ZAP70-related severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) is an inherited disorder that damages the immune system. ZAP70-related SCID is one of several forms of severe combined immunodeficiency, a group of disorders with several genetic causes. Children with SCID lack virtually all immune protection from bacteria, viruses, and fungi. They are prone to repeated and persistent infections that can be very serious or life-threatening. Often the organisms that cause infection in people with this disorder are described as opportunistic because they ordinarily do not cause illness in healthy people. Infants with SCID typically experience pneumonia, chronic diarrhea, and widespread skin rashes. They also grow much more slowly than healthy children. If not treated in a way that restores immune function, children with SCID usually live only a year or two.

As the name indicates, this condition is caused by variants (also called mutations) in the ZAP70 gene. The ZAP70 gene provides instructions for making a protein called zeta-chain-associated protein kinase. This protein is part of a signaling pathway that directs the development of and turns on (activates) immune system cells called T cells. T cells identify foreign substances and defend the body against infection.

ZAP70-related SCID is a rare disorder. Only about 20 affected individuals have been identified. The prevalence of SCID from all genetic causes combined is approximately 1 in 50,000.

This condition is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern, which means both copies of the gene in each cell have variants. The parents of an individual with an autosomal recessive condition each carry one copy of the altered gene, but they typically do not show signs and symptoms of the condition.

Published Date: August 07, 2023
Published By: National Institutes of Health