BACKGROUND: Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) is a fatal but treatable inborn error of immunity (IEI). Newborn screening (NBS) using T-cell receptor excision circles (TREC) has been adopted globally, with very few countries incorporating kappa recombination excision circles (KREC) to also detect early B-cell development disorders, such as X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA). OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of a 2-year pilot SCID NBS program in the Czech Republic, emphasising the utility of combined TREC/KREC screening. METHODS: Between January 2022 and December 2023, a dual TREC/KREC NBS pilot was conducted across the Czech Republic, alongside spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) screening. Approximately 200,000 newborns were screened using quantitative real-time PCR on dried blood spots collected 48-72 h after birth. RESULTS: The pilot referred 58 newborns, identifying 21 cases of IEI, including two SCID cases, with an overall incidence of TREC/KREC screenable IEI of 10.5/100,000 newborns. SCID incidence was 1/100,000. KREC screening proved invaluable, detecting 10 cases of congenital agammaglobulinemia including novel non-XLA forms, which increased the estimated incidence of agammaglobulinemia in the Czech Republic sixfold. Over one-third of low KREC results were linked to maternal immunosuppression. CONCLUSION: The Czech pilot demonstrated the effectiveness of integrated TREC/KREC NBS in detecting both T- and B-cell immunodeficiencies. As of 2024, SCID and SMA screening are included in the nationwide NBS, with KREC screening significantly improving early detection of B-cell disorders.
- MeSH
- Agammaglobulinemia diagnosis MeSH
- B-Lymphocytes immunology MeSH
- Genetic Diseases, X-Linked MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Infant, Newborn MeSH
- Neonatal Screening * methods MeSH
- Pilot Projects MeSH
- Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell * genetics MeSH
- Severe Combined Immunodeficiency * diagnosis genetics epidemiology MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Infant, Newborn MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Geographicals
- Czech Republic MeSH
BACKGROUND: The Clinical Genome Resource (ClinGen) is an international collaborative effort among scientists and clinicians, diagnostic and research laboratories, and the patient community. Using a standardized framework, ClinGen has established guidelines to classify gene-disease relationships as definitive, strong, moderate, and limited on the basis of available scientific and clinical evidence. When the genetic and functional evidence for a gene-disease relationship has conflicting interpretations or contradictory evidence, they can be disputed or refuted. OBJECTIVE: We assessed genes related to primary antibody deficiencies. METHODS: The ClinGen Antibody Deficiencies Gene Curation Expert Panel, using the ClinGen framework, classified genes related to primary antibody deficiency that primarily affect B-cell development and/or function, and that account for the largest proportion of inborn errors of immunity or primary immunodeficiencies. RESULTS: The expert panel curated a total of 65 genes associated with humoral immune defects to validate 74 gene-disease relationships. Of these, 40 were classified as definitive, 1 as strong, 16 as moderate, 15 as limited, and 2 as disputed. The curation process involved reviewing 490 patient records and 3546 associated human phenotype ontology entries. The 3 most frequently observed terms related to primary antibody deficiency were decreased circulating antibody level, pneumonia, and lymphadenopathy. CONCLUSIONS: These curations (publicly available at ClinicalGenome.org) represent the first effort to provide a comprehensive genetic and phenotypic revision of genetic disorders affecting humoral immunity, as reviewed and approved by experts in the field.
Vrozené poruchy imunitního systému (PID/IEIs) představují dynamicky se rozvíjející skupinu onemocnění, která je kromě zvýšené náchylnosti k infekcím charakterizována také výskytem autoimunitních, autoinflamatorních, alergických a maligních komplikací. V dnešní době bylo popsáno kolem 500 těchto onemocnění a jejich počet se neustále zvyšuje. Výsledkem dynamickému pokroku v diagnostice a terapii těchto onemocnění je rozvoj genetické diagnostiky, zavedení screeningového vyšetření PID/IEIs u novorozenců, stejně tak jako používání nových terapeutických přístupů včetně genové terapie. V České republice bylo na počátku roku 2024 zavedeno plošné screeningové vyšetření těžké kombinované imunodeficience (SCID). Rozvoj nových technologií umožňuje zlepšení genetické diagnostiky a získávání nových poznatků týkajících se patogeneze PID/IEIs, které lze využít k vývoji cílené terapie. Symptomatická léčba pacientů s PID/IEIs je kromě antimikrobiální profylaxe a imunoglobulinové substituční léčby obohacena o terapii tzv. malými molekulami a biologickou léčbou monoklonálními protilátkami namířenými proti buňkám nebo jejich produktům. V kauzální léčbě pacientů s PID/IEIs dochází ke zlepšení postupů v provádění transplantace hematopoetických krevních buněk (HSCT) a pokrokům na poli genové terapie. Budoucí vývoj v oblasti PID/IEIs bude směřovat k dalšímu zpřesnění jejich diagnostiky a rozvoji cílené terapie včetně personalizovaného přístupu k léčbě.
