Specific antibody deficiency

What is specific antibody deficiency?

A patient with a specific antibody deficiency cannot produce IgG molecules to the polysaccharides in encapsulated bacteria (as steotococci pneumonia, Staphylococcus aureusand Haemophilus influenzae) This makes the patient vulnerable to recurrent bacterial lung infections (pneumonia), breast infections, ear infections (otitis media), and others.

Specific antibody deficiency is also called selective antibody deficiency, partial antibody deficiency, and impairment polysaccharide sensitivity.

Who gets specific antibody deficiency?

Specific antibody deficiency is usually diagnosed in preschool-age children and occurs in both girls and boys of all races.

What causes specific antibody deficiency?

The exact cause of specific antibody deficiency is unknown, but it is likely due to a genetic mutation. This may be due to a communication failure between B cells and other cells in the immune system.

What are the signs and symptoms of specific antibody deficiency?

Some patients with specific antibody deficiency are asymptomatic because other components of your immune system remain functional. Other patients may present:

• Otitis media, sinusitis, bronchitis, pneumonia and other bacterial infections.

• Infections that are not as serious as severe combined immunodeficiency or x-related agammaglobulinemia

• Atopic eczema and asthma (affecting 50% in patients with specific antibody deficiency)

How is specific antibody deficiency diagnosed?

The diagnosis of specific antibody deficiency is based on:

• Normal T and B levels lymphocytes
• Normal levels of immunoglobulins including IgG subclasses
• Absence of another detectable immunodeficiency disease (including human immunodeficiency virus infection, HIV)
• History of recurrent respiratory infections.
• Administer the standard pneumococcal vaccine and then find lack of antibody formation after 4 to 6 weeks.

How is specific antibody deficiency treated?

Treatment for specific antibody deficiency focuses on:

• Infection control with antibiotics in high doses for ten days or daily for prophylaxis against infection
• Immunoglobulin replacement therapy administered intravenously or subcutaneously if indicated
• Stimulating a better immune response to vaccination by using a heptavalent or 13-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine conjugate with protein and HIB, an anti-Haemophilus vaccine.

Primary The goals of treatment are to prevent bronchiectasis and lung scarring from repeated respiratory infections and to maintain overall quality of life.

Which is the forecast for specific antibody deficiency?

The prognosis for patients with specific antibody deficiency is generally reasonable. Children are known to naturally overcome specific antibody deficiency and those who do not can still maintain a good quality of life with antibiotic and immunoglobulin therapy.