Skip Navigation  X-linked agammaglobulinemia  Reviewed September
2008  What is X-linked agammaglobulinemia?  X-linked
agammaglobulinemia (XLA) is a condition that affects the immune
system and occurs almost exclusively in males. People with XLA
have very few B cells, which are specialized white blood cells
that help protect the body against infection. B cells can mature
into the cells that produce special proteins called antibodies
or immunoglobulins. Antibodies attach to specific foreign
particles and germs, marking them for destruction. Individuals
with XLA are more susceptible to infections because their body
makes very few antibodies.  Children with XLA are usually
healthy for the first one or two months of life because they are
protected by antibodies acquired before birth from their mother.
After this time, the maternal antibodies are cleared from the
body and the affected child begins to develop recurrent
infections. The most common bacterial infections that occur in
people with XLA are ear infections