Immunoglobulin A

Immuglobulin A or IgA is an antibody that plays a crucial role in mucosal immunity.

It is the main immunoglobulin found in mucous secretions including the gastrointestinal tract.

Function
IgA is considered the first line for defense against infections.

ME/CFS
A study of 128 ME/CFS patients found significantly increased IgA response to lipopolysaccharides (LPS) from the cell walls of commensal bacteria. Increased IgA response was associated with increased serum IL-1, TNFα, neopterin and elastase. The study concluded that increased translocation of commensal bacteria may be responsible for the disease activity in some ME/CFS patients.

Another study found elevated serum concentrations of both IgA and IgM to LPS of gram-negative bacteria. Serum IgA levels correlated with illness severity as measured by the FibroFatigue scale

Learn more

 * Immunoglobulin A - British Society for Immunology
 * The Adaptive Immune Response: B-lymphocytes and Antibodies