Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is a type of immune deficiency disease characterized by low levels of protective antibodies (B and T cells and dendritic cells) and an increased risk of infections. CVID is associated with a high rate of inflammatory, autoimmune, and cancerous conditions.
The disease, which is one of the most common forms of primary immunodeficiency disease (PIDD), is usually diagnosed in adults but it also can occur in children.
Other names for CVID include hypogammaglobulinemia, adult-onset agammaglobulinemia, late-onset hypogammaglobulinemia, and acquired agammaglobulinemia.
What Are Symptoms of CVID?
Symptoms of common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) include:
- Frequent bacterial and viral infections of the upper airway, sinuses, and lungs
- Gastrointestinal problems
- Decreased liver function
- Impaired blood flow to the liver
- Reduced levels of blood cells or platelets
- Enlarged spleen
- Swollen glands or lymph nodes
- Painful swollen joints in the knee, ankle, elbow, or wrist
- Clusters of white blood cells (granulomas) in the lungs, lymph nodes, liver, skin, or other organs
- Increased risk of developing some cancers
What Causes CVID?
Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is caused by a number of different genetic abnormalities that result in a defect in the ability of immune cells to produce normal amounts of all types of antibodies, but only a few of the abnormalities have been identified.
Risk factors for developing CVID include:
- A DNA variation called a polymorphism in a gene known as TACI
- IgA deficiency
How Is CVID Diagnosed?
Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is diagnosed with a patient history that includes a history of infections involving the lungs, bronchi, ears, or sinuses, and digestive symptoms.
- Other signs of CVID may include lab tests showing very low immunoglobulin levels or the number of B cells in the blood, and low antibody responses to immunization.
What Is the Treatment for CVID?
Treatment for common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) includes:
- Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) infusions or subcutaneous (under the skin) immunoglobulin injection to partially restore immunoglobulin levels
- Immunoglobulin treatments are administered regularly and continued throughout a person’s life
- Antibiotics to prevent and treat bacterial infections
- Additional treatments for other problems caused by CVID
Patients with CVID should not receive certain live vaccines (i.e., oral polio, shingles, smallpox, live-attenuated influenza vaccine, yellow fever, or live oral typhoid vaccines), especially those who have significantly impaired T cell function.
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