Selective IgA Deficiency: Clinical and Laboratory Features of 118 Children in Turkey

Selective IgA deficiency (IgAD) is considered as the most common primary immunodeficiency. Although the vast majority of affected individuals are asymptomatic, symptomatic patients suffer from recurrent infections, allergies and autoimmune diseases. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the clinical and laboratory features of children with IgAD in a tertiary children's hospital in Turkey. The medical records of 118 patients (63 males, 55 females) aged 4-18 years (median: 7 years) seen from 2006 to 2011 were retrospectively reviewed. The most common clinical condition was infectious disease (99 patients, 83.9 %), followed by allergic (51 patients, 43.2 %) and autoimmune (20 patients, 17 %) disorders. Serum IgG, IgM and IgE levels were increased in 61 %, 22 % and 37.3 % of patients, respectively. Serum IgG subclasses were measured in 65 patients, and only 4 (6.2 %) patients had IgG2 subclass deficiency. Autoantibodies (ANA, anti-dsDNA, antigliadin IgA and IgG, tissue transglutaminase IgA and IgG, anti-TPO and anti-TG) were evaluated in 84 patients. Autoantibodies were detected in 26 (31 %) patients, only 10 had an autoimmune disorder. Sixty-one patients were followed for more than 6 months (mean: 2 years, range: 0.5-5 years), and none of them resolved during this period. Being the most comprehensive study conducted in Turkey, we believe it has importance in providing significant data on the clinical and laboratory characteristics of children with IgAD.