Purine nucleoside phosphorylase deficiency is a disorder of the immune system called an immunodeficiency. Immunodeficiencies are conditions in which the immune system is not able to protect the body effectively from foreign invaders such as bacteria and viruses.

Purine nucleoside phosphorylase deficiency is caused by mutations in the PNP gene. The PNP gene provides instructions for making an enzyme called purine nucleoside phosphorylase. This enzyme is found throughout the body but is most active in specialized white blood cells called lymphocytes, which include T cells and B cells. Lymphocytes are produced in specialized lymphoid tissues, including the thymus and lymph nodes, and then released into the blood. The thymus is a gland located behind the breastbone; lymph nodes are found throughout the body. Lymphocytes in the blood and in lymphoid tissues are a major component of the immune system.

Purine nucleoside phosphorylase deficiency is rare; only about 70 affected individuals have been described in the medical literature. This disorder accounts for approximately 4 percent of all SCID cases.

This condition is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern, which means both copies of the gene in each cell have mutations. The parents of an individual with an autosomal recessive condition each carry one copy of the mutated gene, but they typically do not show signs and symptoms of the condition.

Published Date: April 01, 2019
Published By: National Institutes of Health