Severe Combined Immunodeficiency disease is the most serious of the immunodeficiency disorders. In this disease,antibodies and B lymphocytes are deficient and the T lymphocytes become nonfunctioning or deficient and therefore are not able to fight infections properly.

Few different immune system’s defects cause severe combined immunodeficiency diseases, such as enzyme adenosine deaminase deficiency. Most infants who have this disorder first develop a mouth fungal infection-thrush, and pneumonia; diarrhea generally appears by age of 3 months.

More severe infections, such as pneumocystis  pneumonia, may also occur. If left untreated, the Severe Combined Immunodeficiency may be fatal. Immune globulin and antibiotics may be helpful, but they do not cure the disease. Umbilical cord or bone marrow transplantation is the best treatment available.

This entry was filed under Diseases and Conditions.

Tags: globulin, immune system, immunodeficiency, Severe Combined Immunodeficiency