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...you probably have many questions
about what your condition means. What causes primary antibody
deficiency? Can it be passed on to other people? How is it
treated? What effect does it have on your everyday life?
This booklet aims to answer some
of those questions. It also includes real-life case studies
of people with primary antibody deficiency and outlines recent
research into the causes and treatment of primary antibody
deficiency.
This booklet is written for people
with primary antibody deficiency. However, if you're the parent,
friend or relative of either a child or an adult with one
of these conditions, we hope that you'll find it equally informative.
Please not that this booklet is
intended for general reference only. It does not attempt to
replace the personal consultation needed with your clinical
immunologist.
Primary antibody deficiency is
the most common of the primary immunodeficiencies. If you
would like information about other primary immunodeficiencies,
please contact the PiA.
The PiA
gratefully acknowledges the help of Mrs Barbara Tugwell,
Sister Sheila Cochrane and Dr Timothy Wallington in the preparation
of this booklet.
Primary antibody deficiency results
from the failure by your immune system to produce sufficient
antibodies in the bloodstream to fight infections, particularly
those caused by bacteria.
Antibodies do two things:
- They help us to recover from
an infection
- They prevent the same infection
from recurring in the future.
Antibodies are members of a family
of proteins called immunoglobulins (Ig). You may also have
heard of the term gammaglobulins, which was used to described
these proteins until researchers found that they were part
of the immune system.
Antibodies are divided into three
main classes: G, A and M: The most abundant class is G. It
is divided into four subclasses.
Each class of antibody has a different
function. For example, IgA antibodies protect body surfaces
such as the lining of the lungs, and IgG antibodies are found
in blood and tissue fluid and protect against invading infections.
Antibodies normally get into all
parts of the body, including the skin, eyes, ears, nose throat,
lungs, intestines, joints and against invading organisms.
So, any part of the body can be affected by primary antibody
deficiency, although usually only a few parts are affected
in each case.
For more information on Living with Primary Antibody Deficiency, please click here.
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