What is IgA antibody test?

What is IgA antibody test?

An IgA test measures the blood level of immunoglobulin A, one of the most common types of antibodies in the body. Antibodies (also called immunoglobulins) are proteins the immune system makes to recognize and get rid of germs.

What does high immunoglobulin A mean?

High IgA can indicate chronic inflammation or an infection. Most labs consider values above 400 mg/dL in adults high. The upper limit varies by age and is lower in children and adolescents. IgA is also elevated in people with: Liver damage [1, 2]

What is the structure of IgA?

Immunoglobulin A (IgA) comprises 5 to 15% of the serum immunoglobulins and has a half-life of 6 days. It has a molecular weight of 160 kDa and a basic four-chain monomeric structure (two L and two H) chain proteins. However, it can occur as monomers, dimers, trimers, and polymers.

What tests are done to check immune system?

Blood tests. Blood tests can determine if you have typical levels of infection-fighting proteins (immunoglobulins) in your blood and measure the levels of blood cells and immune system cells. Having numbers of certain cells in your blood that are outside of the standard range can indicate an immune system defect.

What are the 5 immunoglobulins?

The five primary classes of immunoglobulins are IgG, IgM, IgA, IgD and IgE. These are distinguished by the type of heavy chain found in the molecule. IgG molecules have heavy chains known as gamma-chains; IgMs have mu-chains; IgAs have alpha-chains; IgEs have epsilon-chains; and IgDs have delta-chains.

What is the purpose of IgA?

Immunoglobulin A (IgA) is the most abundant type of antibody in the body, comprising most of the immunoglobulin in secretions and a significant amount of circulating immunoglobulin. In secretions, it serves to protect the mucosal tissues from microbial invasion and maintain immune homeostasis with the microbiota.