부산대학교 도서관

Immunodeficiency may be congenital or acquired and can affect humoral (antibody or complement) or cell-mediated immunity, or both. In general, the nature of the deficiency predicts the types of infections suffered. Worldwide, the most important cause of acquired immune-deficiency is HIV infection. Immunosuppression affects patients whose immune defences are impaired, either as a result of an underlying disease or its management by cytotoxic, immunosuppressive, or radiation therapy. The commonest immunosuppressive state is diabetes mellitus, with nearly 300 million sufferers worldwide. A specific clinical and/or microbiological diagnosis can be difficult to establish; the therapeutic management of such patients is consequently based on the nature of the immune deficiency/suppression and the severity of infection. Empirical ‘best guess’ therapy is common, given diagnostic limitations and the poor outcomes from delayed therapy for many infections.