What are IgG Antibodies?

Why do we trust them? What do they really mean?

Share Dr. Tenpenny's Eye on the Evidence

We are taught in medical school that there are five types of antibodies (immunoglobulins). They are divided into IgG, IgM, IgA, IgD, and IgE. I learned them by memorizing the acronym G-A-M-E-D. They are distributed throughout the body, and each has a different function.

The most prevalent and most highly studied are the IgG antibodies. There are four distinct subclasses of IgG termed IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, and IgG4. Even though they differ considerably in their physical and biological properties, the serum IgG subclass distribution in autoimmune diseases remains somewhat unclear. Nonetheless, the pattern of the four serum IgG subclasses is often used to diagnose different autoimmune diseases.

In fact, new classes of clinical diseases have been developed if the level of IgG4 is significantly elevated in isolation: 1) Mikulicz's disease, a condition similar to Sjögren's syndrome, and, 2) IgG4-related digestive diseases, which include a group of chronic inflammatory disorders characterized by autoimmune reactions and fibrosis (thickening or scarring) of multiple digestive organs.

We “hang a lot of hats” on the IgG antibody test, which doctors frequently order. The results can lead to life-changing diagnoses and treatments. But what does it really mean if your blood test is positive for IgG antibodies?

Does it mean you have an allergy?

Food allergy testing uses an IgG assessment to screen your blood for food allergens. If you have an IgG antibody against, say, chicken or almonds, you are diagnosed with a food allergy and told to avoid these foods. If you are tested for pollen, mold, or dust, an elevated IgG means you have a seasonal allergy.

Does the IgG antibody elevation mean you have a disease?

When you are tested for HIV and found to have an IgG antibody against the human immunodeficiency virus, you are diagnosed with HIV/AIDS.

Rapid tests are done, most often in an office setting, to quickly assess associated with an infection – such as influenza, mono, or SARS-CoV2 using IgG and a drop of blood from a fingerstick. If one of those is positive, you are diagnosed with a viral illness and treated accordingly.

Does the IgG identify an autoimmune disease?

High levels of IgG autoantibodies are associated with many autoimmune diseases. Conditions often diagnosed by elevated levels of IgG antibodies targeted against specific tissue types include:

Thyroid tissue - an elevated IgG test for thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPO) results in a diagnosis of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, an autoimmune disease of the thyroid.
Other common autoimmune conditions diagnosed, at least in part, but specific tissue IgG antibodies include:
o   Primary Sjogren syndrome
o   Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
o   Systemic sclerosis (SSc)
o   Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC)
This is where it gets confusing.
For example, brain autoantibodies are present in approximately 2–3% of the general population, but they don’t usually contribute to brain pathology. Autoantibodies can cause irreversible damage, but sometimes, antibody levels may be elevated in the blood without causing any symptoms at all. Further, not all brain autoantibodies cause disease. As with autoantibodies targeted to other organs, it is possible to have elevated serum titers and no evidence of disease.  Said another way, antibodies may be a marker of a disease but not a contributor cause it.

Does having an IgG elevation mean you have cancer?

Elevated levels of IgG are often found in the presence of a variety of tumors including:

breast carcinoma
esophagus carcinoma
lung cancer
prostate cancer
bladder cancer
papillary thyroid cancer, and
colon cancer.

Does IgG after a vaccine mean you won’t get the illness?

People are vaccinated for a long list of conditions. In fact, as of 2023, vaccines are available against 33 pathogens. Physicians would call the presence of IgG a “protective antibody.” But the medical literature is full of case reports where a person has been vaccinated and has developed a high, or at least adequate, level of IgG antibody to be protective, but contracted the infection again. So, IgG is protective, or it isn’t? It has happened with:

This study, published in 2012, “Meningitis after Vaccination: Report from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) from 1990–2010.” found this:

722 cases of meningitis were reported after vaccination. The onset of meningitis was within 6 weeks in 415 cases (57.5%) and within 2 weeks in 327 (45.2%). The breakdown was as follows:

314 cases of Haemophilus influenza b meningitis after (HiB) vaccination (43%)
115 cases after the hepatitis B vaccine (15.9%)
114 cases after the oral polio vaccination (15%)
104 after the DTP (Diphtheria, Tetanus Toxoid, and Pertussis) vaccination (14.4%)
89 after the DTaP (Diphtheria, Tetanus Toxoid, acellular Pertussis) vax (12.3%)
88 cases after the Prevnar 7 vaccination (12.1%)
84 cases after the MMR vaccination (11.6%), and
67 cases after the IPV (Inactivated poliovirus vaccination. (9.2%)

Can an IgG antibody tell whether you’ve had a past infection vs having been vaccinated?

Example: Chickenpox

Chickenpox is a condition thought to be caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV). It manifests as a fever and an itchy, blister-like rash that starts on the face, chest, and back and then spreads over the entire body lasting 3 to 10 days. A positive IgG test result indicates that a person has antibodies either from past varicella disease OR from vaccination.

This test (IgG antibody) cannot distinguish whether the antibodies were from a past episode of varicella or vaccination.

Example: Measles

Measles is a red, blotchy rash that usually appears first on the face and behind the ears, then spreads downward to the chest and back and finally to the feet. It is generally associated with a cough, runny nose, conjunctivitis, and a fever. Symptoms last 7-10 days with nearly everyone experiencing complete resolution. There were 12 cases of measles reported in the US in 2020. A positive IgG test result indicates that a person has antibodies either from having measles in the past OR from vaccination. Also, these two studies (here and here) suggest that the vaccine-induced measles antibodies decline with time and can fall under the “protective” level.

Similar to chickenpox, the IgG test cannot distinguish whether the antibodies were from a past episode of measles or vaccination.

Example: Rubella

Rubella is best known for its distinctive red rash. It is also called German measles or three-day measles. Although most children experience mild or no symptoms, Rubella may cause theoretical risk in unborn babies; “theoretical” because there were only 6 cases of rubella and no cases of congenital rubella in 2020.

Which begs the question:

Why get vaccinated? Why are moms bullied into these shots for their kids – or for themselves?

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So:

1. Too much IgG may be a problem, and not enough IgG is definitely a problem.

2. An elevated IgG level may mean you have an autoimmune disease.

3. An elevated IgG may mean you had an infection in the past.

4. An elevated IgG indicates you have a food or seasonal allergy.

a. In the absence of an IgG antibody to, say, dairy, you may eatit (because you’re not allergic) even if you vomit, get a rash, or have diarrhea afterwardt.

5. If you do NOT have an IgG after vaccination, you are NOT “protected” (immune).

6. If you DO have elevated IgG after an exposure but have never had the illness, you are “protected” (immune).

7. If you DO have an IgG after vaccination, you ARE protected (even though you can still contract the infection.)

Confusing? Yes

It makes me wonder why we place so much importance on antibodies, especially IgG antibodies, which can represent so many things.

What’s missing

The formation of an antibody is the RESULT of something inside the body, something that needs to be neutralized and eliminated. SOMETHING causes the B-cells to release them. Think of all the ingredients that are in a vaccine. There are chemicals, metals, animal cells, and more. The IgG antibodies are released as the clean-up crew to get the junk out of the body and removed from the blood.

A blood test measuring the IgG level (coupled with a list of symptoms) identifies a “disease.” Why would the body suddenly and without reason attack its own organs? A provoking particle needed to be removed.

An IgG antibody is not a signature of immunity; it is a marker of chronic inflammation and contamination.

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Saturday 27 April 2024