Chronic Granulomatous Disease (CGD)

Hello everyone! I felt that it was important to include this section in my homepages
because this is the disease that my son, Hayden, has. I also have an older brother, Rip,
that has been battling this illness for his entire life! We have been very lucky with Hayden
because we knew from day one what to look for and the measures necessary to seek
treatment. Hayden is doing fine now, he takes a mild antibiotic twice per day and
gamma interferon injections three times per week. This aggressive treatment
reduces the risk of his acquiring future infections and will improve the quality
of his health dramatically.

History And Definition Of CGD:
What is CGD? The human immune system, which protects us from disease, is made
up of a complex network of highly specialized cells and organs. When any part of this
network is faulty, it interrupts the smooth functioning of the immune response
and can result in an immulogic disorder. Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is
actually a group of rare, inherited disorders of the immune system that are caused by
defects in the immune system cells called phagocytes. These defects leave patients vulnerable
to severe recurrent bacterial and fungal infections and chronic inflammatory conditions
such as gingivitis (swollen inflamed gums), enlarged lymph glands, or tumor-like
masses called granulomas. While not malignant, granulomas can cause serious problems
by obstructing passage of food through the esophagus, stomach, and intestines as well as
blocking urine flow from the kidneys and bladder.

How do people acquire CGD?
CGD is a genetic disease, it can be passed on from either parent, although the parent
may appear to be perfectly healthy. CGD gene defect affects a person's ability to
fight off infection. It is estimated that approximately 1 in 1 million babies are born
with CGD, the symptoms do not usually appear until after 3 months of age. Two thirds of
the people born with CGD inherit the disease as a sex linked characteristic, that is as a defect
on the recessive gene found on the X chromosome passed on by the mother.

What treatments are available for CGD?
The most common treatment is with antibiotics, as is the case with Hayden. However,
in the past few year's there have been so many wonderful discoveries. Gamma Interferon
and Stem Cell Transplants have shown incredible benefits to CGD patients!

Below you will find links to other CGD related pages:

Granulomatous Disease
CGD Guide
CGD Message Board
National Institute Of Health
ehh Canadian CGD Website