Introduction and TGF-B1 Question

Newcomer introductions, personal anecdotes, caregiver issues, lab results, and n=1 experimentation.
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CindyNH
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Introduction and TGF-B1 Question

Post by CindyNH »

I'm a 62-year old retired French teacher with one copy of ApoE4. My mother had high cholesterol, high blood pressure and suffered with Alzheimer's for 13 years before dying in 2012. Since the onset of her illness in 2001, I've been anxious about getting the disease myself. However, I was afraid to get tested since there were no proven preventative measures back then. It wasn't until I read Dr. Bredesen's latest book, with the Alzheimer's Protocol, that I felt confident that I could do something to prevent cognitive decline, if I tested positive. So, I signed up for PreCode and got my labs done.

So, now I know and am more committed than ever to following the keto lifestyle my husband and I adopted two years ago. He's 72 (but looks 60) and has been an athlete all his life. He stumbled on keto when looking to lose fat and build muscle. I joined him because it's a pain to cook two different meals each night! Now I feel as if I've found the pot 'o gold at the end of the rainbow, knowing that this way of eating has been feeding my brain in order to keep it healthy for the past 2 years. Adding Dr. Bredesen's recommendations for fasting, supplements, additional tests for toxins as well as finding a Functional Medicine doctor to support me has enabled me to take charge of my life and do all that I can to stay healthy. I'm so grateful to have found him, Julie G. and this supportive community!

I'm posting today because I just found out that my TGF-B1 level is 13,780, WAY above the 344-2392 range. I tested negative for Lyme disease so wonder if anyone could guide me as to the next steps. My Functional Medicine doctor ordered a stool test for me back in early January but then I had an emergency appendectomy on 1/17, followed by 5 days in the hospital on IV antibiotics due to a secondary abdominal infection. My WBC at the time was 33,000. Could my high TCF-B1 be due to the antibiotics? Or should I get tested for mold exposure? Thank you in advance for input!
NF52
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Re: Introduction and TGF-B1 Question

Post by NF52 »

CindyNH wrote:I'm a 62-year old retired French teacher with one copy of ApoE4.... So, I signed up for PreCode and got my labs done. ...
I'm posting today because I just found out that my TGF-B1 level is 13,780, WAY above the 344-2392 range. I tested negative for Lyme disease so wonder if anyone could guide me as to the next steps. My Functional Medicine doctor ordered a stool test for me back in early January but then I had an emergency appendectomy on 1/17, followed by 5 days in the hospital on IV antibiotics due to a secondary abdominal infection. My WBC at the time was 33,000. Could my high TCF-B1 be due to the antibiotics? Or should I get tested for mold exposure? Thank you in advance for input!
Welcome, Cindy!

I too an a retired educator (alors, je parle seulement un peu de français!) and think you are doing terrifically--especially after acute appendicitis and and infection afterwards! I am not equipped to answer your question about TGF-B1, but poked around enough to suspect that the test levels used in the PreCode report are different than those referred to in most scientific articles online. Can you share what the lab values (ex. ng/mL) were listed in the report? Here's one interesting note I did find, about the possibility that wide variations in lab results can occur simply from the act of getting your blood drawn. If so, it might be helpful to ask you FM doctor or primary care provider if they will order another TGF-B1 test simply to check the reliability of the first result.

When my Lp(a) results were in the stratosphere and I was sure I had either aortic stenosis or severe coronary artery disease, which my dad died from at age 67, my wise doctor reminded me that "Biomarkers are not clinical signs, and clinical signs are not disease pathology". Turned out my aorta was fine and my coronary calcium age was 39 (at age 65) with plaque. Sometimes a zebra is just hanging out in the horse pasture without any catastrophe!
Despite TGF-β1's demonstrable importance in various biological and pathologic conditions, the challenges encountered in accurately measuring its level in plasma have impeded it becoming a valuable biomarker, including the huge variation in total TGF-β1 values, from <0.1 to >60 ng/mL, reported for normal controls in the literature.13, 14

