X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA) is characterized by recurrent bacterial infections in affected males in the first two years of life. Recurrent otitis is the most common infection prior to diagnosis. Conjunctivitis, sinopulmonary infections, diarrhea, and skin infections are also frequently seen. Approximately 60% of individuals with XLA are recognized as having immunodeficiency when they develop a severe, life-threatening infection such as pneumonia, empyema, meningitis, sepsis, cellulitis, or septic arthritis. S pneumoniae and H influenzae are the most common organisms found prior to diagnosis and may continue to cause sinusitis and otitis after diagnosis and the initiation of gammaglobulin substitution therapy. Severe, difficult-to-treat enteroviral infections (often manifest as dermatomyositis or chronic meningoencephalitis) can be prevented by this treatment. The prognosis for individuals with XLA has improved markedly in the last 25 years as a result of earlier diagnosis, the development of preparations of gammaglobulin that allow normal concentrations of serum IgG to be achieved, and more liberal use of antibiotics.

X-linked hyper IgM syndrome (HIGM1), a disorder of abnormal T- and B-cell function, is characterized by low serum concentrations of IgG, IgA, and IgE with normal or elevated serum concentrations of IgM. Mitogen proliferation may be normal, but NK- and T-cell cytotoxicity can be impaired. Antigen-specific responses are usually decreased or absent. Total numbers of B cells are normal but there is a marked reduction of class-switched memory B cells. Defective oxidative burst of both neutrophils and macrophages has been reported. The range of clinical findings varies, even within the same family. More than 50% of males with HIGM1 develop symptoms by age one year, and more than 90% are symptomatic by age four years. HIGM1 usually presents in infancy with recurrent upper- and lower-respiratory tract bacterial infections, opportunistic infections including Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia, and recurrent or protracted diarrhea that can be infectious or noninfectious and is associated with failure to thrive. Neutropenia is common; thrombocytopenia and anemia are less commonly seen. Autoimmune and/or inflammatory disorders (such as sclerosing cholangitis) as well as increased risk for neoplasms have been reported as medical complications of this disorder. Significant neurologic complications, often the result of a CNS infection, are seen in 5%-15% of affected males. Liver disease, a serious complication of HIGM1 once observed in more than 80% of affected males by age 20 years, may be decreasing with adequate screening and treatment of Cryptosporidium infection.

The phenotypic spectrum of X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency (X-SCID) ranges from typical X-SCID (early-onset disease in males that is fatal if not treated with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation [HSCT] or gene therapy) to atypical X-SCID (later-onset disease comprising phenotypes caused by variable immunodeficiency, immune dysregulation, and/or autoimmunity). Typical X-SCID. Prior to universal newborn screening (NBS) for SCID most males with typical X-SCID came to medical attention between ages three and six months because of recurrent infections, persistent infections, and infections with opportunistic organisms. With universal NBS for SCID, the common presentation for typical X-SCID is now an asymptomatic, healthy-appearing male infant. Atypical X-SCID, which usually is not detected by NBS, can manifest in the first years of life or later with one of the following: recurrent upper and lower respiratory tract infections with bronchiectasis; Omenn syndrome, a clinical phenotype caused by immune dysregulation; X-SCID combined immunodeficiency (often with recurrent infections, warts, and dermatitis); immune dysregulation and autoimmunity; or Epstein-Barr virus-related lymphoproliferative complications.

Type 3 immunodeficiency with hyper-IgM (HIGM3), first described in humans by Ferrari et al. (2001), is characterized by hypogammaglobulinemia with normal or elevated levels of IgM. For a general phenotypic description and a discussion of genetic heterogeneity of immunodeficiency with hyper-IgM, see HIGM1 (308230).

Immunodeficiency-22 (IMD22) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by the onset of recurrent bacterial, viral, and fungal respiratory, gastrointestinal, and skin infections in infancy or early childhood. Immunologic workup shows severe T-cell lymphopenia, particularly affecting the CD4+ subset, and impaired proximal TCR intracellular signaling and activation. Although NK cells and B cells are normal, some patients may have hypogammaglobulinemia secondary to the T-cell defect. There are variable manifestations, likely due to the severity of the particular LCK mutation: patients may develop prominent skin lesions resembling epidermodysplasia verruciformis, gastrointestinal inflammation, and virus-induced malignancy. The disease can be fatal in childhood, but hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) may be curative (Hauck et al., 2012; Li et al., 2016; Keller et al., 2023).

Immunodeficiency-60 and autoimmunity (IMD60) is an autosomal dominant primary immunologic disorder characterized by inflammatory bowel disease and recurrent sinopulmonary infections. The age at symptom onset is highly variable, ranging from infancy to mid-adulthood. Laboratory studies show dysregulation of both B and T cells, with variably decreased immunoglobulin production, decreased T-regulatory cells, and overall impaired lymphocyte maturation (summary by Afzali et al., 2017).

Immunodeficiency-85 and autoimmunity (IMD85) is an autosomal dominant immunologic disorder characterized by onset of atopic eczema and recurrent respiratory infections in the first decade of life. Affected individuals also develop autoimmune enteropathy with vomiting, diarrhea, and poor overall growth. More variable features may include autoimmune oligoarthritis, interstitial pneumonitis, and EBV viremia. Laboratory studies show hypogammaglobulinemia and abnormal T-cell function, consistent with a combined immunodeficiency (Keskitalo et al., 2019).

Autosomal recessive agammaglobulinemia-8B (AGM8B) is characterized by onset of recurrent infections in early childhood. Laboratory studies of affected individuals show decreased circulating immunoglobulins and decreased peripheral B cells. More variable features may include dysmorphic facies and subtle abnormalities of other immune cells, such as T cells. One patient who developed childhood B-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia (B-ALL) has been described (summary by Ben-Ali et al., 2017).