Journal List > Allergy Asthma Respir Dis > v.6(3) > 1109130

Lee, Kim, Jung, Choi, and Park: Familial IgG3 subclass deficiency: A report of two cases

Abstract

Primary immunodeficiency in adults is thought to be underestimated in Korea. IgG subclass deficiency, defined as a deficiency at least among the 4 subtypes of IgG subclass, IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, and IgG4, results in recurrent infections, in which IgG3 subclass deficiency (IgGSD) is the most commonly found in adult asthmatic patients. Herein, we report 2 cases of familial IgG3SD. In family 1, a female patient aged 17 years with allergic rhinitis (AR) had recurrent upper respiratory infections (URIs), and gastroenteritis. Her mother aged 50 with AR had recurrent URI, otitis media, urinary tract infection, gastroenteritis, and oral ulcer. A younger sister aged 9 years with AR and asthma had recurrent URI almost all the year round. The serum IgA level was found to be lower than the normal level in her mother and the patient, and IgG3 was decreased in the patient and her sister. The IgG3 level of mother showed within the lower normal limit. In family 2, the mother aged 39 years with nonallergic rhinitis had recurrent URI and oral ulcer. Her son aged 16 years and daughter aged 13 years with AR and asthma had recurrent URI, resulting in uncontrolled asthma. Family 2 was found to be IgG3 deficiency in mother and son, and IgA deficiency in son. The IgG3 level of daughter was within the lower normal level. Mother and the first daughter in family 1 as well as mother and son in family 2 was treated with intravenous immunoglobulin, and their recurrent URI reduced. We reported 2 cases of familial IgG3SD.

REFERENCES

1. Bonilla FA, Khan DA, Ballas ZK, Chinen J, Frank MM, Hsu JT, et al. Practice parameter for the diagnosis and management of primary immunodeficiency. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2015; 136:1186–205. e1-78.
crossref
2. Pan-Hammarström Q, Hammarström L. Antibody deficiency diseases. Eur J Immunol. 2008; 38:327–33.
crossref
3. Buckley RH. Immunoglobulin G subclass deficiency: fact or fancy? Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2002; 2:356–60.
crossref
4. Abrahamian F, Agrawal S, Gupta S. Immunological and clinical profile of adult patients with selective immunoglobulin subclass deficiency: response to intravenous immunoglobulin therapy. Clin Exp Immunol. 2010; 159:344–50.
crossref
5. Barton JC, Bertoli LF, Barton JC, Acton RT. Selective subnormal IgG3 in 121 adult index patients with frequent or severe bacterial respiratory tract infections. Cell Immunol. 2016; 299:50–7.
crossref
6. Immune deficiency foundation. Inheritance of IgG subclass deficiency [Internet]. Maryland (MD): Immune deficiency foundation;[cited. 2017 Oct 31. Available from. https://primaryimmune.org/about-primary-im-munodeficiencies/specific-disease-types/igg-subclass-deficiency.
7. Kim JH, Park HJ, Choi GS, Kim JE, Ye YM, Nahm DH, et al. Immunoglobulin G subclass deficiency is the major phenotype of primary immunodeficiency in a Korean adult cohort. J Korean Med Sci. 2010; 25:824–8.
crossref
8. Ozkan H, Atlihan F, Genel F, Targan S, Gunvar T. IgA and/or IgG subclass deficiency in children with recurrent respiratory infections and its relationship with chronic pulmonary damage. J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol. 2005; 15:69–74.
9. Kim JH, Park S, Hwang YI, Jang SH, Jung KS, Sim YS, et al. Immunoglobulin G subclass deficiencies in adult patients with chronic airway diseases. J Korean Med Sci. 2016; 31:1560–5.
crossref
10. Soderstrom R, Soderstrom T, Lindholm NB, Hanson LA. Effect of immunoglobulin prophylaxis in infection-prone adults with low IgG-subclass levels, a single-blind crossover study. 1996; 6:197–201.
11. Olinder-Nielsen AM, Granert C, Forsberg P, Friman V, Vietorisz A, Björ-kander J. Immunoglobulin prophylaxis in 350 adults with IgG subclass deficiency and recurrent respiratory tract infections: a long-term follow-up. Scand J Infect Dis. 2007; 39:44–50.
crossref
12. Kim JH, Ye YM, Ban GY, Shin YS, Lee HY, Nam YH, et al. Effects of Immunoglobulin replacement on asthma exacerbation in adult asthmatics with IgG subclass deficiency. Allergy Asthma Immunol Res. 2017; 9:526–33.
crossref
13. Barlan IB, Geha RS, Schneider LC. Therapy for patients with recurrent infections and low serum IgG3 levels. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1993; 92:353–5.
crossref
14. Bonagura VR. Using intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) to treat patients with primary immune deficiency disease. J Clin Immunol. 2013; 33(Suppl 2):S90–4.
crossref
15. Vidarsson G, Dekkers G, Rispens T. IgG subclasses and allotypes: from structure to effector functions. Front Immunol. 2014; 5:520.
crossref
16. Ohnishi H, Kawamoto N, Kaneko H, Kasahara K, Ohara O, Kato Z, et al. A case of selective IgG subclass deficiency with STAT3 mutation. Allergol Int. 2016; 65:495–7.
crossref

