title: Transient hypogammaglobulinemia of infancy: Five new cases, review of the literature and redefinition.
abstract: The clinical and immunological data of 5 patients with transient h hypogammaglobulinemia of infancy (THI) are presented and compared to published data. In THI, there is distinction between patients who can mount a specific immune response, by producing specific antibodies to bovine serum albumin, diphtheria toxin, and isohemagglutinins, and patients with more severe forms of immunodeficiency. With only 5 reported cases of THI in 11 years and analysis of more than 8000 sera-, our data support the notion that THI is a relatively rare disorder. THI can only be diagnosed with certainty in retrospect, although the ability to mount an active, specific immune response is a strong indicator for the diagnosis. We propose a more accurate definition of THI to help avoid clinical misjudgement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Hannover Medical School, FRG.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dressler
authors.forename: H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Peter
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Rieger
mesh_terms: D000361:Agammaglobulinemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology*; D000917:Antibody Formation; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000032:analysis; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D012008:Recurrence
chemical_list: D007136:Immunoglobulins