Pediatric Bruton Agammaglobulinemia Differential Diagnoses
- Author: Terry W Chin, MD, PhD; Chief Editor: Harumi Jyonouchi, MD more...
Diagnostic Considerations
Diagnosing Bruton agammaglobulinemia, formally termed X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA), in male infants initially requires the exclusion of combined T-lymphocyte and B-lymphocyte deficiency. Diagnosis of SCID requires immediate intervention to allow stem cell transplantation or even gene therapy. Flow cytometric measurement of T-lymphocyte and B-lymphocyte populations and T-cell function assays are essential to rule out a broader defect of cell-mediated immunity.
In patients with no other affected family members, autosomal forms of agammaglobulinemia must be considered when the CD19 expression on B cells is minimal in a male patient (although 30-50% of XLA cases are believed to arise from new mutations). Currently, mutations in the genes for the IGHM, Ig-α, or lambda-5 (IGLL1) are unusual etiologies for agammaglobulinemia with absent CD19+ B cells. Mutations in other genes are predicted based on genetic defects in mice. In addition to BTK, murine B-cell proliferation and differentiation are under the control of SYK; PAX5; and genes that code for IL-7, λ 5, Ig-β, IL-2R γ, lyn, and bcl-2. Therefore, mutations in the humangenes forthese proteins may be found in the future as etiologies for agammaglobulinemia.
Other primary immunodeficiency diseases occasionally need to be considered, but assessment of B- and T-lymphocyte markers almost always allows the distinction of XLA from other disorders. Patients with X-linked hyper-IgM or common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) may appear clinically similar to patients with XLA.
Growth hormone deficiency associated with absent B cells is rare. Mutations in BTK may or may not be found in these patients.
Another rare syndrome of absent B cells is associated with intrauterine growth retardation, microcephaly, and progressive pancytopenia. No mutation in BTK or several other genes needed for B-cell proliferation has been detected in this syndrome.
Differential Diagnoses
- Agammaglobulinemia
- Common Variable Immunodeficiency
- Growth Hormone Deficiency
- IgA and IgG Subclass Deficiencies
- Lymphoproliferative Disorders
- Severe Combined Immunodeficiency
- T-Cell Disorders
- Transient Hypogammaglobulinemia of Infancy
- X-linked Immunodeficiency With Hyper IgM
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| Brand(Manufacturer) | Manufacturing Process | pH | Additives (IVIG products containing sucrose are more often associated with renal dysfunction, acute renal failure, and osmotic nephrosis, particularly with preexisting risk factors [eg, history of renal insufficiency, diabetes mellitus, age >65 y, dehydration, sepsis, paraproteinemia, nephrotoxic drugs].) | Parenteral Form and Final Concentrations | IgA Content mcg/mL |
| Carimune NF (ZLB Behring) | Kistler-Nitschmann fractionation, pH 4 incubation, nanofiltration | 6.4-6.8 | 6% solution: 10% sucrose, < 20 mg NaCl/g protein | Lyophilized powder 3, 6, 9, 12% | Trace |
| Flebogamma (Grifols USA) | Cohn-Oncley fractionation, PEG precipitation, ion-exchange chromatography, pasteurization | 5.1-6 | Sucrose free, contains 5% D-sorbitol | Liquid 5% | < 50 |
| Gammagard Liquid 10% (Baxter Bioscience) | Cohn-Oncley cold ethanol fractionation, cation and anion exchange chromatography, solvent detergent treated, nanofiltration, low pH incubation | 4.6-5.1 | 0.25 M glycine | Ready-for-use liquid 10% | 37 |
| Gammar-P IV (ZLB Behring) | Cohn-Oncley fraction II/III, ultrafiltration, pasteurization | 6.4-7.2 | 5% solution: 5% sucrose, 3% albumin, 0.5% NaCl | Lyophilized powder 5% | < 20 |
| Gamunex (Talecris Biotherapeutics) | Cohn-Oncley fractionation, caprylate-chromatography purification, cloth and depth filtration, low pH incubation | 4-4.5 | Contains no sugar, contains glycine | Liquid 10% | 46 |
| Gammaplex (Bio Products) | Solvent/detergent treatment targeted to enveloped viruses; virus filtration using Pall Ultipor to remove small viruses including nonenveloped viruses; low pH incubation | 4.8-5.1 | Contains sorbitol (40 mg/mL); do not administer if fructose intolerant | Ready-for-use solution 5% | < 10 |
| Iveegam EN (Baxter Bioscience) | Cohn-Oncley fraction II/III, ultrafiltration, pasteurization | 6.4-7.2 | 5% solution: 5% glucose, 0.3% NaCl | Lyophilized powder 5% | < 10 |
| Polygam S/D Gammagard S/D (Baxter Bioscience for the American Red Cross) | Cohn-Oncley cold ethanol fractionation followed by ultracentrafiltration and ion exchange chromatography, solvent detergent treated | 6.4-7.2 | 5% solution: 0.3% albumin, 2.25% glycine, 2% glucose | Lyophilized powder 5%, 10% | < 1.6 (5% solution) |
| Octagam (Octapharma USA) 9/24/10: Withdrawn from market because of unexplained reports of thromboembolic events | Cohn-Oncley fraction II/III, ultrafiltration, low pH incubation, S/D treatment pasteurization | 5.1-6 | 10% maltose | Liquid 5% | 200 |
| Panglobulin (Swiss Red Cross for the American Red Cross) | Kistler-Nitschmann fractionation, pH 4 incubation, trace pepsin, nanofiltration | 6.6 | Per gram of IgG: 1.67 g sucrose,< 20 mg NaCl | Lyophilized powder 3, 6, 9, 12% | 720 |
| Privigen (CSL Behring) | pH 4 incubation, octanoic acid fractionation, depth filtration, and virus filtration | 4.6-5 | 10% solution; Preservative-free and sucrose- and maltose-free | Ready-to-use solution 10% | 25 |
| Brand(Manufacturer) | Manufacturing Process | pH | Additives | Parenteral Form and Final Concentrations | IgA Content mcg/mL |
| Vivaglobin (ZLB Behring) | Cold ethanol fractionation, pasteurization | 6.4-7.2 | 2.25% glycine, 0.3% NaCl | Liquid 16% (160 mg/mL) | < 50 mcg/mL |

