What Is Hypogammaglobulinemia?
Hypogammaglobulinemia is a disorder in which the body’s immune system does not make antibodies, or makes a reduced amount of antibodies. Hypogammaglobulinemia has a variety of causes. The most common cause is a primary immune deficiency, usually the result of a genetic mutation which prevents the immune system from making antibodies. In a healthy immune system, cells called B lymphocytes make antibodies in response to bacterial and viral infection. Antibodies have a variety of roles, the most important of which is to destroy invading microorganisms. This is achieved through a process called opsonization, in which antibodies coat the microorganisms and make them vulnerable to destruction by other types of immune cells.
