Overview of immunodeficiency disorders

[Becky]

Immunodeficiency disorders involve malfunction of the immune system, resulting in infections that develop and recur more frequently, are more severe, and last longer than usual.

Immunodeficiency disorders usually result from use of a drug or from a long-lasting serious disorder (such as cancer) but occasionally are inherited.
People usually have frequent, unusual, or unusually severe or prolonged infections and may develop an autoimmune disorder or cancer.
Doctors suspect immunodeficiency based on symptoms and do blood tests to identify the particular disorder.
People may be given antimicrobial drugs (such as antibiotics) to prevent and treat infections.
Immune globulin may be given if there are too few antibodies (immunoglobulins) or they are not functioning normally.
If the disorder is severe, stem cell transplantation is sometimes done.

(See also Overview of the Immune System.)
Immunodeficiency disorders impair the immune system’s ability to defend the body against foreign or abnormal cells that invade or attack it (such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and cancer cells). As a result, unusual bacterial, viral, or fungal infections or lymphomas or other cancers may develop.
Another problem is that up to 25% of people who have an immunodeficiency disorder also have an autoimmune disorder (such as immune thrombocytopenia). In an autoimmune disorder, the immune system attacks the body