Acquired Hypogammaglobulinemia in an Adult

Abstract

SINCE the first descriptions of the syndromes of congenital and acquired hypogammaglobulinemia,^{1 2 3} ¶ the acquired disease has been reported in 19 adults.^{4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14} The syndrome consists of extreme susceptibility to infection, low to undetectable levels of circulating antibodies and gamma globulins, immunologic unresponsiveness to antigenic challenge and clinical improvement with replacement gamma-globulin therapy.This paper presents the findings in the oldest reported living patient with the syndrome of acquired hypogammaglobulinemia, together with studies of her immune mechanisms and gamma-globulin metabolism.Case ReportR.E.H., a 63-year-old secretary, was admitted to the Clinical Center of the National Institutes of Health on July 20, 1954, . . .