Congenital disorders of the immune system PIDs/IEIs) represent a dynamically developing group of diseases characterized not only by an increased susceptibility to infections but also by the occurrence of autoimmune, autoinflammatory, allergic, and malignant complications. Around 500 of these diseases have been described to date, and their number continues to grow. The result of dynamic progress in the diagnosis and therapy of these diseases is the progress of genetic diagnostics, the introduction of screening for PID/IEIs in newborns, as well as the use of new therapeutic approaches including gene therapy. Since the beginning of 2024, nationwide screening for severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) has been introduced in the Czech Republic. Advances in genetic diagnostic technologies have allowed for more precise diagnostics and the acquisition of new data regarding the pathogenesis of PIDs/IEIs, which can be used to develop targeted therapies. Symptomatic treatment for patients with PIDs/IEIs, in addition to antimicrobial prophylaxis and immunoglobulin replacement therapy, has been enhanced with small molecules and biological therapy using monoclonal antibodies targeted against cytokines, cells, or their products. In the causal treatment of patients with PIDs/IEIs, there have been improvements in the procedures for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and advances in the field of gene therapies. Future developments in the field of PID/IEIs will focus on more precise diagnostics, targeted therapies, and a personalized approach to treatment.
This report delves into the challenges and potential solutions associated with flexible, customized subcutaneous immunoglobulin (SCIG) infusion regimens for patients with primary antibody deficiency disease (PAD). Advances in the treatment of inborn errors of immunity, particularly PAD, have converted fatal diseases into chronic, complex, long-term conditions that make adherence to treatment a critical issue. Conventional SCIG infusion regimens, while clinically effective, may not always align with the varied lifestyles, changing lifestyles and commitments of patients which can lead to missed doses, diminishing adherence thus posing potential health risks and compromising the overall effectiveness of treatment. For these reasons, it's important to develop flexible infusion regimens tailored to meet individual patient needs. Patient-centric strategies that promote shared decision-making and awareness of patient status not only promote medical efficacy but also enhance the overall patient experience. The authors of this report call attention for a need to shift toward more adaptable and individualized SCIG treatment plans for PAD patients whose needs may change over the long-term course of treatment.
- MeSH
- Immunoglobulins therapeutic use administration & dosage MeSH
- Precision Medicine MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Patient-Centered Care * MeSH
- Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases therapy immunology MeSH
- Infusions, Subcutaneous * MeSH
- Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes * therapy drug therapy MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
- Review MeSH
X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA) was one of the first inborn errors of immunity to be described. It is caused by pathogenic variants in the gene for Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK), which has important functions in B cell development and maturation. Recurrent bacterial infections in the first two years of life and hypogammaglobulinemia with absent B cells in male patients are the most common symptoms. A four-month-old male patient underwent surgical removal of urachus persistens complicated with recurrent scar abscesses. Hypogammaglobulinemia (IgG, IgA, and IgM), low phagocytic activity, mild neutropenia, and a normal percentage of B cells were observed in the patient's immune laboratory profile. Over time, he suffered recurrent respiratory infections (otitis media and rhinosinusitis) and developed B cell depletion, but interestingly, this was with a normalisation of IgG and IgA levels along with undetectable IgM. Molecular-genetic testing confirmed the presence of the pathogenic variant c.1843C>T in the BTK gene, which is associated with a milder phenotype of XLA. Molecular-genetic testing uncovers the variability of clinical and laboratory features of apparently well-known inherited disorders. Patients with mild "leaky" XLA may have normal levels of non-functional or oligoclonal immunoglobulins.