Table 1.
Clinical and laboratory characteristics of families 1 and 2
Family Underlying diseases Symptoms Total IgE (KU/L) IgG (mg/dL) IgA (mg/dL) IgM (mg/dL) IgG1 (mg/L) IgG2 (mg/L) IgG3 (mg/L) IgG4 (mg/L)
Family 1                    
 Mother (50 yr) AR sensitized to HDM, Tonsillectomy status Recurrent URI, UTI, AOM, oral ulcer, AGE 13 944 63 103 6,620 2,550 197 302
 Daughter 1 (17 yr) AR sensitized to HDM, mugwort, cat Tonsillectomy status Recurrent URI, AGE 193 1,232 78 181 6,450 6,200 136 145
 Daughter 2 (9 yr) AR with BA sensitized to HDM Recurrent URI 119 1,173 174 166 7,480 4,040 136 274
Family 2                    
 Mother (39 yr) NAR, fibromyalgia Recurrent URI, UTI, oral ulcer 60 1,272 124 103 8,150 4,630 95 409
 Son (16 yr) AR with BA sensitized to HDM, grass Recurrent URI, AGE, oral ulcer 111 1,226 75 134 8,080 3,940 127 495
 Daughter (13 yr) AR with BA sensitized to HDM Recurrent URI 116 1,173 111 143 8,750 1,940 139 819

AR, allergic rhinitis; HDM, house dust mite; BA, bronchial asthma; URI, upper respiratory infection; UTI, urinary tract infection; AOM, acute otitis media; AGE, acute gastroen-teritis; NAR, nonallergic rhinitis.

Reference range: IgG, 916–1,796 mg/L; IgA, 93–365 mg/L; IgM, 40–260 mg/L. At the age of 7–12: IgG1, 3,770–11,310 mg/L; IgG2, 680–3,880 mg/L; IgG3, 158–890 mg/L; IgG4, 12–1,699 mg/L. At the age of 13–18: IgG1, 3,260–10,270 mg/L; IgG2, 810–4,720 mg/L; IgG3, 138–1,058 mg/L; IgG4, 49–1,985 mg/L. At the age of 18 or older: IgG1, 4,050–10,110 mg/L; IgG2, 1,690–7,860 mg/L; IgG3, 110–850 mg/L; IgG4, 30–2,010 mg/L.

The reference ranges were established by testing samples from 417 apparently healthy children from North America and Central Europe as well as 279 apparently healthy adults from Central Europe (adapted from www.healthcare.siemens.com).

TOOLS
Similar articles