Treatment is by parenteral administration of gamma globulins, either monthly intravenously, or, more recently, by weekly self-administered hypodermoclysis. In either case, mild allergic reactions (generalized pruritus, urticaria) are common, and are usually manageable with oral diphenhydramine.

Isolated primary immunoglobulin M deficiency (or selective IgM immunodeficiency (SIgMD)) is a poorly defined dysgammaglobulinemia characterized by decreased levels of IgM while levels of other immunoglobulins are normal. The immunodeficiency has been associated with some clinical disorders including recurrent infections, atopy, Bloom's syndrome, celiac disease, systemic lupus erythematosus and malignancy, but, surprisingly, SIgMD seems to also occur in asymptomatic individuals. High incidences of recurrent upper respiratory tract infections (77%), asthma (47%) and allergic rhinitis (36%) have also been reported. SIgMD seems to be a particularly rare antibody deficiency with a reported prevalence between 0.03% (general population) and 0.1% (hospitalized patients).

The cause of selective IgM deficiency remains unclear, although various mechanisms have been proposed, such as an increase in regulatory T cell functions, defective T helper cell functions and impaired terminal differentiation of B lymphocytes into IgM-secreting cells among others. It is however puzzling that class switching seems to happen normally (serum levels of other antibodies are normal), while dysfunctioning of IgM synthesis is expected to occur together with abnormalities in other immunoglobulins. Notwithstanding a clear pathogenesis and commonly accepted definition, a cutoff for SIgMD could be the lower limit of the serum IgM reference range, such as 43 mg/dL in adults or even 20 mg/dL.

IgG deficiency (Selective deficiency of immunoglobulin G) is a form of dysgammaglobulinemia where the proportional levels of the IgG isotype are reduced relative to other immunoglobulin isotypes. IgG deficiency is often found in children as transient hypogammaglobulinemia of infancy (THI), which may occur with or without additional decreases in IgA or IgM.

IgG has four subclasses: IgG, IgG, IgG, and IgG. It is possible to have either a global IgG deficiency, or a deficiency of one or more specific subclasses of IgG. The main clinically relevant form of IgG deficiency is IgG. IgG deficiency is not usually encountered without other concomitant immunoglobulin deficiencies, and IgG deficiency is very common but usually asymptomatic.

IgG1 is present in the bloodstream at a percentage of about 60-70%, IgG2-20-30%, IgG3 about 5-8 %, and IgG4 1-3 %. IgG subclass deficiencies affect only IgG subclasses (usually IgG2 or IgG3), with normal total IgG and IgM immunoglobulins and other components of the immune system being at normal levels. These deficiencies can affect only one subclass or involve an association of two subclasses, such as IgG2 and IgG4. IgG deficiencies are usually not diagnosed until the age of 10. Some of the IgG levels in the blood are undetectable and have a low percentage such as IgG4, which makes it hard to dertermine if a deficiency is actually present. IgG subclass deficiencies are sometimes correlated with bad responses to pneumoccal polyscaccharides, especially IgG2 and or IgG4 deficiency. Some of these deficiencies are also involved with pancreatitis and have been linked to IgG4 levels.

Hypergammaglobulinemia is a medical condition with elevated levels of gamma globulin.

It is a type of immunoproliferative disorder.

Hypergammaglobulinemia is a condition that is characterized by the increased levels of a certain immunoglobulin in the blood serum. The name of the disorder refers to an excess of proteins after serum protein electrophoresis (found in the gammaglobulin region).

Most hypergammaglobulinemias are caused by an excess of immunoglobulin M (IgM), because this is the default immunoglobulin type prior to class switching. Some types of hypergammaglobulinemia are actually caused by a deficiency in the other major types of immunoglobulins, which are IgA, IgE and IgG.

There are 5 types of hypergammaglobulinemias associated with hyper IgM.

MeSH considers hyper IgM syndrome to be a form of dysgammaglobulinemia, not a form of hypergammaglobulinemia .

Hypogammaglobulinemia is a type of primary immunodeficiency disease in which not enough gamma globulins exist in the blood (thus "" + "gamma" + "globulin" + ""). This entails that not enough antibodies exist, which impairs the immune system. Hypogammaglobulinemia is a characteristic of common variable immunodeficiency.

causes:

nephrotic syndrome

Dysgammaglobulinemia is a type of immune disorder characterized by a reduction in some types of gamma globulins, resulting in heightened susceptibility to some infectious diseases where primary immunity is antibody based.

It is distinguished from hypogammaglobulinemia, which is a reduction in "all" types of gamma globulins.

Hyper IgM syndrome can be considered a form of dysgammaglobulinemia, because it results from a failure of transformation from IgM production to production of other antibodies, and so the condition can be interpreted as a reduction of the other types.

Transient hypogammaglobulinemia of infancy is a form of hypogammaglobulinemia appearing after birth, leading to a reduction in the level of IgG, and also sometimes IgA and IgM. (The ratios of immunoglobulins vary rapidly in all infants, and the term dysgammaglobulinemia, although theoretically applicable, is not usually used in this context.)

It can result in increased infections, but it can also present without symptoms.