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BACKGROUND: Inborn errors of immunity (IEI) are rare diseases, which makes diagnosis a challenge. A better description of the initial presenting manifestations should improve awareness and avoid diagnostic delay. Although increased infection susceptibility is a well-known initial IEI manifestation, less is known about the frequency of other presenting manifestations.OBJECTIVE: We sought to analyze age-related initial presenting manifestations of IEI including different IEI disease cohorts.METHODS: We analyzed data on 16,486 patients of the European Society for Immunodeficiencies Registry. Patients with autoinflammatory diseases were excluded because of the limited number registered.RESULTS: Overall, 68% of patients initially presented with infections only, 9% with immune dysregulation only, and 9% with a combination of both. Syndromic features were the presenting feature in 12%, 4% had laboratory abnormalities only, 1.5% were diagnosed because of family history only, and 0.8% presented with malignancy. Two-third of patients with IEI presented before the age of 6 years, but a quarter of patients developed initial symptoms only as adults. Immune dysregulation was most frequently recognized as an initial IEI manifestation between age 6 and 25 years, with male predominance until age 10 years, shifting to female predominance after age 40 years. Infections were most prevalent as a first manifestation in patients presenting after age 30 years.CONCLUSIONS: An exclusive focus on infection-centered warning signs would have missed around 25% of patients with IEI who initially present with other manifestations.

Patients with ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) suffer from progressive cerebellar ataxia, immunodeficiency, respiratory failure, and cancer susceptibility. From a clinical point of view, A-T patients with IgA deficiency show more symptoms and may have a poorer prognosis. In this study, we analyzed mortality and immunity data of 659 A-T patients with regard to IgA deficiency collected from the European Society for Immunodeficiencies (ESID) registry and from 66 patients with classical A-T who attended at the Frankfurt Goethe-University between 2012 and 2018. We studied peripheral B- and T-cell subsets and T-cell repertoire of the Frankfurt cohort and survival rates of all A-T patients in the ESID registry. Patients with A-T have significant alterations in their lymphocyte phenotypes. All subsets (CD3, CD4, CD8, CD19, CD4/CD45RA, and CD8/CD45RA) were significantly diminished compared to standard values. Patients with IgA deficiency (n = 35) had significantly lower lymphocyte counts compared to A-T patients without IgA deficiency (n = 31) due to a further decrease of naive CD4 T-cells, central memory CD4 cells, and regulatory T-cells. Although both patient groups showed affected TCR-ss repertoires compared to controls, no differences could be detected between patients with and without IgA deficiency. Overall survival of patients with IgA deficiency was significantly diminished. For the first time, our data show that patients with IgA deficiency have significantly lower lymphocyte counts and subsets, which are accompanied with reduced survival, compared to A-T patients without IgA deficiency. IgA, a simple surrogate marker, is indicating the poorest prognosis for classical A-T patients. Both non-interventional clinical trials were registered at clinicaltrials.gov 2012 (Susceptibility to infections in ataxia-telangiectasia; NCT02345135) and 2017 (Susceptibility to Infections, tumor risk and liver disease in patients with ataxia-telangiectasia; NCT03357978), Projekt DEAL; German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) [01GM0896, 01GM1111B, 01GM1517C, 01EO1303, 01ZZ1801B]; EU [HEALTHF2-2008-201549]; Novartis; GlaxoSmithKline; LFB; UCB UK; Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association (PPTA),; Care-for-Rare Foundation; PROimmune e.V; Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) [39087428]; UK National Institute of Health Research; Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, Open Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL. The ESID Registry was supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF 01GM0896, 01GM1111B, 01GM1517C, 01EO1303 and 01ZZ1801B) EU grant no. HEALTHF2-2008-201549 (EURO-PADnet), the pharmaceutical companies Novartis, GlaxoSmithKline, LFB, and UCB UK, the Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association (PPTA), the Care-for-Rare Foundation, PROimmune e.V, LFB, and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) under Germany's Excellence StrategyEXC 2155 RESIST-Project ID 39087428. EGD is supported by the UK National Institute of Health Research and the Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre.

