What is (are) anhidrotic ectodermal dysplasia with immune deficiency ?
Anhidrotic ectodermal dysplasia with immune deficiency (EDA-ID) is a form of ectodermal dysplasia, which is a group of conditions characterized by abnormal development of ectodermal tissues including the skin, hair, teeth, and sweat glands. In addition, immune system function is reduced in people with EDA-ID. The signs and symptoms of EDA-ID are evident soon after birth.  Skin abnormalities in people with EDA-ID include areas that are dry, wrinkled, or darker in color than the surrounding skin. Affected individuals tend to have sparse scalp and body hair (hypotrichosis). EDA-ID is also characterized by missing teeth (hypodontia) or teeth that are small and pointed. Most people with EDA-ID have a reduced ability to sweat (hypohidrosis) because they have fewer sweat glands than normal or their sweat glands do not function properly. An inability to sweat (anhidrosis) can lead to a dangerously high body temperature (hyperthermia), particularly in hot weather.  The immune deficiency in EDA-ID varies among people with this condition. People with EDA-ID often produce abnormally low levels of proteins called antibodies or immunoglobulins. Antibodies help protect the body against infection by attaching to specific foreign particles and germs, marking them for destruction. A reduction in antibodies makes it difficult for people with this disorder to fight off infections. In EDA-ID, immune system cells called T cells and B cells have a decreased ability to recognize and respond to foreign invaders (such as bacteria, viruses, and yeast) that have sugar molecules attached to their surface (glycan antigens). Other key aspects of the immune system may also be impaired, leading to recurrent infections.  People with EDA-ID commonly get infections in the lungs (pneumonia), ears (otitis media), sinuses (sinusitis), lymph nodes (lymphadenitis), skin, bones, and GI tract. Approximately one quarter of individuals with EDA-ID have disorders involving abnormal inflammation, such as inflammatory bowel disease or rheumatoid arthritis.  The life expectancy of affected individuals depends of the severity of the immune deficiency; most people with this condition do not live past childhood.  There are two forms of this condition that have similar signs and symptoms and are distinguished by the modes of inheritance: X-linked recessive or autosomal dominant.