A closer look at PIDD (continued)
SYMPTOMS OF PIDD
So how many infections are normal? The symptoms of PIDD are as follows:
*Eight or more new ear infections within one year.
*Two or more serious sinus infections within one year.
*Two or more months of taking antibiotics with little effect.
*Two or more bouts of pneumonia within one year.
*Failure for an infant to gain weight or grow normally.
*Recurrent deep skin or organ abscesses.
*Persistent thrush in mouth or elsewhere on skin (after age 1).
*Need for intravenous antibiotics to clear infections.
*Two or more deep-seated infections, such as sepsis, meningitis or cellulites.
*A family history of PIDD.
GETTING TESTED
If any of these describe you or your child’s infections, talk to your doctor about getting tested for PIDD. Testing involves gathering medical and family history, physical exam, blood and immune globulin level tests and vaccines to test immune response. The treatment used most often for PIDD is immune globulin, which contains antibodies that come from healthy human blood plasma and help fight infection.
When blood is donated, just the antibodies are extracted from the plasma and these are given to the patient. Replacing the deficient antibodies usually results in fewer and less severe infections and a better quality of life for the patient. It is like a temporary immune system.
Some other treatments that are used for PIDD are gamma interferon, Peg-Ada, bone marrow or stem cell transplants, Neupogen or gene therapies.
Early infant screening tests are being developed and hopefully one day all infants can be screened for PIDD. However, in the meantime, if you feel you are suffering from PIDD, please contact your family physician.
For more information on PIDD, on the local level please contact Joanna Tierno at www.myspace.com/primary immune or, at the national level, www.primaryimmune.org.
This column is provided by the Richmond County Medical Society. Dr. Scafuri is a member of the Society and co-chairs the Society’s Public Health Committee. He specializes in infectious disease and maintains a practice in West Brighton and in Eltingville.
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