Difference Between IgM and IgG
IgM vs IgG
An immunoglobulin or antibody refers to proteins that bind to antigens in specific cases. Both IgM and IgG refer to a class of immunoglobulin. Antibodies are produced by the immune system to fight antigens like bacteria and viruses. IgM refers to those antibodies that are produced immediately after an exposure to the disease, while IgG refers to a later response. IgG generally confers immunity to a patient so far as that particular disease is concerned.
There are a different immune responses to different antigens or ‘enemies’ that threaten the body. For instance, the antibody produced by your body in response to an exposure to chicken pox is different from the response it produces in case of mononucleosis. At times, the body may mistakenly produce antibodies even against itself! This results in an autoimmune disease.
Immunoglobulin G or IgG is the antibody that is found most abundantly in the human body. It is found in all bodily fluids and it protects the human body against bacterial and viral attacks.
Immunoglobulin M on the other hand is found mainly in the lymph fluid and in blood. This is the first antibody that is produced by the human fetus. It is also the first antibody that is produced in case of an exposure to a particular disease.
IgG and IgM are usually measured together by your doctor when you go in for a test. When they are evaluated together, they give your doctor a better idea about the functioning of your immune system.
An important difference between the two antibodies is related to exposure. While IgM antibodies are usually found in a human body after it has been exposed to a disease, IgG is the long term response of the body to a disease. For instance, if a kid is exposed to chickenpox, he will show elevated results of IgM in the blood in the period following the exposure. Once the child gets the disease, he acquires long term immunity against it by developing IgG antibodies. While IgM is an indicator of a current infection, an IgG indicates a recent or past exposure to the illness.
IgM is the first antibody that the body produces in an acute infection. It is approximately six times larger than IgG and is multivalent. This means that it has multiple binding sites. In the case of IgM, the number of binding sites is 10! However, only about half of these can actually bind to an antigen.
IgM is a temporary antibody that disappears within two or three weeks. It is then replaced by IgG which lasts for life and provides lasting immunity to the person.
Summary:
1. IgM is the immediate antibody that is produced once a human body is exposed to a bacteria, virus or a toxin
2. IgG is found throughout the body, mainly in most of the bodily fluids, while IgM is found mainly in the blood and lymphatic fluids.
3. IgM is larger in size compared to IgG
4. IgM is temporary and disappears after a few weeks. It is then replaced by IgG.
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good information thanks
Thank you so much for offering a comprehendable explanation for this!
Thanks for the above – clear and concise.
I have seen test results for long term chronic bacterial infection, i.e. several years after initial infection, that have a significant igM and a negative igG. What is occuring in this instance?
I would like to understand this also as one of my parents tick infection results came back with this issue and its puzzling .Is it possible they have an immune deficiency and are not making igg antibodies to this bacteria? I myself have primary immune defficiency .low IG1 and IGa. chronic lyme and coinfections as well.
Borrelia bacteria are able to change their outer surface proteins during infection and because of this they represent a constantly new antigen stimulation. This means that the body may respond with IgM throughout infection. This effect is noted in the data sheets of some Lyme tests, but is not recognised by many doctors.
Thank you very much for offering very clear and concise description between IgG and Igm. It made it easier to interpret one of our resident’s test results.
Thank you so much! I have low numbers in both of these and have difficulty in explaining what they are to people. I have trouble understanding it as it is so new to me! I printed out the article to keep with me.
thanks for iformation…
thank you so much for this clear and easy explanation between igG and igM now i have a better understand,
Very well explained. thanks !
Thank u sir for info
Thank you very much! Very clear and useful.
Thanks for this intresting explanation about IgM and IgG
Thank you for clear explanation because I got afraid I don’t have Igm in my body when I got sick it’s only Igg.. Now it’s clear to me that after a week it will comeback.
sir pls tell that my test typhoid igm positive and igg negative.thanks
Had some tests done and my varicella IgG was over 3,000 and the Igm was 1.12 positive. I am not having any shingles…what does this mean.
Nice and brief information
Thanks for giving wonderful knowledge about the captioned subject…
thanks very good and short explanation!
