Initial and Following Blood Tests in CAP's Treatment
Initial and following blood work is not just a matter of Cpni related indicators, but also relevant to your particular history and case, as determined by your doctor. Suggestions drawn from experts treating Cpn in a variety of conditions include the following.
Initial blood work can be obtained for the following tests:
- CBC & Differential
- Liver function tests
- Uric acid
- Serum iron studies (typically depleted by Cpn: low iron levels are more diagnostic, and are not necessariy indicators to supplement, which may actually increase Cpn infection-- see references below).
- Red blood cell ALA dehydratase
- Red blood cell PBG deaminase
- Vitamin B-12 level
- Homocysteinei levels
- Serum methymalonate level.
- Vitamin Di levels
- Thyroid panels (standard plus free T4, free T3, revers T3) [Endocrine disturbances common in Cpn and associated diseasesi]
- Creatinine
- AST
- ALT
- 24-hour urine and 24-hour stool specimens for porphyrins
Dr Stratton has noted relative to porphyrins:
Another indicator, according to Dr. Stratton, is high hemoglobin and high hematocrit.
Dr. Powell notes:
I also tst DHEAi-S and free testosteron in perimenopausal females. Both increase nitric oxide levels, which kills Cpn. No point heading into treatment with low androgens.
Regular Followup Tests
- CBC & Differential
- Liver function tests (especially important when using medications such as INHi or Rifamcini which can have liver toxicity, and because die-off of liver cells infected with Cpn can affect liver function)
- Vitamin D levels (if supplementing deficiency)
- Thyroid panels (standard plus free T4, free T3, reverse T3) (if supplementing deficiency)
- AST
- ALT
- Others as determined by doctor relevant to your particular condition.
Some References-
Iron and the Role of Chlamydia pneumoniae in Heart Diseasei, http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol5no5/letters.htm
Weinberg ED. Patho-ecologic implications of microbial acquisition of host iron. Reviews in Medical Microbiology 1998;9:171-8.
Freidank HM, Billing H. Influence of iron restriction on the growth of Chlamydia pneumoniae TWAR and Chlamydia trachomatis. Clinical Microbiology and Infection 1997;3 Suppl 2:193.
Chapuy MC, Preziosi P, Maamer M, Arnaud S, Galan P, Hercberg S, Meunier PJ. Prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency in an adult normal population. Osteoporos Int. 1997;7(5):439-43. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dop...
Lips P, Chapuy MC, Dawson-Hughes B, Pols HA, Holick MF. An international comparison of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D measurements.Osteoporos Int. 1999;9(5):394-7. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dop...
Holick MF. Vitamin D: importance in the prevention of cancers, type 1 diabetes, heart disease, and osteoporosis. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 Mar; 79(3):362-71.
Heaney RP. Functional indices of vitamin D status and ramifications of vitamin D deficiency. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 Dec;80(6 Suppl):1706S-9S.
May E, Asadullah K, Zugel U. Immunoregulation through 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and its analogs. Curr Drug Targets Inflamm Allergy. 2004 Dec;3(4):377-93. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dop...
