Hypogammaglobulinaemia associated with gold therapy

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Immunology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Seronegative arthropathy is a group of inflammatory joint diseases.
• Gold compounds have been used historically for treating rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory conditions.

Observation:

• Two patients with seronegative arthropathy developed hypogammaglobulinemia after gold therapy.
• The patients exhibited clinical features consistent with acquired immunodeficiency.

Findings:

• Gold administration was associated with a significant decrease in immunoglobulin levels.
• The observed hypogammaglobulinemia suggests an iatrogenic effect of gold on the immune system.

Implications:

• Gold therapy may pose a risk of inducing immunodeficiency in susceptible individuals.
• Further research is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms by which gold affects humoral immunity.
• Clinicians should consider monitoring immunoglobulin levels in patients undergoing gold treatment for inflammatory arthropathies.