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A patient with recurrent viral and fungal infections, normal B cell levels, and reduced T cell numbers with abnormal thymic development most likely has:

A. Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID)
B. Adenosine deaminase deficiency
C. Intravenous IL-2 treatment
D. No appropriate treatment needed

User Austinh
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1 Answer

3 votes

Final answer:

The patient with recurrent infections, normal B cell levels, reduced T cell numbers, and abnormal thymic development most likely has Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID), an inherited immunodeficiency affecting both B and T cells.

Step-by-step explanation:

The patient described in the question shows symptoms indicative of an inherited immunodeficiency, specifically one that affects both the B cell and T cell components of the adaptive immune response. The condition that aligns with these symptoms is Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID), which is characterized by defective T-cell dependent antibody responses and cell-mediated immune responses. SCID patients have a profound deficiency in both T and B lymphocyte function, are susceptible to recurrent infections, have abnormal thymic development, and would show normal or near-normal B cell levels with reduced T cell numbers as described.

Adenosine deaminase deficiency is one of the causes of SCID but is not the diagnosis itself. Intravenous IL-2 treatment is a therapy that might be considered for some immune disorders but does not represent a diagnosis and is not specifically applicable to SCID. Lastly, saying No appropriate treatment needed is incorrect since SCID is a serious condition requiring treatment, such as bone marrow transplantation or gene therapy, to prevent fatal infections.

User Jakub Kriz
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7.8k points
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