AUTHOR=Sarcevic Jelena , Cavelti-Weder Claudia , Berger Christoph T. , Trendelenburg Marten TITLE=Case Report—Secondary Antibody Deficiency Due to Endogenous Hypercortisolism JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology VOLUME=11 YEAR=2020 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2020.01435 DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2020.01435 ISSN=1664-3224 ABSTRACT=
Therapeutic corticosteroids have an immunosuppressive function involving several pathways, including lymphocytopenia and hypogammaglobulinemia. While these effects have been well-described in patients that received corticosteroids for therapeutic reasons, the effects of endogenous corticosteroids on the immune system are less well-understood. Here, we describe a 21-year old patient with hypercortisolism due to an ACTH producing thymic tumor. In this patient, we observed a decrease in some of the immunoglobulin classes, and in specific B and T cell populations that resembled effects caused by corticosteroid treatment. IgG levels were restored following treatment and normalization of the hypercortisolism.