My dd has had low IgM numbers for the last 6 months along with low IgA. IgG is normal range. She does receive IVig every 4 weeks.
Anyone know anything about or familiar with low IgM? Didn't find much from googling and we don't see Dr . again until October.
ETA: She receives the IVig for Selective Antibody Deficiency
Posted by susank (Member # 22150) on :
Don't know much about low IGM.
You might want to join IDFfriends.org
I am a member there - CVID.
Posted by surprise (Member # 34987) on :
The donor antibodies from an IVIG stay in the body for 4-6 weeks.
So any testing of antibodies or immune system panels during that time frame are useless/not a true reading of what is happening.
Posted by NEMOM (Member # 31370) on :
quote:Originally posted by surprise: The donor antibodies from an IVIG stay in the body for 4-6 weeks.
So any testing of antibodies or immune system panels during that time frame are useless/not a true reading of what is happening.
Yes, I know this. Her labs were drawn the day before her IVig treatment-so 4 weeks after her last treatment.
Posted by surprise (Member # 34987) on :
But you are still drawing blood from last 4 week infusion.
Getting IVIG every 4 weeks if I am understanding correctly...
Posted by surprise (Member # 34987) on :
So my opinion is the blood sample is not entirely clean of donor antibodies.
Just what we are told in the PANDAS/PANS world about testing within the 4-6 weeks after IVIG.
Posted by susank (Member # 22150) on :
NEMOM - I think I am understanding that:
Your daughter would test IGG deficient if not on IVIG. (She is on IVIG because she is IGG/subclass deficient, right?).
She is also IGM and IGA deficient. Is this recent/something new? ----- FWIW the half-life of IGM and IGA antibodies is much shorter than for IGG antibodies. A week vs about three weeks.
IGM and IGA antibodies in IVIG would be anyway negligable - and with their short half-life would probably be out of one's system four weeks after an infusion. (in regards to tests being skewed by IVIG).
I still suggest joining the immune deficiency group IDF friends.org - lots of folks that know about these things there. Very helpful.
Also FWIW I personally know only one person that is IGM deficient. My neighbor - but her IGG and IGA are in range - but low end. Her IGM deficiency was discovered after numerous surgeries after having trouble with a mesh bladder implant. Her body rejected the mesh and she became very ill. She is still not doing well. But there is no treatment for IGM deficiency as far as I know.
But one wonders why the deficiencies, right? Were they there all along - since birth? Or caused by something else?
Posted by NEMOM (Member # 31370) on :
quote:Originally posted by susank: NEMOM - I think I am understanding that:
Your daughter would test IGG deficient if not on IVIG. (She is on IVIG because she is IGG/subclass deficient, right?).
She is also IGM and IGA deficient. Is this recent/something new? ----- FWIW the half-life of IGM and IGA antibodies is much shorter than for IGG antibodies. A week vs about three weeks.
IGM and IGA antibodies in IVIG would be anyway negligable - and with their short half-life would probably be out of one's system four weeks after an infusion. (in regards to tests being skewed by IVIG).
I still suggest joining the immune deficiency group IDF friends.org - lots of folks that know about these things there. Very helpful.
Also FWIW I personally know only one person that is IGM deficient. My neighbor - but her IGG and IGA are in range - but low end. Her IGM deficiency was discovered after numerous surgeries after having trouble with a mesh bladder implant. Her body rejected the mesh and she became very ill. She is still not doing well. But there is no treatment for IGM deficiency as far as I know.
But one wonders why the deficiencies, right? Were they there all along - since birth? Or caused by something else?
Yes to pretty much everything you have said. My daughter does have chronic, congential lyme and co which is why I posted here. I was looking to see if this was common in lyme.
Long time member at IDF.
Posted by GretaM (Member # 40917) on :
There is a talk with Dr. H
In it he states that lyme disease is the only known cause of low IgM immunoglobbin.
I have had it for 3 years.
FYI. My doc expressily told me to avoid any type of vaccine. With low IgM it just overloads the system as one never makes antibodies for it.
The IgM signal the other immunoglobbins that an enemy is near. Without IgM, the immune defense cascade doesn't proceed properly.