- MeSH
- Agammaglobulinemia * genetics diagnosis MeSH
- Genetic Diseases, X-Linked * genetics diagnosis MeSH
- Genetic Testing * MeSH
- Infant MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Agammaglobulinaemia Tyrosine Kinase * genetics MeSH
- Check Tag
- Infant MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Case Reports MeSH
BACKGROUND: Inborn errors of immunity (IEI) with dysregulated JAK/STAT signaling present with variable manifestations of immune dysregulation and infections. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is potentially curative, but initially reported outcomes were poor. JAK inhibitors (JAKi) offer a targeted treatment option that may be an alternative or bridge to HSCT. However, data on their current use, treatment efficacy and adverse events are limited. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the current off-label JAKi treatment experience for JAK/STAT inborn errors of immunity (IEI) among European Society for Immunodeficiencies (ESID)/European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) Inborn Errors Working Party (IEWP) centers. METHODS: We conducted a multicenter retrospective study on patients with a genetic disorder of hyperactive JAK/STAT signaling who received JAKi treatment for at least 3 months. RESULTS: Sixty-nine patients (72% children) were evaluated (45 STAT1 gain of function [GOF], 21 STAT3-GOF, 1 STAT5B-GOF, 1 suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 [aka SOCS1] loss of function, 1 JAK1-GOF). Ruxolitinib was the predominantly prescribed JAKi (80%). Overall, treatment resulted in improvement (partial or complete remission) of clinical symptoms in 87% of STAT1-GOF and in 90% of STAT3-GOF patients. We documented highly heterogeneous dosing and monitoring regimens. The response rate and time to response varied across different diseases and manifestations. Adverse events including infection and weight gain were frequent (38% of patients) but were mild (grade I-II) and transient in most patients. At last follow-up, 52 (74%) of 69 patients were still receiving JAKi treatment, and 11 patients eventually underwent HSCT after receipt of previous JAKi bridging therapy, with 91% overall survival. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that JAKi may be highly effective to treat symptomatic JAK/STAT IEI patients. Prospective studies to define optimal JAKi dosing for the variable clinical presentations and age ranges should be pursued.
- MeSH
- Child MeSH
- Janus Kinase Inhibitors * therapeutic use MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Prospective Studies MeSH
- Retrospective Studies MeSH
- Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes * therapy MeSH
- Treatment Outcome MeSH
- Check Tag
- Child MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Multicenter Study MeSH
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
BACKGROUND: Activated phosphoinositide 3-kinase delta (PI3Kδ) syndrome (APDS; or p110δ-activating mutations causing senescent T cells, lymphadenopathy, and immunodeficiency) is an inborn error of immunity caused by PI3Kδ hyperactivity. Resultant immune deficiency and dysregulation lead to recurrent sinopulmonary infections, herpes viremia, autoimmunity, and lymphoproliferation. OBJECTIVE: Leniolisib, a selective PI3Kδ inhibitor, demonstrated favorable impact on immune cell subsets and lymphoproliferation over placebo in patients with APDS over 12 weeks. Here, we report results from an interim analysis of an ongoing open-label, single-arm extension study. METHODS: Patients with APDS aged 12 years or older who completed NCT02435173 or had previous exposure to PI3Kδ inhibitors were eligible. The primary end point was safety, assessed via investigator-reported adverse events (AEs) and clinical/laboratory evaluations. Secondary and exploratory end points included health-related quality of life, inflammatory markers, frequency of infections, and lymphoproliferation. RESULTS: Between September 2016 and August 2021, 37 patients (median age, 20 years; 42.3% female) were enrolled. Of these 37 patients, 26, 9, and 2 patients had previously received leniolisib, placebo, or other PI3Kδ inhibitors, respectively. At the data cutoff date (December 13, 2021), median leniolisib exposure was 102 weeks. Overall, 32 patients (87%) experienced an AE. Most AEs were grades 1 to 3; none were grade 4. One patient with severe baseline comorbidities experienced a grade 5 AE, determined as unrelated to leniolisib treatment. While on leniolisib, patients had reduced annualized infection rates (P = .004), and reductions in immunoglobulin replacement therapy occurred in 10 of 27 patients. Other observations include reduced lymphadenopathy and splenomegaly, improved cytopenias, and normalized lymphocyte subsets. CONCLUSIONS: Leniolisib was well tolerated and maintained durable outcomes with up to 5 years of exposure in 37 patients with APDS. CLINICALTRIALS: gov identifier: NCT02859727.
- MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Class I Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases genetics MeSH
- Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases genetics MeSH
- Quality of Life MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Lymphadenopathy * complications MeSH
- Young Adult MeSH
- Mutation MeSH
- Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes * genetics MeSH
- Check Tag
- Adult MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Young Adult MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
- Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural MeSH
Congenital athymia is a life-limiting disorder due to rare inborn errors of immunity causing impaired thymus organogenesis or abnormal thymic stromal cell development and function. Athymic infants have a T-lymphocyte-negative, B-lymphocyte-positive, natural killer cell-positive immunophenotype with profound T-lymphocyte deficiency and are susceptible to severe infections and autoimmunity. Patients variably display syndromic features. Expanding access to newborn screening for severe combined immunodeficiency and T lymphocytopenia and broad genetic testing, including next-generation sequencing technologies, increasingly facilitate their timely identification. The recommended first-line treatment is allogeneic thymus transplantation, which is a specialized procedure available in Europe and the United States. Outcomes for athymic patients are best with early diagnosis and thymus transplantation before the development of infectious and inflammatory complications. These guidelines on behalf of the European Society for Immunodeficiencies provide a comprehensive review for clinicians who manage patients with inborn thymic stromal cell defects; they offer clinical practice recommendations focused on the diagnosis, investigation, risk stratification, and management of congenital athymia with the aim of improving patient outcomes.
- MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Disease Management MeSH
- Infant, Newborn MeSH
- Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes * therapy diagnosis immunology MeSH
- Thymus Gland immunology MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Infant, Newborn MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Review MeSH
- Practice Guideline MeSH
- Geographicals
- Europe MeSH
Detailed knowledge of human B-cell development is crucial for the proper interpretation of inborn errors of immunity and malignant diseases. It is of interest to understand the kinetics of protein expression changes during development, but also to properly interpret the major and possibly alternative developmental trajectories. We have investigated human samples from healthy individuals with the aim of describing all B-cell developmental trajectories. We validated a 30-parameter mass cytometry panel and demonstrated the utility of "vaevictis" visualization of B-cell developmental stages. We used the trajectory inference tool "tviblindi" to exhaustively describe all trajectories leading to all developmental ends discovered in the data. Focusing on Natural Effector B cells, we demonstrated the dynamics of expression of nuclear factors (PAX-5, TdT, Ki-67, Bcl-2), cytokine and chemokine receptors (CD127, CXCR4, CXCR5) in relation to the canonical B-cell developmental stage markers. We observed branching of the memory development, where follicular memory formation was marked by CD73 expression. Lastly, we performed an analysis of two example cases of abnormal B-cell development caused by mutations in RAG-1 and Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome gene in patients with primary immunodeficiency. In conclusion, we developed, validated, and presented a comprehensive set of tools for the investigation of B-cell development in the bone marrow compartment.
- MeSH
- Algorithms * MeSH
- B-Lymphocytes * immunology MeSH
- Cell Differentiation * immunology genetics MeSH
- Homeodomain Proteins * genetics metabolism MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Mutation MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
BACKGROUND: Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4) insufficiency causes a primary immune regulatory disorder characterized by lymphoproliferation, dysgammaglobulinemia, and multiorgan autoimmunity including cytopenias and colitis. OBJECTIVE: We examined the outcome of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for CTLA-4 insufficiency and study the impact of pre-HSCT CTLA-4 fusion protein (CTLA-4-Ig) therapy and pre-HSCT immune dysregulation on survival and immunologic outcome. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of HSCT for CTLA-4 insufficiency and 2q33.2-3 deletion from the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation Inborn Errors Working Party. Primary end points were overall survival (OS) and disease- and chronic graft-versus-host disease-free survival (DFS). Secondary end point was immunologic outcome assessed by immune dysregulation disease activity (IDDA) score. RESULTS: Forty patients were included over a 25-year period. Before HSCT, 60% received CTLA-4-Ig, and median (range) IDDA score was 23.3 (3.9-84.0). Median (range) age at HSCT was 14.2 (1.3-56.0) years. Patients received peripheral blood stem cell (58%) or marrow (43%) from a matched unrelated donor (75%), mismatched unrelated donor (12.5%), or matched family donor (12.5%). Median (range) follow-up was 3 (0.6-15) years, and 3-year OS was 76.7% (58-87%) and DFS was 74.4% (54.9-86.0%). At latest follow-up, disease of 28 of 30 surviving patients was in disease-free remission with median IDDA reduction of 16. Probability of OS and DFS was greater in patients with lower disease activity before HSCT (IDDA < 23, P = .002 and P = .006, respectively). CTLA-4-Ig receipt did not influence OS or DFS. Cause of death was transplant related in 7 of 8 patients. CONCLUSION: HSCT is an effective therapy to prevent ongoing disease progression and morbidity, with improving survival rates over time and in patients with lower pre-HSCT disease activity.
- MeSH
- CTLA-4 Antigen * genetics MeSH
- Child MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Infant MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Young Adult MeSH
- Graft vs Host Disease MeSH
- Child, Preschool MeSH
- Retrospective Studies MeSH
- Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation * MeSH
- Treatment Outcome MeSH
- Check Tag
- Child MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Infant MeSH
- Middle Aged MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Young Adult MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Child, Preschool MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Geographicals
- Europe MeSH
