The overall nutritional status of all participating children was assessed through measurements of body weight carried out during the visit in our clinic and through reference to percentiles of normal

values for age and gender. Serum levels of major immunoglobulin isotypes and IgG Procaspase activation subclasses were measured with the use of immunoturbidymetric method and total IgE concentrations were assessed by nephelometry in all children studied. The study group of 23 children was divided into 4 subgroups depending on the number and type of the impaired production of one or more major immunoglobulin isotypes. The universal feature for all participating children was a decrease in immunoglobulin G serum level, that in 6 patients was this website an isolated disorder. In next 17 children IgG hypogammaglobulinemia was accompanied by one isotype, namely IgM in 3 children or IgA in 7 children. Defective production of all antibody isotypes was identified in next 7 children. In all children peripheral blood lymphocyte immunophenotyping with the use of flow cytometric method allowed for exclusion

of agammaglobulinemia, of which a hallmark is a lack of mature B cells in the peripheral blood. In any of the children studied, a significant decrease of the relative value or number of class-switched memory B cells was not demonstrated that might suggest an early onset of common variable immunodeficiency with poor prognosis. Hence, in all children studied, clinical and laboratory findings suggested transient hypogammaglobulinemia of infancy (THI); however, this diagnosis may be reliably crotamiton established only retrospectively and these children require periodic monitoring to determine the type of immunodeficiency definitely. Of 23 participating children with hypogammaglobulinemias, in 17 of them the manifestations of food allergy were noted. Eczema was a predominating symptom, that was demonstrated by as many as 16 of 17 children with food allergy. This was followed by recurrent episodes of diarrheas and abdominal cramps, both

noted in 3 children, and 2 children demonstrated vomiting. Based on pH-metry of the esophagus that was carried out in next two children because of regurgitations, the diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux disease was established (Fig. 1). The major allergic diseases associated with eczema were asthma, that had been diagnosed in 5 children, and allergic rhinitis demonstrated by 2 children. The age of onset of clinical symptoms ranged from 1 month to 8 months of life (mean age 2.7 months) and most frequently (in 7 children) their initial appearance was within the third month of life (Fig. 2). The nutritional status of all children studied was assessed based on measurement of the body weight and its correlation with the age- and gender-matched distribution in Polish pediatric population, elaborated by Palczewska and Niedźwiecka [4].