Immune System Testing

Testing to Find the Cause of Frequent Infections

When infections keep coming back, testing can show whether your immune system is working the way it should. We offer immune system testing for children and adults at our Commerce Township and Mount Clemens offices. Most testing starts with routine blood work.

How We Evaluate Your Immune System

Your evaluation begins with a detailed conversation about your infections: how often they happen, how serious they are, and how they have been treated. We also review your family history, vaccines, and any other conditions or medicines that could affect your immune system. This helps us decide which tests you need.

Immune System Tests We Offer

Blood Counts and Antibody Levels

• Complete blood count (CBC): checks the number and types of white blood cells that fight infection
• Immunoglobulin levels: measures the main types of antibodies in your blood (IgG, IgA, and IgM)
• Lymphocyte testing: counts specific infection-fighting cells, such as T cells and B cells
• Complement testing: checks a group of proteins that help your body clear infections

Vaccine Response Testing

This test shows whether your body makes protective antibodies after a vaccine, such as tetanus or pneumococcal (pneumonia) vaccines. We check your antibody levels, and if they are low, we may give a vaccine and recheck your blood several weeks later to see how your immune system responds.

Genetic Testing

When we are investigating an immune deficiency, genetic testing may help confirm a diagnosis or guide treatment. We’ll talk with you about whether it would be useful in your case.

Allergy Testing

Sometimes ongoing sinus or chest symptoms are caused by allergies rather than infections. Allergy testing can help tell the difference.

What to Expect

Most immune system tests use a standard blood draw. Results usually take a few days to a few weeks, depending on the test. Vaccine response testing takes longer because we compare your antibody levels before and after a vaccine. We review all of your results with you at a follow-up visit and explain what they mean.