|
|
|
|
|
|||||
Cash Counts makingcontact.org
Subscribe to the Contact a Family Directory 
This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here.
Primary Immunodeficiencies
Background
Primary immunodeficiencies (PID) are the result of defects in the immune system. Many distinct disorders have been discovered, approximately 140 in total, and most have a genetic basis.
The most common PID is hypogammaglobulinaemia in which antibody production is deficient. An antibody is a type of protein. The body's immune system produces antibodies when it detects harmful substances like bacteria and viruses. Hypogammaglobulinaemia has several causes but prominent are X-linked agammaglobulinaemia (XLA), also known as Bruton’s disease, and common variable immunodeficiency (CVID).
Severe combined immune deficiency (SCID), is a type of PID where T and B lymphocytes (white blood cells that play a key role in our immune system) are deficient.
