
Autoimmune problems that cause reduced levels of blood cells or platelets also may occur.

People with CVID also may have diarrhea, problems absorbing food nutrients, reduced liver function, and impaired blood flow to the liver. Acute lung infections can cause pneumonia, and long-term lung infections may cause a chronic form of bronchitis known as bronchiectasis, which is characterized by thickened airway walls colonized by bacteria. People with CVID may experience frequent bacterial and viral infections of the upper airway, sinuses, and lungs. IgA deficiency typically occurs alone, but in some cases it may precede the development of CVID or occur in family members of CVID patients.

However, while this genetic abnormality confers increased risk of developing CVID, it alone is not capable of causing CVID.ĬVID is also linked to IgA deficiency, a related condition in which only the level of the antibody immunoglobulin A (IgA) is low, while levels of other antibody types are usually normal or near normal. Many people with CVID carry a DNA variation called a polymorphism in a gene known as TACI. Only a few of these defects have been identified, and the cause of most cases of CVID is unknown. CausesĬVID is caused by a variety of different genetic abnormalities that result in a defect in the capability of immune cells to produce normal amounts of all types of antibodies. Researchers also are exploring how antibody-based drugs may lessen the severity of the condition.

NIAID supports research to determine genetic causes of CVID that may lead to therapeutic approaches to address the disease. CVID also is known as hypogammaglobulinemia, adult-onset agammaglobulinemia, late-onset hypogammaglobulinemia, and acquired agammaglobulinemia. Although the disease usually is diagnosed in adults, it also can occur in children. Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is a primary immune deficiency disease characterized by low levels of protective antibodies and an increased risk of infections.