This is a wonderfull piece of information,I need to print this.thanks
Hello my name is Roopam and I just want to know that my IGg test is 107.10 and is there any risk in pregnancy
I got tested for chlamydia igg and igm..
igg is 1.33 positive
igm is 0.38 negative
wat shud I do now…I dont know wat to do
I really find this concise and clear information helpful. Tnx a lot
Thank you sir for presenting such an easy learning approach to the difference of IgM and IgG.
I have a question. Why in some people IgM is always positive for typhoid? Why don’t they get cured??
Once the IgG antibody is created and lets say the disease comes back, will you still see a positive IgM again?
thanks for your info is useful
Thanks so much
Its cleared my idea about IgM and IgG antibodies.
Thank for giving information …..its very useful
Tnks inform igm
Very very tnks
Appreciate for good explanation.
Thanks. It is v. Useful information for me.
Thank you. Informative details.Good job.
Thank you so much doctor for this explanation. My brother tested Typhoid IgG and IgM positive. He feels week and also have high fever. He behaves abnormal for a short time. Doctor what is the natural remedy and please let me know what can be done to get my brother back to normalcy
I wish you a Merry Christmas (the day that I’m writing this comment) and a Happy New Year!
To the future commenters: This is a “Difference Between” Site…NOT a doctor’s office…I have my own blood issues that caused me to seek out this article but I would NEVER seek medical advice online from a total stranger ESPECIALLY on a website that had NOTHING to do with medical issues and MOST ESPECIALLY with my blood work!!! Please stop asking for medical advice! If you read the above comments, you will see that it’s been done…over and over and over again…and NOT ONCE HAS THE AUTHOR REPLIED!!! Thank them for the article or give whatever other comment but stop asking for medical advice! I’m sorry if I come across as rude but there were way too many people that decided to use this article to try to get free medical advice and some didn’t even bother to thank the author for the well written article that they were commenting on! That upset me because the author, whatever they were doing in their life then, took the time to share their well researched, clearly written, and, best of all, mostly easy to understand article with the rest of us! I truly appreciate the effort they must have put into researching and writing it and find the place to put it for the rest of us to find!
To the author of this article…thank you for this, clearly, well written article explaining the difference! As you can see from the number of people seeking medical advice on here, you come across as quite knowledgeable, concise, and professional…as well as approachable, I guess. The way I read it was, even if you DID work in the medical field back when you published this article though, you did NOT do so in a professional capacity or you WOULD have used your title. Even if you HAD used “Dr.” or “M.D.” or whatever was applicable, you didn’t end your article by asking for people to seek you out for medical advice! Those that did so without you specifically advertising it and with you, clearly, not answering anybody else when they tried asking…because what sane person would open themselves up to lawsuits by giving medical advice to strangers online unless it’s through their employer’s (such as the “Message your Doctor” feature that many physicians offices have now while some even have it where you can video chat with them)?!? Anyway, I wanted to say again…Thank you Purpa Mukherjee! I still have MANY questions…because your article doesn’t give examples of possible autoimmune disorders for IgM and IgG high and low levels. Of course, I’m sure that wouldn’t quite fit into this website’s “Difference Between” niche and would be extraneous data as well as too numerous to list probably…I’m just trying to learn more about my own blood work so it would have been nice to know what the possibilities were. Especially since, based on your article, I may be an oddball but I’ll leave that up to my doctors to figure out.
Ok so im little confused. I was tested for herpes and my test came back as
Igg- .46. Negative
Lgm- 1.80 equvocal
Does that mean that i am positive
Thanks to giving this information it’s very useful. …
This is the best explanation I’ve ever encounter in order to understand the function/difference between both of these amazing antibodies. Thank you very much. I used to always get confused but after reading this thoroughly explained comparison I am certain about the function of each.
The best explanation ever seen
Thanks
I am nonmedico. But excellent information and valuable too..
Only answer if you have a basis for your answer !Will 7 days consecutive exposure to breathing Roundup(Polyethoxylated Tallow Amine in it ),after days delay , to illness , and effect of Diagnosis IgM of 8980 mg./dL would be proof of cause of Non Hodgkins Lymphoma ?
An opinion without a basis is not acceptable , whatsoever ! That is not science ! Except somehow , for lawyers , someone is excusing them .