Hypogammaglobulinemia

Basics

DESCRIPTION

  • A disorder of the humoral immune system characterized by deficient or absent immunoglobulins and the inability to produce specific antibody
  • Subtypes include primary immunodeficiency and secondary deficiency due to other extrinsic disease (i.e., malignancy).

EPIDEMIOLOGY

Incidence and prevalence depends on underlying defect or cause. Antibody deficiency syndromes represent ~70% of primary immune deficiencies.

RISK-FACTORS

Genetic defects have been identified in many cases (see “Differential Diagnosis”).

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