ABSTRACT
Two teenage patients who presented with meningococcal meningitis were found to have persistently low C3 levels even after recovery. This was accompanied by circulating C3 nephritic factor, which persisted for more than 12 months in each case. Neither patient had evidence of partial lipodystrophy or of glomerulonephritis initially, although one patient subsequently developed mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis following a second admission with pneumococcal pneumonia. It is possible that the generation of the nephritic factor was initiated during the presenting illness.
Subject(s)
Complement C3 Nephritic Factor/blood , Complement C3/deficiency , Complement Inactivator Proteins/blood , Meningitis, Meningococcal/immunology , Adolescent , Complement Pathway, Alternative , Female , Humans , MaleABSTRACT
A patient presented at the age of 72 years with a life long history of at least 60 years of abdominal crises described by the patient as 'bilious vomiting or migraine'. However, a careful clinical and family history suggested a diagnosis of hereditary angioneurotic oedema and this was confirmed by complement studies. Treatment with oral ethinyltestosterone (Danazol) was successful in abolishing her attacks, initially at a dose of 600 mg. per day and laterally at the low dose of 200 mg per day.
