Definitive

Male or female patient less than 2 years of age with either a) engraftment of transplacentally acquired maternal T cells; or b) less than 20% CD3+ T cells, an absolute lymphocyte count of less than 3000/mm³ and at least one of the following:

1. Mutation in the cytokine common gamma chain (γc)
2. Mutation in JAK3
3. Mutation in RAG1 or RAG2
4. Mutation in IL-7Rγ
5. ADA activity of less than 2% of control or mutations in both alleles of ADA

Probable

Male or female patient less than 2 years of age with less than 20% CD3+ T cells, an absolute lymphocyte count of less than 3000/mm³ and proliferative responses to mitogens less than 10% of control; or the presence of maternal lymphocytes in the circulation.

Spectrum of disease

Patients with SCID usually develop failure to thrive and persistent diarrhea, respiratory symptoms and/or thrush in the first 2 to 7 months of life. Pneumocystis pneumonia, significant bacterial infections and disseminated BCG infection are common presenting illnesses. Occasional patients do not have failure to thrive and are not recognized to have immunodeficiency until late in the first year of life. SCID is fatal in the first 2 years of life unless the patient is treated with extremely restrictive isolation, hematopoietic stem cell transplant or therapy that replaces the abnormal gene or gene product.

Differential diagnosis

1. HIV infection
2. Congenital rubella
3. DiGeorge syndrome
4. Zap70 deficiency
5. CD3 deficiency
6. Cartilage hair hypoplasia
7. MHC class II deficiency
8. PNP deficiency

Further information

• Patient and Family Handbook For The Primary Immune Deficiency Diseases by IDF.
• Severe Combined Immunodeficiency by The Jeffrey Modell Foundation (JMF).