Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
hypogammaglobulinemia
References
Quizzes
Encyclopaedia Britannica thistle graphic to be used with a Mendel/Consumer quiz in place of a photograph.
44 Questions from Britannica’s Most Popular Health and Medicine Quizzes
Britannica AI Icon

hypogammaglobulinemia

pathology
Written by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last updated

Quick Summary

Hypogammaglobulinemia is a condition where the body has an inadequate supply of gamma globulins, which are a subgroup of blood proteins that include antibodies. This deficiency means individuals cannot develop sufficient immunity to infectious diseases, leading to frequent infections.1

Gamma globulins, specifically immunoglobulins, are crucial for the body's defense system. When the body forms antibodies, they are found within the gamma globulins. In cases of hypogammaglobulinemia, the reduced levels of these antibodies impair the immune response.1

Immune serum globulin (ISG), derived from healthy donors, contains a mix of immunoglobulins and can be used to treat hypogammaglobulinemia, providing passive immunity. Intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIGs) offer a way to quickly increase antibody levels.2

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
3 Britannica Sources
  1. gamma globulin
  2. therapeutics - Immunoglobulins
  3. agammaglobulinemia

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.