title: Modern management of chronic granulomatous disease.
abstract: Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is a rare primary immunodeficiency disorder of phagocytic cells resulting in failure to kill a characteristic spectrum of bacteria and fungi and in defective degradation of inflammatory mediators with concomitant granuloma formation. Current prophylaxis with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, itraconazole and in selected cases additional interferon gamma is efficient, but imperfect. A significant recent progress towards new antibiotic (e.g. linezolid) and antifungal (e.g. voriconazole and posaconazole) therapy will allow survival of most patients into adulthood. Adolescent and adult CGD is increasingly characterized by inflammatory complications, such as granulomatous lung and inflammatory bowel disease, requiring immunosupressive therapy. Allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation from a human leucocyte antigen identical donor is currently the only proven curative treatment for CGD and can be offered to the selected patients. Gene-replacement therapy for patients lacking a suitable stem cell donor is still experimental and faces major obstacles and risks. However, it may offer some transitory benefits and has helped in a few cases to overcome life-threatening infections.
authors.affiliation: Division Immunology/Haematology, University Children's Hospital of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. reinhard.seger@kispi.uzh.ch
authors.forename: Reinhard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Seger
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005544:Forecasting; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods; D006105:Granulomatous Disease, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019255:NADPH Oxidases / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics; D014185:Transplantation, Isogeneic
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000935:Antifungal Agents; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D019255:NADPH Oxidases