One major factor contributing to these variations is failure to recognize that standard blood drawing by venipuncture techniques and plasma preparation may cause ex vivo platelet activation. Platelets contain 40–100 times as much TGF-β1 as other cells, and generation of even small amounts of thrombin or shear force can activate platelets to release their granule contents,15 including latent TGF-β1, which in turn can be activated by shear force as previously demonstrated by our group
New methodologies to accurately assess circulating active transforming growth factor-β1 levels: implications for evaluating heart failure and the impact of left ventricular assist devices

Enjoy life!
4/4 and still an optimist!
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seachangehealthcoach
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Re: Introduction and TGF-B1 Question

Post by seachangehealthcoach »

CindyNH wrote:I'm a 62-year old retired French teacher with one copy of ApoE4. My mother had high cholesterol, high blood pressure and suffered with Alzheimer's for 13 years before dying in 2012. Since the onset of her illness in 2001, I've been anxious about getting the disease myself. However, I was afraid to get tested since there were no proven preventative measures back then. It wasn't until I read Dr. Bredesen's latest book, with the Alzheimer's Protocol, that I felt confident that I could do something to prevent cognitive decline, if I tested positive. So, I signed up for PreCode and got my labs done.

So, now I know and am more committed than ever to following the keto lifestyle my husband and I adopted two years ago. He's 72 (but looks 60) and has been an athlete all his life. He stumbled on keto when looking to lose fat and build muscle. I joined him because it's a pain to cook two different meals each night! Now I feel as if I've found the pot 'o gold at the end of the rainbow, knowing that this way of eating has been feeding my brain in order to keep it healthy for the past 2 years. Adding Dr. Bredesen's recommendations for fasting, supplements, additional tests for toxins as well as finding a Functional Medicine doctor to support me has enabled me to take charge of my life and do all that I can to stay healthy. I'm so grateful to have found him, Julie G. and this supportive community!

I'm posting today because I just found out that my TGF-B1 level is 13,780, WAY above the 344-2392 range. I tested negative for Lyme disease so wonder if anyone could guide me as to the next steps. My Functional Medicine doctor ordered a stool test for me back in early January but then I had an emergency appendectomy on 1/17, followed by 5 days in the hospital on IV antibiotics due to a secondary abdominal infection. My WBC at the time was 33,000. Could my high TCF-B1 be due to the antibiotics? Or should I get tested for mold exposure? Thank you in advance for input!
Welcome to the forum CindyNH,
Sounds like you and your husband have discovered and implemented lifestyle changes that can really make a lasting impact on your health and wellness. What an inspiration you are to all that read this post. Thank you for sharing such positivity and encouragement. In addition to welcoming you to this forum I wanted to pass along the following links in case they can be of additional help:
How-To Guide
Primer

Please keep posting and asking questions - people like you make this forum invaluable!
Jennifer Balzano
Founder, SeaChange Health Coaching
M.A., B.S., Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach
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Julie G
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Re: Introduction and TGF-B1 Question

Post by Julie G »

I'm posting today because I just found out that my TGF-B1 level is 13,780, WAY above the 344-2392 range. I tested negative for Lyme disease so wonder if anyone could guide me as to the next steps. My Functional Medicine doctor ordered a stool test for me back in early January but then I had an emergency appendectomy on 1/17, followed by 5 days in the hospital on IV antibiotics due to a secondary abdominal infection. My WBC at the time was 33,000. Could my high TCF-B1 be due to the antibiotics? Or should I get tested for mold exposure? Thank you in advance for input!
Hi Cindy! While your TGF-Beta1 is out of range, it's not extraordinarily high, but that combined with the high WBC count is suggestive of an infection- past or present. If it makes you feel better, my first one was 40,000. It's probably a good idea to further explore chronic Inflammation Respose syndrome (CIRS). Have you done other associated tests like C4a (from the National Jewish Hospital) or Alpha-MSH? If these any other CIRS labs are out of range, it might be a good idea to work with a physician, trained in functional medicine, to identify the cause(s) of your elevated inflammation. I learned that a Lyme disease co-infection Babesia duncani, was driving mine. You can learn more about CIRS and possible next steps here.

EDIT- Just read NF52's post and suggest that any repeat TGF-Beta1 testing be done using the Cambridge Biomedical test which controls for the confounding platelet effect.
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