I need help with an anti-body

[mrblond5311]

My pregnant girlfriend went to the doctor this morning to see about her blood test results & they told her everything was fine but she did have a rare anti-body called M minus or M negative(I would ask her but I'm not waking a pregnant woman up at 2 in the morning,lol) or something like that.They told her it's not harmful just rare. Could anyone enlighten me as to any signifigance this may have or what purpose this anti-body serves. I know lots of discoveries are being made with the human body & I was just wondering if maybe this is genetic or any other info i could get. Any input & a correct term for this would help,thanks! Oh,and if it changes anything which i heard it would she's a redhead. I've heard redhead's have some kind of genetic difference. Any info on that would be great,also.

[YT2095]

Immunoglobulin M antibodies can have have several causes, rubella, toxoplasma, hepatitis and so on, did they specify which it was? as (IgM) is just a Type of antibody protein.

this may be interesting to read: http://www.cps.ca/english/statements/ID/id98-03.htm

and maybe here: http://www.chclibrary.org/micromed/00044750.html

 

as you can see, there are 2 links with different causes for this IgM antibody, so you need to find out which of plenty other causes triggered this reaction.

 

but if the doctors aren`t worried, it`s probably something very simple and nor should you worry too much either

[Dak]

isnt IgM released at the onset of an infection, desighned more to clump antigens together into an inoperable lump and catalyse the compliment-degredation of an antigen, and once sufficient macrophages have been mobalised production is switched to IgE, which is more macrophage-specific?

[rakuenso]

That's what I thought as well, I read that IgM was the first antibody to be detected in the blood following an immunization? So has she had any immunizations lately?

 

Waldenström's macroglobulinemia is the only cancerous disease of the plasma cells that I know of which secretes high levels of IgM

[mrblond5311]

That's what I thought as well' date=' I read that IgM was the first antibody to be detected in the blood following an immunization? So has she had any immunizations lately?

 

Waldenström's macroglobulinemia is the only cancerous disease of the plasma cells that I know of which secretes high levels of IgM[/quote']

 

 

 

the last one she had was after she had my son on 12/31/03. it was for ruebella( i'm sorry i know i'm spelling it wrong). you'd think the doctor would have told her if she was at risk for waldenstrom's,i hope so.