The Spike Protein Bundle

This bundle includes 3 panels: The Clotting Panel, The Basic PLUS panel and the SARS CoVid Antibodies Panel. Below is a breakdown of each panel.

1. The Basic Plus is all of your “basics” PLUS 3 more additional tests to get your a foundation of where your levels are at.

• Iron and Ferritin should always be done together as ferritin is the storage for iron so doing both, gives us a clear understanding of how you are converting your iron. If your diet lacks iron, your body begins to use its iron storage, making your ferritin levels drop. Ferritin levels can increase when the body absorbs more iron than it needs. Testing these together will show an iron deficiency or an iron excess in which both scenarios can cause inflammation.
• Measurement of serum 25-OH vitamin D concentrations provide a good index of circulating vitamin D activity in patients not suffering from renal disease. Lower than normal 25-OH vitamin D levels can result from a dietary deficiency, poor absorption of the vitamin or impaired metabolism of the sterol in the liver.  Optimal range of your Vitamin D should be between 60-80.
• Measurement of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D test will evaluate certain kidney disorders. The kidneys convert 25-hydroxyvitamin D into the active 1,25 form. Because 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D helps regulate calcium absorption, measuring it can help determine the cause of high or low calcium in some cases,
• CBC and CMP  together help to show us what your immune system is doing and general organ function. These tests strongly suggest a fasting blood sample (no food or drink, except for water, 10-12 hours before draw) however, fasting is mainly for your glucose so if you cannot fast, or don’t think glucose is an issue needing attention, you can still do the draw.
• Complete Blood Count (CBC includes Differentials and Platelets) gives important information about the numbers and kinds of cells in the blood, especially red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. A CBC is used as a screening test that includes: WBC, RBC, Hemoglobin, Hematocrit, MCV, MCH, MCHC, RDW, Platelet count, Neutrophils (Absolute), Lymphs (Absolute), Monocytes(Absolute), Eosinophils (Absolute), Basophils (Absolute)
• Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP) – The test gives the current status of your blood sugar and blood proteins. Includes: Albumin, Albumin/Globulin Ratio (calculated), Alkaline Phosphatase, ALT, AST, BUN/Creatinine Ratio (calculated), Calcium, Carbon Dioxide, Chloride, Creatinine with GFR Estimated, Globulin (calculated), Glucose, Potassium, Sodium, Total Bilirubin, Total Protein, Urea Nitrogen.
• High Sensitivity C- Reactive Protein – measures very small amounts of C-reactive protein (CRP), a protein your liver makes when there’s inflammation somewhere in your body. The “high-sensitivity” version is different from the standard CRP test because it can detect low levels of chronic inflammation, which may be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The main reason is to help estimate risk of heart attack and stroke, especially in people who don’t already have known cardiovascular disease but may have intermediate risk.
• Creatine Kinase (CK/CPK) –is an enzyme found primarily in your:
  • Skeletal muscles
  • Heart muscle
  • Brain

  It’s job is to help cells produce and use energy, especially during muscle activity. Normally, only a small amount of CK is present in the bloodstream. When muscle cells are damaged, they release CK into the blood, causing the level to rise.

• Homocysteine – is an amino acid that your body produces as it breaks down another amino acid called methionine, which comes from protein-rich foods like meat, fish, eggs, and dairy. Normally, homocysteine is quickly recycled into other useful substances. This recycling requires adequate amounts of:

  • Vitamin B12
  • Folate (vitamin B9)
  • Vitamin B6

  If these vitamins are low or the recycling process is impaired, homocysteine levels can rise.

2.  The Clotting Panel evaluates how well your blood forms and breaks down clots and includes:

• Platelet count measures the cells that form the initial plug at an injury site.
• Partial thromboplastin time (PTT)
• Thrombin clotting time (TCT) measure how long it takes blood to clot through different steps of the clotting cascade.
• Fibrinogen activity checks the function of a key protein that builds the clot’s structure.
• D-dimer detects breakdown products left behind after a clot dissolves, helping assess recent clotting activity. Together, these tests give a comprehensive view of your body’s ability to both stop bleeding and prevent unwanted clots.

3. The SARS-CoV-2 Semi-Quantitative Total Antibody (Spike) test measures the level of antibodies your immune system has produced against the spike protein of the COVID-19 virus. These antibodies can develop either from a past infection or from vaccination, since most vaccines target this same spike protein. Rather than simply reporting positive or negative, this test gives a numeric value reflecting the relative antibody level present, which can help indicate immune response strength. It is not used to diagnose an active infection, but rather to assess prior exposure or vaccine response.

This test is very useful for many reasons including:

• Confirming an antibody response. It can show whether you’ve developed detectable spike antibodies after COVID-19 infection, vaccination, or both.
• Monitoring changes over time. Because it provides a semi-quantitative value, your clinician can compare results from the same assay over months to see whether antibody levels are increasing or declining.
• Evaluating immune response in certain people. Doctors sometimes order it for people with weakened immune systems (such as organ transplant recipients or those taking immunosuppressive medications) to see whether they produced any measurable antibody response after vaccination. The result is only one piece of the overall immune picture.
• Supporting specific medical evaluations. In some clinical situations, antibody testing may help distinguish prior infection from vaccination when combined with other antibody tests (such as nucleocapsid antibodies) and the patient’s history.

This is a blood draw thought Labcorp. To find a draw site in your area, CLICK HERE.