2 IMMUNOLOGICALLY DISTINCT FORMS OF LATE-ONSET HYPOGAMMAGLOBULINEMIA

Google Scholar
  • 1 January 1981
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 44  (2) , 383-388
Abstract
Most patients with late-onset hypogammaglobulinemia have normal numbers of B cells. Some patients have circulating T cells which suppress Ig production in vitro. From studies on a large series of patients it appears that these 2 findings distinguish 2 separate groups of patients. The majority of the patients have circulating B cells which are immature in the sense that they produce IgM but very little IgG or IgA in vitro. These patients also fail to produce IgA in vivo but their T cells show normal function in vitro and normal T cell markers. Patients with the 2nd form of the disease, including those with associated thymoma, have very few circulating B cells, and relatively preserved IgA production in vivo. In this series it was only this minority of patients whose T cells showed abnormal markers and increased suppressor activity in vitro.