Summary Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) is fatal if not treated with immune reconstitution. In Egypt, T-B+ SCID accounts for 38·5% of SCID diagnoses. An accurate genetic diagnosis is essential for choosing appropriate treatment modalities and for offering genetic counseling to the patient's family. The objectives of this study were to describe the clinical, immunological and molecular characteristics of a cohort of twenty Egyptian patients with T-B+ SCID. The initial diagnosis (based on clinical features and flow cytometry) was followed by molecular investigation (whole-exome sequencing). All patients had the classic clinical picture for SCID, including failure to thrive (n = 20), oral candidiasis (n = 17), persistent diarrhea (n = 14), pneumonia (n = 13), napkin dermatitis (n = 10), skin rash (n = 7), otitis media (n = 3) and meningitis (n = 2). The onset of manifestations was at the age of 2·4 ± 1·6 months and diagnosis at the age of 6·7 ± ·5 months, giving a diagnostic delay of 4·3 months. JAK3 gene variants were most frequent (n = 12) with three novel variants identified, followed by IL2Rγ variants (n = 6) with two novel variants. IL7Rα and CD3ε variants were found once, with a novel variant each. T-B+NK− SCID accounted for approximately 90% of the Egyptian patients with T-B+SCID. Of these T-B+NK− SCID cases, 60% were autosomal recessive syndromes caused by JAK3 mutations and 30% were X-linked syndromes. It might be useful to sequence the JAK3 gene (i.e. targeted Sanger sequencing) in all T-B+ SCID patients, especially after X-linked SCID has been ruled out. Hence, no more than 10% of T-B+ SCID patients might require next-generation for a molecular diagnosis.

LPS-responsive beige-like anchor (LRBA) deficiency is an autosomal recessive primary immunodeficiency disorder, OMIM (#614700). LRBA deficiency patients suffer from variable manifestations including recurrent infections, immune dysregulation, autoimmunity, cytopenias, and enteropathy. This study describes different clinical phenotypes and immunological characteristics of 18 LRBA deficiency patients diagnosed from Egypt. T and B lymphocyte subpopulations, LRBA, and cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA4) expression were evaluated in resting and stimulated T cells using flow cytometry. Next-generation sequencing was used to identify mutations in the LRBA gene. LRBA deficiency patients had significantly lower B cells and increased percentage of memory T cells. CTLA4 levels were lower in LRBA-deficient T regulatory cells in comparison to healthy donors at resting conditions and significantly increased upon stimulation of T cells. We identified 11 novel mutations in LRBA gene ranging from large deletions to point mutations. Finally, we were able to differentiate LRBA-deficient patients from healthy control and common variable immunodeficiency patients using a simple flow cytometry test performed on whole blood and without need to prior stimulation. LRBA deficiency has heterogeneous phenotypes with poor phenotype-genotype correlation since the same mutation may manifest differently even within the same family. Low LRBA expression, low numbers of B cells, increased numbers of memory T cells, and defective CTLA4 expression (which increase to normal level upon T cell stimulation) are useful laboratory tests to establish the diagnosis of LRBA deficiency. Screening of the siblings of affected patients is very important as patients may be asymptomatic at the beginning of the disease course.

Human inborn errors of immunity (IEI) are a group of 485 distinct genetic disorders affecting children and adults. Signs and symptoms of IEI are heterogeneous, and accurate diagnosis can be challenging and depends on the available human expertise and laboratory resources. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has an increased prevalence of IEI because of the high rate of consanguinity with a predominance of autosomal recessive disorders. This area also exhibits more severe disease phenotypes compared with other regions, probably due to the delay in diagnosis. The MENA-IEI registry network has designed protocols and guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of IEI, taking into consideration the variable regional expertise and resources. These guidelines are primarily meant to improve the care of patients within the region, but can also be followed in other regions with similar patient populations.

Hyper-IgE syndromes and chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis constitute rare primary immunodeficiency syndromes with an overlapping clinical phenotype. In recent years, a growing number of underlying genetic defects have been identified. To characterize the underlying genetic defects in a large international cohort of 275 patients, of whom 211 had been clinically diagnosed with hyper-IgE syndrome and 64 with chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis, targeted panel sequencing was performed, relying on Agilent HaloPlex and Illumina MiSeq technologies. The targeted panel sequencing approach allowed us to identify 87 (32 novel and 55 previously described) mutations in 78 patients, which generated a diagnostic success rate of 28.4%. Specifically, mutations in DOCK8 (26 patients), STAT3 (21), STAT1 (15), CARD9 (6), AIRE (3), IL17RA (2), SPINK5 (3), ZNF341 (2), CARMIL2/RLTPR (1), IL12RB1 (1), and WAS (1) have been detected. The most common clinical findings in this cohort were elevated IgE (81.5%), eczema (71.7%), and eosinophilia (62.9%). Regarding infections, 54.7% of patients had a history of radiologically proven pneumonia, and 28.3% have had other serious infections. History of fungal infection was noted in 53% of cases and skin abscesses in 52.9%. Skeletal or dental abnormalities were observed in 46.2% of patients with a characteristic face being the most commonly reported feature (23.1%), followed by retained primary teeth in 18.9% of patients. Targeted panel sequencing provides a cost-effective first-line genetic screening method which allows for the identification of mutations also in patients with atypical clinical presentations and should be routinely implemented in referral centers., Projekt DEAL; German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) [01E01303, 01ZX1306F, 01ZX1306A]; E-rare program of the European Commission EURO-CMC [01GM1502]; German Center for Infection Research DZIF [8000805-3, TTU-IICH_07.801]; German Research Foundation (DFG) [390939984, 39087428], Open Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL. Financial support for this research came from the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF, grant no. 01E01303; sys-INFLAME grant nos. 01ZX1306F and 01ZX1306A), from the E-rare program of the European Commission EURO-CMC (01GM1502), and from the German Center for Infection Research DZIF (8000805-3 and TTU-IICH_07.801). This study was supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG) under Germany's Excellence Strategy CIBSS (EXC-2189) (Project ID 390939984) and RESIST (EXC 2155) (Project ID 39087428).

