Multiple choice

Which of the following statements about IgA deficiency is FALSE?

  1. IgA deficiency is defined as a blood level < 0.07 g/l.

  2. IgA deficiency is the most common of the primary immune deficiencies.

  3. Many patients with IgA deficiency are healthy throughout their lives.

  4. Patients with IgA deficiency may suffer from an increased prevalence of allergies.

  5. There is a defined problem with the class switch mechanisms for IgG in such patients.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
E Correct answer
Explanation

There is no known problem with the class switch mechanisms for IgG in most IgA deficient patients (as yet) but a small proportion, usually those who present with infections, have poor responses to either carbohydrate or protein antigens +/- low IgG subclass levels. There is linkage with MHC class II and class III genes but almost certainly this is not the whole story; the precise mechanisms are not known.

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