What is Igm? And what do the stages mean?

[Mememememe]

[Hidden]

Igms :- is found mainly in the blood and lymph fluid, is the first to be made by the body to fight a new infection. (I once wrote this down after getting my blood print outs but these days I don't bother, glance at them all and due to no alarm by the doctor, file the print out away.)

Stands for immunoglobins, think I'm right in saying they are a type of protein.

I haven't bothered with the staging as it is referred to of PBC. Due to me being in England and I was diagnosed on the AMA along with the sympton of itching and at the time fatigue plus abnormal and deranged LFTs I presume the consultant made some sort of gauge from there. Seems more of an American thing as normally it seems a liver biopsy is taken even after diagnose of PBC via AMA test.

I've never asked as I really don't want to know. Reason being regardless I might never get to another stage or progress to what is some final one so no use bothering about that now as it could be something that may never be.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Beautifully said, I haven't a clue what "stage" I am in , nor do I care. I also take life one day at a time and deal with my present moment not an imaginary one that may never happen. That being said, I am from America and thought the staging thing was from across the pond. loll

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Hello, no it seems that biopsies are the norm in the States. Appears that in England biopsies are used if a doctor is in doubt as to what could be the problem if the LFTs or AMAs aren't as they would tend to appear in one with PBC.

I understand that the biopsies in America are to do this staging but there has been some debate as to whether a biopsy gets the real picture of a PBC stage due to the actual biopsy site, ie that part might be perfectly normal, another might not. But I do understand that a biopsy can definitely show up that one has PBC.

[zipitydoo in reply to Hidden]

Totally agree with this. The biopsy taken is what is used to stage and is not a picture of the whole liver.

Whatever the stage Urso seems to be the only meds that is used at the moment so whatever stage would be treated the same.

I was offered a biopsy (uk) but didnt see the point.

I have read that PBC has now apparently been found in mice and because of that there are now 3 big pharmaceutical companies in the USA interested in it.

[Junolee]

Hear hear to you both! Live the moment as well as you can.