Background: Calcification is an abnormal deposition of calcium salts in vascular tissue, including valves, blood vessels, and the heart, which is highly prevalent in End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) patients. Vascular calcification is an independent and important risk factor for cardiovascular events in hemodialysis patients and investigators have demonstrated that the extent and histo-anatomic type of vascular calcification are predictors of subsequent vascular mortality1. Cardiovascular mortality risk is elevated 5-10-fold in ESRD patients compared to the general population2. As we recognized the importance of early detection and delaying the complication of calcification, this study was initiated in March 2020 among 650 haemodialysis patients in Hamad General Hospital in Qatar. Methods: The haemodialysis multidisciplinary team identified patients with vascular calcification. Data was collected on available imaging study which included echocardiography, X-rays, and computed tomography (CT) to detect any kind of vascular calcification (e.g. valvular, calcified vessels). Our management protocol was updated to decrease the calcium load and active vitamin D. Abnormal serum calcium management was initiated to monitor and delay the progression of vascular calcification through interventions which included dietary control, medication, and dialysate bath. Results: We were able to screen 86% of dialysis patients (n = 559). Following the interventions, the percentage of patients with a calcium level of 2.1-2.55 mmol/l increased by 5 percentage points from 83% in March 2020 to 88% in September 2020 (p value = 0.004). Phosphorus level was maintained in the range of 0.81-1.8 mmol/l for 82% of patients (Figure 1) and parathyroid hormone (PTH) level in the range 150-400 pg/ml for 72% of patients (Figure 2). Conclusion: We implemented a successful screening program for vascular calcification in dialysis patients combined with specific interventions. Reduced hypercalcemia episodes can delay vascular calcification. Serum calcium level was improved and maintained within the target range (2.1 - 2.55 mmol/l) for a larger number of patients.

Background MHC class II deficiency leads to defective CD4+ T-cell function that results from impaired antigen presentation. A genetic disorder in 1 of 4 genes results in this syndrome that is associated with the clinical phenotype of combined immunodeficiency. Objective To describe the clinical, immunological, and molecular characteristics of 10 Egyptian patients from 9 different families having presented with MHC class II deficiency between 2012 and 2017. Methods An initial diagnosis based on the combination of clinical features and low HLA-DR expression by flow cytometry was confirmed by genetic analyses. Results Symptoms included failure to thrive (n = 9), persistent diarrhea (n = 5), and pneumonia (n = 8). Septicemia due to coagulase-negative staphylococci (n = 1) and Candida krusei (n = 1) was diagnosed. Nine patients orally received the live attenuated polio vaccine, of whom 3 developed acute flaccid paralysis thereafter. Nine patients received the BCG vaccine and none developed obvious signs of BCGitis. Four patients carried RFXANK gene mutations, 3 carried RFX5 gene mutations, 1 carried a CIITA gene mutation, and none carried RFXAP gene mutations. Six of the 7 detected mutations were previously unreported mutations: c.431T>C, c.247_250delTCAG, and c.600delG in the RFXANK gene; c.116+1G>A and c.715C>T in the RFX5 gene; and c.929delA in the CIITA gene. Conclusions Given that Egypt is a North African country with a high rate of consanguinity, MHC class II deficiency is not rare. However, the molecular defects differ from those reported in nearby countries. Early diagnosis must be based on suspicious clinical signs and laboratory diagnosis because the defect can be missed by T-cell receptor excision circles based on neonatal screening.

