Common Variable Immunodeficiency Support Group

Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is a group of 20-30 primary immunodeficiencies (PIDs) which have a common set of symptoms but with different underlying causes. CVID's underlying causes are different, but the result of these are that the body doesn't produce sufficient antibodies in response to exposure to pathogens.

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/ Common Variable Immunodeficiency Support Group

CVID vs Hypogammglobulinanemia

jojoa
jojoa
Hi everyone,

I am pretty new to all of this. I was just sent to the immunologist 1 month ago. I'm still waiting to get the Pneumovax results back (it's been a long
2 weeks already)!
My IGG is 564, my IGA is 47, and my !GM is normal.
My total IGG is below 400, although my doc did not give me the exact number.
At the practice I go to there is a patient portal so that I can see everything,
and I really like that. My diagnosis is Hypogammaglobulinanemia.
I have looked at so much online, and what everything seems to say is that
it's the same as CVID.

What can you all tell me about this?

Thank you!
GMRC
GMRC
I am sure a lot of other people here can tell you the difference or maybe google it. My surgeon called my CVID hypogammaglobulin- maybe it's a less specific diagnosis? Technically, I have Good Syndrome, but while my immunologist said that- she stills refers to it as CVID. Good Syndrome is a Thymoma(Tumorous thymus) accompanied with an immune deficency.

Some doctors have speculated that the tumor might have caused it or vice versa that CVID caused the tumor. I don't think I've always had it as my blood tests from the 90s have me with a normal protein level and other doctors think that I wouldn't have that if i had CVID at that time. It's actually pretty confusing, but in the end all it means is I have CVID now.
jojoa
jojoa
@GMRC- thank you. Like in the movie 'My BIg Fat Greek Wedding' I don't know if you saw it, but when the dad says 'some of us are apples and some of us are oranges, but we're all fruit', seems like that's what's going on here.
kelli1b
kelli1b
From what I understand, Hypo means ALL of your immune globulins are deficient - IGG, IGA, IGM and IGE. CVID is more specific meaning your IGG (being 2 standard deviations below normal), IGA and/or IGM are deficient along with failing to mount a proper response to at least 1 of 2 protein based vaccines such as pneumonia or TDAP.

You gave 2 different figures for your IGG so I was unclear if it was 564 or the total of 400. Total IGG would imply he ran subclasses but it wouldnt' be higher than just your IGG of 564. Waiting for vaccine results can be painful but it sounds like your doc is on the right track!