Abstract
The relationship between the presence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and antibodies to human thyroglobulin (HTgAb) has been studied in 110 subjects with Down's syndrome (DS) from 4 months to 50 years of age and in 122 controls carefully matched for sex, age and socio-environmental conditions. The overall percentage of HBsAg carriers was 22.7 in DS and 6.6 in controls and that of HTgAb-positive subjects was 41.8 in DS and 19.7 in controls. In DS the frequency of HTgAb-positive subjects was very high, even in the youngest age groups in which the percentage of HBsAg carriers was relatively low; the latter thereafter showed a marked increase with age. A positive association between the presence of HBsAg and HTgAb was found only in the oldest age group of DS subjects. It is thus concluded that in DS the high frequency of HTgAb cannot be attributed to chronic hepatitis B virus infection. On the contrary, the presence of HTgAb might well represent an early “marker” of immunodeficiency and increased susceptibility to infection with hepatitis B virus.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Blumberg, D. S., Gerstley, B. J. S., Hungerford, D. A., London, W. T., Sutnick, A. I.: A serum antigen (Australia antigen) in Down's syndrome, leukemia, and hepatitis. Ann. int. Med. 66, 924 (1967)
Burgio, G. R., Nespoli, L.: Ageing, T lymphocytes, and Down's syndrome. Lancet 1974 II, 1580
Burgio, G. R., Severi, F., Rossoni, R., Vaccaro, R.: Mongolism and thyroid autoimmunity. Lancet 1965 I, 166
Burgio, G. R., Ugazio, A. G., Nespoli, L.: Peripheral blood rosette-forming lymphocytes in Down's syndrome. Experientia 30, 818 (1974)
Burgio, G. R., Ugazio, A. G., Nespoli, L., Marcioni, A. F., Bottelli, A. M., Pasquali, F.: Derangements of immunoglobulin levels, phytohemagglutinin responsiveness and T and B cell markers in Down's syndrome at different ages. Eur. J. Immunol. 5, 600 (1975)
Dallaire, L., Kingsmill-Flyner, D.: Infectious hepatitis and Down's syndrome. Lancet 1967 II, 467
Donner, M.: A study of the immunology and biology of mongolism. Ann. Med. Exp. Biol. Fenn. 32, Suppl. 9 (1954)
Fialkow, P. J.: Thyroid autoimmunity and Down's syndrome. Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 171, 500 (1970)
Fialkow, P. J., Blumberg, B. S., London, W. T., Sutnick, A. I., Thuline, H. C.: Thyroid antibodies and Australia antigen in Down's syndrome. J. ment. Defic. Res. 15, 177 (1971)
Levin, S., Nir, E., Mogilner, B. M.: I system immune-deficiency in Down's syndrome. Pediatrics 56, 123 (1975)
Lopez, V., Ochs, H. D., Thuline, H. C., Davis, S. D., Wedgwood, R. J.: Defective antibody response to bacteriophage Øx174 in Down syndrome. J. Pediat. 86, 207 (1975)
Miller, R. W.: Neoplasia and Down's syndrome. Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 171, 637 (1970)
Oster, J., Mikkelsen, M., Nielsen, A.: Mortality and life-table in Down's syndrome. Acta Paediat. Scand. 64, 322 (1975)
Reesink, H. W., Duimel, W. J., Brummelhuis, H. G. J.: Evaluation of a new haemagglutination technique for the demonstration of hepatitis-B antigen. Lancet 1973 II, 1351
Schuler, D., Dubos, M., Fekete, G., Machay, T., Nemeskeri, A.: Down's snydrome and malignancy. Acta Paediat. Acad. Sci. Hung. 13, 245 (1971)
Seger, R., Buchinger, G., Ströder, J.: On the influence of age on immunity in Down's syndrome. Eur. J. Pediat. 124, 77 (1977)
Siegel, M.: Susceptibility of mongoloids to infection. I. Incidence of pneumonia, influenza A and shigella dysenteriae. Am. J. Hyg. 48, 53 (1948)
Stewart, A., Webb, J., Hewitt, D.: A survey of childhood malignancies. Br. Med. J. 1958 I, 1495
Sutnick, A. I., London, W. T., Gerstley, B. J. S., Cronlund, M. M., Blumberg, B. S.: Anicteric hepatitis associated with Australia antigen. Occurrence in patients with Down's syndrome. J.A.M.A. 205, 670 (1968)
Whittingham, S., Pitt, D. B., Sharma, D. L. B., Mackay, I. R.: Stress deficiency of the T-lymphocyte system exemplified by Down syndrome. Lancet 1977 I, 163
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This investigation was partly supported by grant No. 76.01345 of the CNR, Rome, Italy
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ugazio, A.G., Jayakar, S.D., Marcioni, A.F. et al. Immunodeficiency in Down's syndrome: Relationship between presence of human thyroglobulin antibodies and HBsAg carrier status. Eur J Pediatr 126, 139–146 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00442195
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00442195