savebabe
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9847
posted
What is the difference between IGG and IGM? Will this indicate past or present infection?
Posts: 1603 | From ny | Registered: Aug 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
I'd like a good answer to that one, too. My understanding, and I'm not at all sure this is correct, is that lyme generally shows up on the IgG first, and longer standing infections show up mostly on the IgM -- Per my NP, a positive on either one merits treatment.
Most infections, I believe, go the other way -- IgM first, and then IgG later, so this confuses ducks to no end.
-------------------- "Looks like freedom but it feels like death.. It's something in between, I guess"
Leonard Cohen, from the song "Closing Time" Posts: 822 | From California | Registered: Jan 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
www.igenex.com has a description of IgG and IgM. Click on "Western Blot" under "Lyme Disease".
Posts: 16 | From Ohio | Registered: Sep 2006
| IP: Logged |
Aniek
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5374
posted
IGM is a sign of recent or current infection. Ideally, the IGM will go down with treatment.
IGG is a sign of exposure. It can be a current or past infection.
A neurologist I saw was very surprised I had a positive IGM and negative IGG. In most infections, you don't see that. Especially after 20 years of infection. I believe you see it in Lyme because of the suppressed immune response.
-------------------- "When there is pain, there are no words." - Toni Morrison Posts: 4711 | From Washington, DC | Registered: Mar 2004
| IP: Logged |
According to that, I believe, the IgM is the more specific and sensitive of the two tests, and a positive on the IgM indicates either new-ish or long-standing, active infection.
Syphillus or rheumatoid factor cross reactivity is a possible confound, and could cause a false positive. (Then again, according to my NP, lyme can cause high rheumatoid factor, as well.)
-------------------- "Looks like freedom but it feels like death.. It's something in between, I guess"
Leonard Cohen, from the song "Closing Time" Posts: 822 | From California | Registered: Jan 2006
| IP: Logged |
The Lyme Disease Network is a non-profit organization funded by individual donations. If you would like to support the Network and the LymeNet system of Web services, please send your donations to:
The
Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey 907 Pebble Creek Court,
Pennington,
NJ08534USA http://www.lymenet.org/
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
Printer-friendly view of this topic