Open AccessHypogammaglobulinemia and Nocardia Brain Abscesses
Author(s) -
Kenneth Murray,
Samuel Ackerman,
Shelley N. Chou,
Steven D. Douglas
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
neurosurgery/neurosurgery online
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.485
H-Index - 34
eISSN - 1081-1281
pISSN - 0148-396X
DOI - 10.1227/00006123-197711000-00015
Subject(s) - hypogammaglobulinemia , nocardia , medicine , parenchyma , nocardiosis , immunology , brain abscess , humoral immunity , antibody , pathology , abscess , bacteria , biology , surgery , genetics
The host defense responses to Nocardia asteroides are not known. We have investigated a patient with common variable adult onset hypogammaglobulinemia who developed fatal disseminated nocardiosis. The patient had low levels of serum immunoglobulins; the total lymphocyte count was normal as were the percentages of circulating T and B cells. Transmission electron microscopic studies demonstrated typical N. asteroides within the brain parenchyma and nonspecific inflammatory changes in the central nervous system. The findings suggest that humoral immunity may play a major role in the host defense of patients with this disease.