Schirinzi Rebecca, Lantin Jean Pierre, Frémeaux-Bacchi Véronique, Schifferli Jürg A, Trendelenburg Marten
Innere Medizin B, Universitätsspital Basel, Basel, Switzerland, and Service d'Immunologie Biologique, Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, Paris, France.
Med Klin (Munich). 2006 Aug 15;101(8):655-8. doi: 10.1007/s00063-006-1070-4.
The association between complement deficiencies and the increased risk for meningococcal infections and bacterial meningitis is well described and most striking in patients with deficiencies of one of the late complement components, i.e., C5-C9.
In the presented study the first case of a patient with combined-heterozygous deficiency of complement C7 is described. The defect led to a strongly reduced but still measurable production of C7. However, the low concentration of C7 was not protective against recurrent bacterial meningitis.
The reported case illustrates once again the necessity of complement analysis in patients with meningitis. Not only patients with undetectable complement activity but also those with strongly reduced but still measurable complement function should be analyzed for a possible complement deficiency.
