title: Evolution of hypogammaglobulinemia in premature and full-term infants.
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.
authors: Department of Pediatrics, University of Bologna, Italy. giampaolo.ricci@unibo.it
authors: Giampaolo
authors: G
authors: Ricci
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Piccinno
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Giannetti
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Miniaci
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Specchia
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Masi
mesh_terms: D000361:Agammaglobulinemia / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D007070:Immunoglobulin A / Q000032:analysis; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000097:blood*; D007239:Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007070:Immunoglobulin A; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous