Abstract
Respiratory tract infections are common in patients with humoral immunodeficiency syndromes. Only a small number of children with recurrent respiratory tract infections, however, have low immunoglobulin titers. In the past, therefore, it was doubted that systemic immunodefects were involved in the pathogenesis of recurrent bronchopulmonary infection in the majority of the patients.
We have investigated the antigen and mitogen-induced DNA synthesis and lymphotoxin production of peripheral blood lymphocytes from children with recurrent bronchopulmonary infections and have found defects especially in the lymphotoxin production of peripheral blood lymphocytes in a considerable number of the patient.
Since defects in lymphotoxin production have been found to be correlated with cellular immunodefects (Mschr.Kinderheilk. 123, 402, 1975), our observations suggest that in a certain percentage of the patients impairment of cellular immune functions may be the underlying cause of the recurrent infections.
This work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungs-gemeinschaft - SFB 37/B7.
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Eife, R., Enders, A. & Betke, K. 28 CELLULAR IMMUNDEFECTS IN CHILDREN WITH RECURRENT BRONCHOPULMONARY INFECTIONS. Pediatr Res 13, 952 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197908000-00044
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197908000-00044
