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A large number of rare diseases has been described that feature a heightened susceptibility to infections from childhood onward. Most of these disorders are hereditary and autosomal recessive. Defects are either of the humoral immunity, cell-mediated immunity or combined (such as in Severe Combined Immunodeficiency—SCID).
Although elderly people are generally more susceptible to infections, this can be increased in the presence of a number of blood disorders (see hematology); important examples are multiple myeloma and chronic lymphatic leukemia (CLL).
Immune suppression is a common side-effect of many drugs, most importantly chemotherapy. This feature is used to suppress immune activity in autoimmune disorders with DMARDs. Any drug that causes neutropeniaNeutropenia is a haematological disorder characterised by an abnormally low number of neutrophil granulocytes (a type of white blood cell). Neutrophils usually make up 50-70% of circulating white blood cells and serve as the primary defence against infect and/or agranulocytosisAgranulocytosis can result in a dangerous reduction in the number of white blood cells within the body. A large number of drugs have been associated with agranulocytosis, including antiepileptics, antithyroid drugs and some antipsychotics (the atypical an can cause immune suppression and sepsisSepsis is a serious medical condition caused by a severe systemic infection leading to a systemic inflammatory response. The more critical subsets of sepsis include severe sepsis (sepsis with organ dysfunction) and septic shock (sepsis with refractory art.Immune deficiency is also the hallmark of Acquired Immunodeficiency SyndromeAIDS Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome sometimes written Aids is a human disease characterized by progressive destruction of the body's immune system. It is widely accepted that AIDS results from infection with HIV (AIDS). AIDS invades CD4+- T-lymphocytesT cells are a subset of lymphocytes that play a large role in the primary immune response. The abbreviation "T" stands for thymus, the organ in which their final stage of their development occurs. There are many types of T cells: Cytotoxic T cells (CD8+) ( Helper T cellA helper (or T T cell is a T cell (a type of white blood cell) which has on its surface antigen receptors that can bind to fragments of antigens displayed by the Class II MHC molecules found on professional antigen-presenting cells (APCs). Once bound to as), leading to opportunistic infections.