X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency.

Between a third and half of all males with SCID and no family history of immunodeficiency represent the first manifestation in their family of a new mutation of the gene that causes X-linked SCID. These patients, like boys with a positive family history of X-linked SCID, have markedly reduced numbers of T cells, elevated numbers of B cells, and hypogammaglobulinemia. The hypogammaglobulinemia is due, at least in part, to the expression of the gene defect in B cells as well as in T cells. Patients with X-linked SCID who are treated with bone marrow transplant tend to engraft T cells readily but they do not engraft B cells unless they are treated with cytoreductive therapy prior to transplant. B-cell function after transplant tends to be poor, even in patients who have received transplants from HLA matched siblings. Better transplant strategies are required to achieve optimum long-term results in patients with X-linked SCID.