Evolution of hypogammaglobulinemia in premature and full-term infants

Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol. 2011 Jul-Sep;24(3):721-6. doi: 10.1177/039463201102400318.

Abstract

There are few data in the literature reporting the evolution of hypogammaglobulinemia in premature and full-term infants during the first years of life. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical and immunological evolution of premature and full-term infants with hypogammaglobulinemia. We included 24 children (11 premature and 13 full-term infants), aged 0-36 months, with hypogammaglobulinemia. Fifteen (62.5%) children had an isolated reduction in IgG, 7 (29.2%) had a decrease in both IgG and IgA and 2 (8.3%) a reduction in IgG and IgM. Normalization of IgG serum levels occurred in the premature infants at a mean age of 7.2 months. Full-term infants were divided into 3 groups based on age at normalization of IgG serum level: A) hypogammaglobulinemia with normalization within 12 months of life; B) with normalization within 36 months of life; C) normalization after 36 months. All the premature infants with hypogammaglobulinemia recovered, even though in the lower limits for age in the first years, while transient hypogammaglobulinemia observed in full-term infants has a different age of recovery.

MeSH terms

  • Agammaglobulinemia / immunology
  • Agammaglobulinemia / pathology*
  • Aging / immunology
  • Child, Preschool
  • Disease Progression
  • Female
  • Gestational Age
  • Humans
  • Hypersensitivity, Immediate / complications
  • Hypersensitivity, Immediate / epidemiology
  • Immunoglobulin A / analysis
  • Immunoglobulin G / analysis
  • Immunoglobulin M / analysis
  • Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / therapeutic use
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Infant, Premature / blood*
  • Infections / complications
  • Infections / epidemiology
  • Male
  • Prospective Studies
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology

Substances

  • Immunoglobulin A
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Immunoglobulin M
  • Immunoglobulins, Intravenous