IgA deficiency: what we should-or should not-be doing.

Although IgA deficiency (IgAD) is currently recognised as the most frequent immunodeficiency in humans, individuals with IgAD are largely considered to be healthy and when discovered are usually not investigated further or followed up. The rare occasion when IgAD is a cause for concern is when these individuals require blood or blood products, in which case current practice advises that products not containing IgA must be administered. On these occasions it is also often, but not always, practice to check for the presence of anti-IgA antibodies, the importance of which is still frequently disputed (vide infra). Are we doing what we should? Are the above practices justified by currently existing data?