Assessment of Complement Deficiency in Patients with Meningococcal Disease in the Netherlands

The frequency of complement deficiency in 176 of 7,732 patients with meningococcal disease in the Netherlands from 1959 through 1992 was assessed. Complement deficiency was found in six patients (3%): 3 (7%) of the patients with Neisseria meningitidis serogroup C disease, 1 (2%) of the patients with N. meningitidis serogroup A disease, and 2 (33%) of the patients with infections due to uncommon serogroups and nongroupable strains of N. meningitidis . Of 91 additional patients with meningococcal infections due to uncommon serogroups, 33% also had complement deficiency. Thirty-four of the 36 com... Mehr ...