Chronic cytomegalovirus infection, immunodeficiency, and monoclonal gammopathy-antigen-driven malignancy?

Abstract

An infant with severe combined immunodeficiency had normal numbers of lymphocytes which bore E rosette and surface Ig markers in an appropriate distribution. However, only minimal responsivity to in vitro stimulation by mitogens and allogenic cells, and none to antigens could be elicited; functional antibody responses were also nil, except to cytomegalovirus. Intrauterine-acquired cytomegalovirus may have caused his immune dysfunction, although the possibility of a postnatal infection cannot be excluded. Therapy with transfer factor and thymus transplantation was unsucessful in restoring immunity and may have aggravated a pre-existing monoclonal gammopathy. It is possible that the monoclonal protein was derived from B-cells transplacentally received from the patients mother.