Idiopathic Hypogammaglobulinemia and Agammaglobulinemia

Abstract

IN 1952 Bruton¹ introduced the term "agammaglobulinemia" to describe a new syndrome. The subject of his paper was an eight-year-old boy who contracted repeated respiratory and blood-stream infections, often with the same organism. He was subsequently found to be unable to produce antibodies against pneumococcal polysaccharide, diphtheria toxoid and typhoid vaccine. Electrophoretic analysis of the plasma demonstrated virtually complete absence of gamma globulin. Since that time about 24 new cases have been reported,^{2 , 7 8 9 10 11} 4 in adult men and 1 in an adult woman. An additional case is presented here, and the literature reviewed.Case ReportD.H. (U.H. 770190), a 27-year-old . . .