Common Variable Immune Deficiency
National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc.
It is possible that the main title of the report Common Variable Immune Deficiency is not the name you expected. Please check the synonyms listing to find the alternate name(s) and disorder subdivision(s) covered by this report.
- Acquired Hypogammaglobulinemia
- common variable hypogammaglobulinemia
- late-onset immunoglobulin deficiency
- common variable immunodeficiency
- immunodeficiency, common variable
Common Variable Immune Deficiency (CVID) is a type of primary immunodeficiency, which is defined as an immune system dysfunction typically caused by a mutation in a gene or genes. The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes more than 180 primary immunodeficiencies ranging from relatively common to quite rare.
CVID is one of the most prevalent of the symptomatic primary immunodeficiencies and manifests a wide variability of symptoms and range of severity. It is considered a diverse group of diseases of unknown cause (etiology) as many different immune system defects have been found to lead this syndrome. CVID is characterized by a low level of specific proteins (antibodies, also called immunoglobulins) in the fluid portion of the blood which results in a decreased ability to fight invading microorganisms, toxins, or other foreign substances. These immunoglobulins are produced by specialized white blood cells (B cells) as they mature into plasma cells.
The cause of CVID is unknown in at least 90% of cases, and a genetic cause has been identified in less than 10%. Sporadic cases, with no apparent history of the disorder in their family is the commonest form and may be caused by a complex interaction of environmental and genetic components (multifactorial inheritance), but genes that are involved in the development and function of B cells are believed to be the primary cause.
March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation
1275 Mamaroneck Avenue
White Plains, NY 10605
Immune Deficiency Foundation
110 West Road
Towson, MD 21204
NIH/National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
P.O. Box 30105
Bethesda, MD 20892-0105
International Patient Organization for Primary Immunodeficiencies
Firside Main Road
Cornwall, PL11 3LE
Jeffrey Modell Foundation
780 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10017
Genetic and Rare Diseases (GARD) Information Center
PO Box 8126
Gaithersburg, MD 20898-8126
PO Box 241956
Los Angeles, CA 90024
European Society for Immunodeficiencies
1-3 rue de Chantepoulet
Geneva, CH 1211
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It is possible that the title of this topic is not the name you selected. Please check the Synonyms listing to find the alternate name(s) and Disorder Subdivision(s) covered by this report
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Last Updated: 1/30/2014
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