Search
IgG subclass deficiency
Epidemiology:
- often diagnosed in adults
Clinical manifestations:
- recurrent bacterial & viral infections, especially respiratory tract
- encapsulated bacteria, Mycoplasma, respiratory viruses
- recurrent diarrhea due to giardiasis or Norovirus infection
Laboratory:
1) serum IgG subclasses (will not change management
2) assessment of response to immunization with polysaccharide & protein antigens
a) tetanus toxoid or diphtheria & tetanus toxoid (dT)
b) Haemophilus influenzae B conjugate
c) Pneumovax
d) collect serum before immunization & 2-3 weeks after
e) assess antibody content
Complications:
- autoimmune disease
- inflammatory bowel disease
- granulomatous disease
- bronchietasis
- malignancies
Management:
- intravenous immune globulin decreases risk of infection
General
humoral immune dysfunction
References
- Medical Knowledge Self Assessment Program (MKSAP) 11, 19.
American College of Physicians, Philadelphia 1998, 2021