Humoral immune deficiency

Humoral immune deficiencies are conditions which cause impairment of humoral immunity, which can lead to immunodeficiency. It can be mediated by insufficient number or function of B cells, the plasma cells they differentiate into, or the antibody secreted by the plasma cells. The most common such immunodeficiency is inherited selective IgA deficiency, occurring between 1 in 100 and 1 in 1000 persons, depending on population. They are associated with increased vulnerability to infection, but can be difficult to detect in the absence of infection.

Signs and symptoms

Signs/symptoms of humoral immune deficiency depend on the cause, but generally include signs of infection such as:

Cause of this deficiency is divided into primary and secondary:

Primary the International Union of Immunological Societies classifies primary immune deficiencies of the humoral system as follows:
Secondary secondary forms of humoral immune deficiency are mainly due to hematopoietic malignancies and infections that disrupt the immune system:
Diagnosis

In terms of diagnosis of humoral immune deficiency depends upon the following:

Measure serum immunoglobulin levels
B cell count
Family medical history
Treatment

Treatment for B cell deficiency depends on the cause, however generally the following applies:

Treatment of infection
Surveillance for malignancies
Immunoglobulin replacement therapy