Intestinal Malabsorption and Immunoglobulin Deficiency

Abstract

Available evidence suggests that hypogammaglobulinemia, particularly immunoglobulin A (IgA) deficiency, may be associated with intestinal malabsorption and mild to moderate villous atrophy of the proximal jejunal mucosa.1-3We have encountered such a patient who responded favorably in turn to a gluten-free diet and to tetracycline hydrochloride therapy administered orally. The purpose of this report is to relate the clinical and immunological findings in this case to published data from other patients with malabsorption and documented immunoglobulin deficiencies. Methods For Special Studies The serological and tissue techniques, as well as the method used to quantify mucosal lymphoid cells employing cell density indices (CDI), have been reported.4The CDI are arbitrary units which represent cells per unit area of interstitium.4In the previous study of eight specimens of normal human rectal mucosa, the CDI (mean ± SE of the mean) for IgA-, IgM- and IgG-containing lymphoid cells were 80.14