agammaglobulinemia

(ā-găm'ə-glŏb'yə-lə-nē'mē-ə)
n.
A congenital or acquired deficiency of gamma globulins in the blood.

(ā-găm'ə-glŏb'yə-lə-nē'mē-ə)
n.

Congenital or acquired absence of, or extremely low levels of, gamma globulins in the blood.

Severe or complete deficiency of immunoglobulins (antibodies) in the blood. Due to reliance on colostral versus placental transfer of immunoglobulins most domestic animals are agammaglobulinemic at birth, prior to suckling. An inherited defect is not commonly recorded in animals, but does occur as a primary inherited condition and as part of a combined immune deficiency, both of them in horses. The deficiency or absence of antibodies results in severe and recurrent infections. See also hypogammaglobulinemia, combined immune deficiency syndrome (disease).

• Bruton's a. — an inherited, X-linked recessive condition in humans involving a deficiency of B lymphocytes and plasma cells. A similar condition, though less well characterized, has been recognized in horses.

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The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: a rare immunological disorder characterized by the virtual absence of gamma globulin in the blood and consequent susceptibility to infection

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