Extremely low IgA anyone?

S

Sebby

Messages
19
I was recently diagnosed with selective IgA deficiency, my IgA is zero in blood and also in my gut. This could explain why I have had tons of sore throats, diarrheas and other lining infections through my life.

I suspect that this could be the cause why my gut health is so poor and maybe this is leading to my ME/CFS.

I know mainstream medicine offers no solution for IgA deficiency but is there maybe something out there that could increase IgA? Does anyone here also have low IgA?
 
E

Ema

Senior Member
Messages
4,729
Location
Midwest USA
If you also have IgG subclass deficiencies, you might benefit from IVIG.

Otherwise, really all you can do is try to treat the infections with antibiotics, etc. It's far from a perfect solution, as you know.

You might try colostrum but I'm not sure if it would work though it is generally though to be beneficial to immune health.

Ema
 
Gemini

Gemini

Senior Member
Messages
1,176
Location
East Coast USA
Sebby said:
I was recently diagnosed with selective IgA deficiency, my IgA is zero in blood and also in my gut. This could explain why I have had tons of sore throats, diarrheas and other lining infections through my life.

I know mainstream medicine offers no solution for IgA deficiency but is there maybe something out there that could increase IgA? Does anyone here also have low IgA?
Click to expand...

There are a couple here with low IgA. An early ME/CFS immune system study turned up patients with it. By any chance were you also tested for autoantibodies to IgA?

The Immune Deficiency Foundation (IDF) has information & holds conferences where speakers address it.
 
S

Sebby

Messages
19
That is really interesting about the study regarding IgA and CFS/ME. Do you know more about it or do you have any links?

No I wasn't tested for autoantibodies to IgA but I was told that it is highly likely that I would have adverse reaction if I would be given non-washed blood if this is what you mean?

But somehow my gut is telling me that my complete absence of IgA has big effect on my illness.
 
helen1

helen1

Senior Member
Messages
1,035
Location
Canada
Interesting topic. I have low secretory IgA, is that the same thing as what you call gut IgA? I did manage to double my sIgA levels in 4 months from a low of 14 up to 30 with 2-3x week massages and no stress. At least that's what I think caused the increase. My level has dropped back to 24 since discontinuing the massages.

sIgA production requires glutathione, phosphotadyl choline, zinc, essential fatty acids, Vit C, glycine, healthy levels of cortisol and DHEA and a functioning IL5 enzyme. I'm homozygous for that one unfortunately.

My cortisol was high before my flurry of massages, and I'm pretty sure the (new) lack of stress combined with the massages are what brought those levels to a close to normal level, helping sIgA production along the way. So anything that creates a relaxation response should help, plus those nutrients mentioned, probiotics, especially s.boulardii, licorice root and digestive enzymes.

A level of zero is very concerning. I hope you get more responses to help you with that.
 
globalpilot

globalpilot

Senior Member
Messages
626
Location
Ontario
Hi Sebby,
I'm pretty sure the IgA in your gut has to come from the blood , so I'm not sure measures to increase SigA would work in your case. I have quite low SIgA in stool but blood is normal. I wonder if yours is a primary immune deficiency. I agree with you that it could be the cause of your CFS.
I hope there is something that can be done for you. I haven't done any research in this area but I imagine you need a good immunologist to deal with this.
 
S

Sebby

Messages
19
Ema said:
If you also have IgG subclass deficiencies, you might benefit from IVIG.

Otherwise, really all you can do is try to treat the infections with antibiotics, etc. It's far from a perfect solution, as you know.

You might try colostrum but I'm not sure if it would work though it is generally though to be beneficial to immune health.

Ema
Click to expand...

No, I only have IgA deficiency which is in my case called Selective IgA deficiency. All my other Immunoglobulins are normal including IgG subclasses.



globalpilot said:
Hi Sebby,
I'm pretty sure the IgA in your gut has to come from the blood , so I'm not sure measures to increase SigA would work in your case. I have quite low SIgA in stool but blood is normal. I wonder if yours is a primary immune deficiency. I agree with you that it could be the cause of your CFS.
I hope there is something that can be done for you. I haven't done any research in this area but I imagine you need a good immunologist to deal with this.
Click to expand...


