THE CHILD IS FREQUENTLY SICK - IS HIS IMMUNITY DISTURBED

Abstract

In medicine, immunodeficiency is a state in which the immune system’s ability to fight infectious disease is compromised or entirely absent. Most cases of immunodeficiency are acquired, “secondary” but some people (about 1.33/10 000) are born with defects in the immune system, or primary immunodeficiency (PID). There are over 100 recognized PID syndromes; they are generally grouped by the part of the immune system that is malfunctioning, such as lymphocytes or granulocytes. Immune deficiency may also be the result of particular external processes or diseases; common causes for secondary immunodeficiency are malnutrition, aging and particular medications (e.g. chemotherapy, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, immunosuppressive drugs after organ transplants, glucocorticoids). Many specific diseases directly or indirectly impair the immune system. This include many types of cancer, particularly those of the bone marrow and blood cells (leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma), and certain chronic infections. Immunodeficiency is also the hallmark of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).