About Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Disease (SCID), causes and treatments

Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Disease (SCID)

Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Disease (SCID) is an immunodeficiency disorder that produces low levels of antibodies, low number of T lymphocytes and fail to function.

SCID is the most serious immunodeficiency disorder. This can be caused by several different genetic defects, and most are hereditary factors.
One type of its disorder caused by the enzyme adenosine deaminase.
In the past, children with this disorder kept in strict isolation, sometimes in a plastic tent, causing the disorder called ‘bubble boy syndrome’.

SCID symptoms

Most infants with SCID suffered pneumonia, thrush, and diarrhea, and usually at the age of 3 months.
More serious infections, including pneumonia.
If untreated, these children usually die before age 2 years.

SCID treatments

Treatment with antibiotics and immuno globulin are very helpful.
However, the best treatment is stem cells transplantation from bone marrow or umbilical cord blood.
For adenosine deaminase deficiency, the replacement of the enzyme can be effective.

Gene therapy seems effective in some infants who experienced one form of SCID. Gene therapy consists of removal of some white blood cells from the baby, inserting normal genes into cells, and returning the cell to the baby