Yes, it's coming into gut from blood. Both of my gut and blood levels of IgA are zero or below detectable levels.



Gavman said:
Yeah my doc recommended sacc boullardii for this.
Click to expand...


Do you also suffer from Selective IgA deficiency? Could you please tell me a bit more about sacc boullardii? Thanks!
 
Gavman

Gavman

Senior Member
Messages
316
Location
Sydney
Apparently it helps push it higher.. the advice is from back a few months ago now but sacc boullardii is used while people are on antibiotics and for travelers diarrhea. But IgA deficiency creates food sensitivity problems.
 
Gemini

Gemini

Senior Member
Messages
1,176
Location
East Coast USA
Sebby said:
That is really interesting about the study regarding IgA and CFS/ME. Do you know more about it or do you have any links?

No I wasn't tested for autoantibodies to IgA but I was told that it is highly likely that I would have adverse reaction if I would be given non-washed blood if this is what you mean?

But somehow my gut is telling me that my complete absence of IgA has big effect on my illness.
Click to expand...

Link referenced is, "Immunologic Abnormalities in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome," Klimas, et al, 1990, which mentions low IgA among many ME/CFS immune system abnormalities found; the paper focuses on NK cells as the most consistent abnormality. I don't know of any studies that have focused specifically on low IgA in ME/CFS or that have suggested low IgA is a cause of ME/CFS though. It's an interesting question.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2166084

The Mayo Clinic Pathology Lab offered a test for IgA autoantibodies as did Red Cross Reference Labs. The Red Cross Rare Blood Donor Program maintains supplies of blood depleted of IgA for tranfusion to patients with autoantibodies, similarily for patients with IgA autoantibodies who require gammaglobulin treatment, commercial products depleted of IgA are available. A clinical immunologist would be helpful in testing for autoantibodies.
 
E

Ema

Senior Member
Messages
4,729
Location
Midwest USA
So Medscape has this to say about the serum vs secretory IgA:

Almost all patients with IgAD also exhibit loss of both secretory IgA type 1 and secretory IgA type 2 in their external secretions, but these are not routinely measured.
Click to expand...

I wonder if the reverse is also always true...does low secretory IgA also mean low serum IgA?
 
S

Sebby

Messages
19
Gemini said:
Link referenced is, "Immunologic Abnormalities in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome," Klimas, et al, 1990, which mentions low IgA among many ME/CFS immune system abnormalities found; the paper focuses on NK cells as the most consistent abnormality. I don't know of any studies that have focused specifically on low IgA in ME/CFS or that have suggested low IgA is a cause of ME/CFS though. It's an interesting question.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2166084

The Mayo Clinic Pathology Lab offered a test for IgA autoantibodies as did Red Cross Reference Labs. The Red Cross Rare Blood Donor Program maintains supplies of blood depleted of IgA for tranfusion to patients with autoantibodies, similarily for patients with IgA autoantibodies who require gammaglobulin treatment, commercial products depleted of IgA are available. A clinical immunologist would be helpful in testing for autoantibodies.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the links! What is that forum that you mentioned about IgA deficiency?




Ema said:
So Medscape has this to say about the serum vs secretory IgA:


I wonder if the reverse is also always true...does low secretory IgA also mean low serum IgA?
Click to expand...

Yeah I think low secretory IgA could mean low blood IgA but not necessarily. If you have extremely low IgA like I do (way below the lowest normal point) then having also low blood IgA is likely at least in my opinion. Because as far as I know you can have low SIgA also in severe stress but I don't think it would go so extremely low as in true Selective IgA deficiency.
 
Misfit Toy

Misfit Toy

Senior Member
Messages
4,178
Location
USA
I also have low IgA and low iGg. But yes, low IgA and Celiac. I have all kinds of GI issues. It is from blood work.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back