Studies of chest computed tomography (CT) in patients with primary antibody deficiency syndromes (ADS) suggest a broad range of bronchial pathology. However, there are as yet no multicentre studies to assess the variety of bronchial pathology in this patient group. One of the underlying reasons is the lack of a consensus methodology, a prerequisite to jointly document chest CT findings. We aimed to establish an international platform for the evaluation of bronchial pathology as assessed by chest CT and to describe the range of bronchial pathologies in patients with antibody deficiency. Ffteen immunodeficiency centres from 9 countries evaluated chest CT scans of patients with ADS using a predefined list of potential findings including an extent score for bronchiectasis. Data of 282 patients with ADS were collected. Patients with common variable immunodeficiency disorders (CVID) comprised the largest subgroup (232 patients, 82.3%). Eighty percent of CVID patients had radiological evidence of bronchial pathology including bronchiectasis in 61%, bronchial wall thickening in 44% and mucus plugging in 29%. Bronchiectasis was detected in 44% of CVID patients aged less than 20 years. Cough was a better predictor for bronchiectasis than spirometry values. Delay of diagnosis as well as duration of disease correlated positively with presence of bronchiectasis. The use of consensus diagnostic criteria and a pre-defined list of bronchial pathologies allows for comparison of chest CT data in multicentre studies. Our data suggest a high prevalence of bronchial pathology in CVID due to late diagnosis or duration of disease.

In the past few years, several genes were shown to be implicated in various forms of the Hyper Immunoglobulin E syndrome. The present study is the first to describe a cohort of DOCK8 deficiency patients from Egypt. The study included 15 patients with features of combined immunodeficiency (CID) suggestive of DOCK8 deficiency. Flow cytometry was used for evaluation of DOCK8 expression and studying different immunological characteristics of those patients including evaluation of Th17, Tregs, T and B lymphocytes differentiation and the effect of the DOCK8 deficiency on the activation of the STAT3. Diagnosis was confirmed by mutational analysis. Profound defects in Th17 cells and Tregs were observed in all patients with impaired STAT3 phosphorylation, indicating that DOCK8 plays a pivotal role in the STAT3 signaling pathway. These findings together with decrease in memory B cells and defective DOCK8 expression by flow cytometry can confirm the diagnosis.

Objective Primary immunodeficiency (PID) patients are prone to developing viral infections and should not be vaccinated with live vaccines. In such patients, prolonged excretion and viral divergence may occur and they may subsequently act as reservoirs in the community introducing mutated virus and jeopardizing polio eradication. One hundred and thirty PID cases were included for poliovirus detection in stool with assessment of divergence of detected polioviruses from oral polio vaccine (OPV) virus. Clinical presentations of PID patients with detectable poliovirus in stool specimens are described. Results Six PID patients (4.5%) had detectable vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) excretion in stool specimens; of these, five patients had severe combined immunodeficiency (two with acute flaccid paralysis, one with meningoencephalitis and two without neurological manifestations), and one patient had X-linked agammaglobulinemia (paralysis developed shortly after diagnosis of immunodeficiency). All six case-patients received trivalent OPV. Five case-patients had type 2 immunodeficiency-related vaccine-derived polioviruses (iVDPV2) excretion; one had concomitant excretion of Sabin like type 3 virus and one was identified as iVDPV1 excretor. Surveillance for poliovirus excretion among PID patients is critical as these patients represent a potential source to reseed polioviruses into populations.

Primary immunodeficiency disorders (PIDs) are a heterogeneous group of diseases of the immune system leading to life-threatening infections, and, unless urgently treated with immune reconstitution, patients do not usually survive. With the continuing progress in molecular diagnosis, many mutations have been described in more than 300 genes. Genetic counseling has recently been considered an essential part of the management of PIDs. This study presents the experience of genetic counseling services in the largest PID center in Egypt, and reports on our management plan and the impact of prenatal diagnosis (PND) on families. Based on the biochemical and molecular diagnosis of index cases, PND was offered for 10 families in 12 subsequent pregnancies. Five different genes were sequenced by Sanger sequencing in fetal samples. Seven fetuses were either normal or were carriers, while five fetuses were affected and human leukocyte antigen typing was performed, seeking a suitably related donor for stem cell transplantation. In spite of the genetic heterogeneity behind PIDs, genetic counseling should play a critical role in the management and future decisions of affected families.

This study delineates the mitochondrial defects in DOCK2-deficient T cells contributing to the T cell lymphopenia characteristic of this primary immunodeficiency.

