Autosomal Recessive Agammaglobulinemia - first case with a novel TCF3 mutation from Pakistan

Autosomal Recessive Agammaglobulinemia (ARA) is an uncommon type of primary immunodeficiency characterized by mutations in genes responsible for early B cell differentiation and function. One such gene is the TCF3 gene, which encodes a transcription factor important for immunoglobulin gene expression. We present the case of a 9 year old girl with history of diarrhea and recurrent pneumonias. Laboratory investigation showed significantly reduced levels of immunoglobulins along with a significant fall in the number of CD19+ cells. Genetic analysis identified a TCF3 gene base deletion covering exons 5–11.