What causes CGD?

What causes CGD?

CGD is a type of genetic disorder called a primary immunodeficiency disease (PIDD). The immune system does not work properly in people with these diseases.

White blood cells are an essential part of your immune system’s defenses. People with CGD have a faulty gene that makes white blood cells called neutrophils less able to produce reactive oxygen species, in what is known as a “respiratory burst.” Without a fully functional respiratory burst, these phagocytes cannot kill certain bacteria and fungi.

The genetic mutations associated with CGD are hereditary (passed from a parent to a child). Doctors classify CGD into two types based on the gene involved:

• X-linked CGD: This most common type of the disease involves a mutation of the CYBB gene. It almost always affects males.
• Autosomal recessive CGD: Mutations in the CYBA, NCF1, NCF2, CYBC1, or NCF4 genes cause this type of CGD.