Can IgG4 be cured?

Particularly if diagnosed early, IgG4-RSD is highly treatable. Our program offers both traditional steroid therapy (prednisone) and, should that prove ineffective, a medication called rituximab that has shown great promise in treating the condition.

Is IgG4 disease fatal?

IgG4-RD can cause many different symptoms and may affect one or several organs at the same time or at different times. Although symptoms may sometimes be mild, it can also cause severe organ damage and even death if not treated.

What does IgG4 disease stand for?

Immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a chronic immune-mediated fibroinflammatory disorder that often manifests with tumor-like masses and/or painless enlargement of multiple organs. Serum IgG4 level is often but not always elevated.

What does IgG4 do to your body?

It has various normal functions in the body, but in IgG4-related disease, immune cells that produce IgG4, along with other related cells, accumulate abnormally in certain organs and damage them. The affected organs can enlarge and may eventually fill with scar tissue (fibrosis) and the damage can be permanent.

What does IgG4 stand for?

What causes IgG4-related disease?

What is the cause of IgG4-related disease? The cause of IgG4-related disease is unknown. It may be an autoimmune disorder: antinuclear antibodies and autoantibodies to pancreatic antigens have been found in autoimmune pancreatitis.

How rare is IgG4-related disease?

Type 1 AIP is rare, being the cause of chronic pancreatitis in less than 5% of cases. It typically occurs in middle-aged males [[45]]. IgG4 serum levels are usually elevated, but are normal in up to 20% of patients.

Is IgG4-related disease hereditary?

Although the precise mechanisms of the pathogenesis of IgG4-RD are not yet understood, some studies have suggested genetic components contributing to the onset of IgG4-RD or its subgroup. The recent emergence of the concept of IgG4-RD has made it difficult to conduct genetic analyses of IgG4-RD as a whole.

Can IgG4 affect the brain?

Importance IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is characterized by an inflammatory reaction rich in IgG4-positive plasma cells. Head and brain involvement is rare in IgG4-RD, and brain parenchyma involvement has never been reported.