X-linked agammaglobulinemia

[Kai]

X-linked agammaglobulinemia is a hereditary immunodeficiency disorder due to a mutation in a gene on the X (sex) chromosome. The disorder results in no B cells (a type of lymphocyte) and very low levels of or no antibodies (immunoglobulins).

Infants with X-linked agammaglobulinemia start having recurring coughs and/or infections of the nose, ears, skin, sinuses, and lungs at about age 6 months.
Doctors diagnose the disorder by measuring immunoglobulin levels and the number of B cells.
Immune globulin is given throughout life, and antibiotics may be given continuously.

(See also Overview of Immunodeficiency Disorders.)
X-linked agammaglobulinemia results from a mutation in a gene on the X (sex) chromosome (called an X-linked disorder). X-linked disorders usually affect boys.

[Dave Paprocki]

a rare genetic condition in which low levels of immunoglobulins (= proteins that destroy harmful bacteria) affect the bodys ability to fight infection