Ibrutinib and Immunoglobulins

[Davidcara]

Wonder if ibrutinib helps to increase immunoglobulins. May 2020 started ibrutinib and IGG was 425, now IGG 451

[AussieNeil Administrator]

From this rather techmical 2015 paper's discussion section: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

"IgA increased significantly and remained above baseline levels in most patients after 2 years of treatment. IgG, unaffected in the short-term, decreased with longer duration on drug."

IgM showed a transitory improvement if you disregarded the effect of clonal IgM from CLL cells. Only some of patients in the trial had this clonal IgM.

So your IgG improvement may be transitory, although other members on long term Ibrutinib have reported very good improvements in their immunoglobulins. From the study, it was the marked improvement in IgA that correlated with a reduction in infections in the trial patients. Importantly, your IgG is reasonably adequate for someone with CLL and I hope that means that you are not having many infections.

Neil

[Davidcara in reply to AussieNeil]

Thanks Neil. Have had a few skin infections, things like boils. Some cultured out negative, a couple with staph. Thanks for the information.

[Jm954 Administrator]

Like everything else, this varies from patient to patient and the best thing is to get them measured regularly. My immunoglobulins increased on Ibrutinib but luckily for me they were never below the normal range.

[morepork in reply to Jm954]

All my IG's have been abnormal since at least 2011 - (about half the normal range, on checking my spreadsheets) but have stayed within a small range of their own. Taking Ibrutinib since 2016 has not affected them at all but it has done a number on my Platelets.

[BeckyLUSA]

Have been on Ibrutinib for 3 years and my very low IgG has not improved at all.

[Justasheet1 in reply to BeckyLUSA]

Ibrutinib for a year and a half. MRD- with it, very fortunately but Iga is very low and Igm is also low. Igg is slowly dropping but normal range still, hallelujah.

Jeff

[guzzifan]

Davidcara, the difference between 425 and 451 (a 6% increase) is probably within the margin of error of the test. I wouldn't read anything into it unless it continues to increase.

[Youngen]

On Ibrutinib since 11/20. So far my WBC and ALC haven’t decreased much but my hemoglobin, platelets, neuts and immunoglobulins (iga, igg and igm) all in range for the first time in years!!

How long did it take others to see a decrease in WBC and ALC?

[ikahan in reply to Youngen]

My husband took 2 years to get from 60 k to 3 k. According to Dr Byrd having a gradual slow decrease in ALC constitutes a better response to ibrutinib than having a rapid decrease.

[Youngen in reply to ikahan]

Thanks for sharing this. Very reassuring!