Serum Immunoglobulin Levels Throughout the Life-Span of Healthy Man

作者：C.E. Buckley, F. C. DORSEY · 发表于：Annals of Internal Medicine · 年份：1971 · DOI：10.7326/0003-4819-75-5-673 · 被引用次数：96 · 研究领域：Blood groups and transfusion、Monoclonal and Polyclonal Antibodies Research、Immunodeficiency and Autoimmune Disorders

Serum immunoglobulin concentrations in apparently healthy subjects vary with age, race, and sex. Meaningful interpretation of serum immunoglobulin concentrations in older adults has been difficult because of normal variation. A new method for characterizing means and confidence intervals of IgG, IgA, and IgM makes it possible to evaluate observations in a single patient independent of confounding physiologic variation. The derived confidence intervals and categories of altered levels of IgG, IgA, and IgM observed in healthy subjects are comparable between all race and sex groups from age 1 to 80 years. The confidence interval bounded by two standard deviations about the mean excludes 5% of apparently healthy controls. Elevated IgM, low IgA, low IgG, low IgM, and elevated IgA are the commonest changes observed in apparently healthy humans. The data presented provide a basis for evaluation and interpretation of serum immunoglobulin levels in patients throughout life.