The immune system is composed of specialized cells such as B cells that make antibodies (protein), T cells that kill pathogens (bacteria, viruses or fungus) and white blood cells that fight off infection. MedlinePlus says that immunodeficiency diseases are disorders in which the immune system has reduced function or no longer functions at all.
Agammaglobulinemia
MedlinePlus says that agammaglobulinemia is a medical condition in which the body has reduced levels of immunoglobulins, proteins that are necessary to fight infection. Symptoms of agammaglobulinemia include frequent infections like bronchitis, skin infections, sinusitis and respiratory infections. Agammaglobulinemia also can lead to chronic diarrhea and conjuctivitis (eye infection). MedlinePlus says that these infections typically are present within the first four years of life.
Agammaglobulinemia is considered a very infrequent disease that affects male babies. Certain genes in the body that produce the cells necessary to make antibodies (B cells) are not made normally and immature B cells result. Thus, abnormal immunoglobulins are made. Immunoglobulins are antibodies (proteins) that bind to foreign substances such as bacteria.
Treatment for agammaglobulinemia involves intravenous (through the vein) infusion of immunoglobulins. Antibiotics can also be given to fight off infections.
Severe Combined Immunodeficiency
The National Bone Marrow Donor Program says that severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) is a rare disease affecting one out of every 200,000 babies in the United States. Symptoms include numerous and even potentially life-threatening infections. For example, babies may suffer from lung infections (pneumonia) and brain or spinal cord infections (meningitis). Sometimes these babies may suffer from frequent and persistent bouts of diarrhea and a blood infection (sepsis).
The National Bone Marrow Donor Program says that a wide variety of severe combined immunodeficiency disorders exist but two are most common: classic X-linked and adenosine deaminase severe combined immunodefiency. The classic X-linked form appears in boys and affects more than 50 percent of sufferers. The adenosine deaminase form affects 15 percent of sufferers. This type can affect boys and girls.
Severe combined immunodeficiency is a result of an alteration in the genes needed to make immune cells (B, T and natural killer cells). Treatment for this disease involves preventing the onset of infections. Antibiotics, intravenous immunoglobulins (proteins needed to bind to foreign invaders), enzyme therapy, gene therapy and a bone marrow transplant are treatment options for severe combined immunodeficiency sufferers.
Chronic Granulomatous Disease
Chronic granulomatous disease is an immunodeficiency disease that is more prevalent in males than females, says Info4pi.org. Symptoms of this disease include pneumonia, infected dermatitis (skin disorder), lymphadenitis (inflammation of the lymph nodes) and a large spleen (splenomegaly). The liver can also enlarge (hepatomegaly) and a bone infection (osteomyelitis) can also develop. In some instances, large collections of infected tissue (granulomas) can develop on the skin, lymph nodes, lungs, bones and liver, says Info4pi.org. Chronic lung infections are just some of the problems chronic granulomatous disease sufferers experience.
Unfortunately, no clear treatment exists, but antibiotic medications such as trimethoprim sulfa and treatments such as gamma interferon may decrease the prevalence of infections. Steroids, gene therapy and bone marrow transplants are other treatment options.
