Type of Immunodeficiency, Treatment and Outcomes of Serious BCG Vaccine Complications: A 15 Year Survey

Background: To describe the immunologic characteristics and outcomes of the patients with serious BCG complication in a 15- year survey. Materials and Methods: A descriptive and retrospective study was performed in 2 referral pediatric infectious wards of central Children Hospital, and Rasool Akram Hospital Tehran, Iran between 1989 and 2004. Results: We studied 76 patients (72% male and 28% female) with serious BCG complications. mean age of 14.41± 1.43 months the results were follows: severe combined immunodeficiency 15.7 % of cases Leukopenia 1.4%; lymphopenia in 2.8%; cell mediated immunodeficiency in 26.3 %, chronic granulomatous disease in 11.2%, common variable immunodeficiency 6.5 %; NK cell deficiency in 5.2%; isolated CD4 deficiency in 5.1 %; hyper IgM syndrome in 1.4 %, mild abnormality in nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) test 4.2 %;mild hypogammaglobulinemia in 4.2 % and idiopathic disseminated BCG infection in 15.7% of patients. Nineteen patients died due to progressive disseminated mycobacterial infections. Conclusion: N.k cell deficiency has yet reported as a risk factor for progression and complication of BCG infection. we suggest combination therapy with IFN- and chemotherapy in all cases of" idiopathic disseminated BCG infections