T4 and TSH).
Where is the thyroid gland?
The thyroid is a small bow-shaped gland that sits in the front of the neck, just below the Adam's apple.
The thyroid gland produces three hormones:
- Triiodothyronine, also known as T3.
- Tetraiodothyronine, also called thyroxine or T4.
- Calcitonin.
What are the functions of TPO?
TPO plays an important role in the production of thyroid hormones. Thyroid peroxidase assists the chemical reaction that adds iodine to a protein called thyroglobulin, a critical step in generating thyroid hormones. Thyroid hormones play an important role in regulating growth, brain development, and the rate of chemical reactions in the body (metabolism).
What are TPO antibodies?
Thyroid peroxidase (TPO) antibodies are a type of thyroid antibody. The body’s immune system makes antibodies in response to non-self proteins. These non-self proteins are called antigens. Making antibodies is important to protect us from diseases. However sometimes the immune system identifies our own proteins as non-self, making autoantibodies.
The immune system then attacks our own body proteins in error. This is known as an autoimmune disease. Thyroid antibodies develop when the immune system identifies our own thyroid cells and tissues as non-self. This can cause inflammation and affect thyroid function.
Why test for TPO antibodies?
- A TPO test detects antibodies against TPO in the blood. If you've been diagnosed with thyroid disease, your doctor may suggest a TPO antibody test and other thyroid tests to help find the cause.
- The presence of TPO antibodies in your blood suggests that the cause of thyroid disease is an autoimmune disorder, such as Hashimoto's disease or Graves' disease. In autoimmune disorders, your immune system makes antibodies that mistakenly attack normal tissue. Antibodies that attack the thyroid gland cause swelling, rarely tenderness and reduced function of the thyroid.
- Some people with TPO antibodies may not have thyroid disease. But the presence of TPO antibodies may increase the risk of future thyroid disorders.
What are the two main thyroid autoimmune diseases?
The two main autoimmune thyroid diseases are Grave’s disease and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.
Graves’ disease (=increased hormone productions) is an autoimmune disorder that can cause hyperthyroidism, or overactive thyroid. With Graves’ disease, your immune system attacks your thyroid gland, causing it to make more thyroid hormones than your body needs. As a result, many of your body’s functions speed up.
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (=impaired hormone production), also known as chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, is the most common cause of hypothyroidism in the United States. It is an autoimmune disorder involving chronic inflammation of the thyroid. This condition tends to run in families. Over time, the ability of the thyroid gland to produce thyroid hormones often becomes impaired and leads to a gradual decline in function and eventually an underactive thyroid (Hypothyroidism). Hashimoto’s thyroiditis occurs most commonly in middle aged women, but can be seen at any age, and can also affect men and children.
What is the thyroid peroxidase antibody normal range?
Normal TPO antibodies range is less than 34 international units per millimetre (IU/ml). Thyroid peroxidase antibodies are considered high if above this. Note that the normal range used can differ in different laboratories. It is not possible for the thyroid peroxidase antibodies to be too low.
-------------------------
Normal range for Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies:
Quest Diagnostics: <9 IU/mL
LabCorp: adults: <34 IU/mL
Other age ranges by LabCorp:
|
Age |
Range (IU/mL) |
|---|---|
|
0 to 6 d |
0−117 |
|
7 d to 3 m |
0−47 |
|
4 to 11 m |
0−32 |
|
1 to 5 y |
0−13 |
|
6 to 10 y |
0−18 |
|
11 to 19 y |
0−26 |
|
>19 y |
0−34 |
What is the difference between thyroid peroxidase antibodies and thyroglobulin antibodies?
Thyroid peroxidase and thyroglobulin antibodies are two different types of thyroid antibodies. The body needs thyroglobulin and thyroid peroxidase to make thyroid hormones. Both types of thyroid antibodies are often raised in autoimmune thyroid disorders. Raised thyroid peroxidase antibodies are found in a higher percentage of people with autoimmune thyroid diseases.
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
Keeping track of your medical data and laboratory results while understanding what they mean empowers positive health outcomes.
Keeping track of your medical data and lab results while understanding what they mean empowers positive health outcomes.
Save 10% off any plan with promo-code:
HEALTH10
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.
Sign up
Sign up now and create your account. Use code HEALTH10 for a 10% discount on any plan. Don't miss out!
Organize
Bring all results from any laboratories to your account. You can enter your tests yourself, or we'll be happy to organize your files—whether in PDF, JPEG, CSV, or even screenshots.
Learn and improve
Once your information is stored in your account, dive into a wealth of insights about your results. If you have any more questions, we are here to answer them.
Guiding our user for 10 years to promptly understand, track, and act on their laboratory results.
$15/month
for personal lab results
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 user 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
for personal lab results
$250/once
own it for life
$45/month
for health professionals
Complete Plan
Unlimited Plan
$15 per 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.
Unlock Your Health Journey with Healthmatters.io! Ever wished for a one-stop digital health haven for all your lab tests? Look no further! Healthmatters.io is your personalized health dashboard, bringing together test reports from any lab. Say goodbye to scattered results—organize and centralize your lab data effortlessly. Dive into the details of each biomarker and gain insights into the meaning behind your medical test data.
Join the community of thousands who've transformed the way they understand their lab results. Experience the joy of having all your lab data neatly organized, regardless of where or when the tests were done.
For our professional users, Healthmatters.io is a game-changer. Revel in the intuitive tools that not only streamline analysis but also save valuable time when delving into your client's lab report history. It's not just a dashboard; it's your gateway to a smarter, more informed health journey!
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 do talk about 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. We can interpret results from any lab out there. If laboratories can analyze it, we can interpret it.
Still on the hunt for a specific biomarker? Just tell 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.io 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.
Unlocking the insights from your lab tests has never been this intuitive! We've crafted multiple ways for you to navigate your data, whether you're glancing at a single report or delving into a treasure trove of testing data.
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 ViewGet a quick grasp of your test reports in minutes! Explore 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.
Experience the power of clear, organized data visualization with Healthmatters.io — your key to understanding and taking charge of your health journey!
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.
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 or business 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.
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, Triiodothyronine (T3) Uptake
