The most severe symptom in Chediak-Higashi Syndrome is the defect in the immune system, including white blood cells, platelets, and red blood cells. It is a defect in the LYST gene which is mostly related to the lysosome that is related to the immune system. Chediak-Higashi Syndrome is caused from this defect in the immune system. In other words, patients cannot endure infections as well as individuals with a properly functioning immune system. The first time an individual is diagnosed as Chediak-Higashi Syndrome, they are usually infants. The symptoms first appear in mild forms that are not life-threatening. But as the infant ages, the risk of developing the accelerated phase increases. When the number of lymphocytes is created superfluously, the chance of entering accelerated phase becomes high. As the article, Chediak Higashi Syndrome by NORD says “Patients can develop symptoms such as fever, swollen lymph nodes, enlargement of the liver and spleen, anemia, low WBC count, and low blood platelet count” (Tomer). All these conditions can appear at any age. When they do appear, they must be treated immediately since the immune system in the patient cannot cure itself. If the treatment is too late, then eventually the accelerated phase progresses and induces neurological symptoms to occur (Tomer).
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