In the original version of this article unfortunately two authors were missing: Dr. Jurgen Weidemann and Dr. Daniel Berthold. The correct list of authors is presented above.

Aim The purpose of present study was to access the prevalence of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibodies in children with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA), and to investigate the clinical significance and diagnostic value of the anti-CCP antibodies in correlation with age, sex & activity. Methods This case-control study was performed on 50 patients with JIA in addition to 40 sex and age-matched children as a control group. The participants were recruited from rheumatology Outpatient Clinic of Cairo University Specialized Pediatric Hospital. Patients were subjected to full history taking, clinical examination, routine laboratory investigations and x-rays on involved joints. Both patients and controls underwent assay of anti-CCP antibodies by AxSYM Anti-CCP IgG Microparticle Enzyme Immunoassay (MEIA) which is a semi-quantitative determination of the IgG class of autoantibodies specific to cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) in patients' serum or plasma. Data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U test, ANOVA, and independent-samples t-test by SPSS version 15. Results Anti-CCP positivity was identified amongst patients with JIA, particularly those JIA patients experiencing RF positive polyarticular disease onset. Above all, it is important that anti-CCP positivity and bone erosions, degree of joint damage, and ESR levels were significantly correlated. Conclusion Anti-CCP could be utilized as a valuable marker in the polyarticular form of JIA to direct early, and could be aggressive therapeutic intervention.

Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is an inherited mutational defect in any of the NADPH oxidase complex, CYBB (gp91-phox), NCF1 (p47-phox), CYBA (p22-phox), NCF2 (p67-phox), or NCF4 (p40-phox) leading to inability of phagocytes to perform effective respiratory burst and thus diminished killing of bacteria and fungi. The identification of defective proteins aids in establishing a diagnosis prior to genetic analysis, which is rather labor-intensive, expensive, and time-consuming. The present study aims at assessing the NADPH proteins by performing the intracellular staining with specific monoclonal antibodies and their assessment on flow cytometry. The use of flow cytometry is less laborious and faster to perform than western blot. It also confirms the diagnosis of CGD and detects the affected components allowing proper management of patients. Twenty-eight patients from 25 different kindred, clinically suspected as CGD were recruited in Egypt. Dihydrorhodamine test was performed to confirm the diagnosis of the patients. Intracellular staining of NADPH components using specific monoclonal antibodies was performed followed by flow cytometric analysis. The present study revealed that the most common defective protein in our cohort is p22-phox, found in 13 patients (46.4 % of cases) followed by p47-phox in 8 patients (28.6 %), gp91-phox in 5 patients (17.9 %), and finally p67-phox in 2 patients (7.1 %). In countries with limited resources and yet large number of CGD patients, the analysis of the defective proteins by flow cytometry is an optimum solution for confirming the diagnosis and is a step for targeted sequencing in families seeking prenatal diagnosis.

Primary immunodeficiency diseases (PID), encompass a heterogeneous group of diseases, with increased susceptibility to recurrent, severe infections. Invasive fungal infections raise a serious concern related to their morbidity and mortality. Herein, we describe various fungal infections among different PID patients. Twenty-eight PID patients diagnosed with fungal infections were included; fourteen patients with chronic granulomatous disease, two with Hyper Immunoglobulin E syndrome, one with LRBA deficiency and one with MHC class II defect, one with unclassified immune dysregulation, one with CD4 lymphopenia and one patient with Immune dysregulation Polyendocrinopathy Enteropathy X-linked syndrome. Aspergillus species were the most common isolated causative organisms in 78% of patients, Candida species were the causative organisms in 32%, Pneumocystis jirovecii caused infections in 7% followed by Malassezia furfur, Fusarium spp., Mucormycosis, and Penicillium chrysogenium 3.5% for each. The mortality rate among our patients was 10/28 (35.7%). PID patients are at high risk of developing fungal infections.

Summary Mutations affecting recombination activation genes RAG1 and RAG2 are associated with variable phenotypes, depending on the residual recombinase activity. The aim of this study is to describe a variety of clinical phenotypes in RAG-deficient patients from the highly consanguineous Egyptian population. Thirty-one patients with RAG mutations (from 28 families) were included from 2013 to 2017. On the basis of clinical, immunological and genetic data, patients were subdivided into three groups; classical T–B– severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), Omenn syndrome (OS) and atypical SCID. Nineteen patients presented with typical T–B–SCID; among these, five patients carried a homozygous RAG2 mutation G35V and five others carried two homozygous RAG2 mutations (T215I and R229Q) that were detected together. Four novel mutations were reported in the T–B–SCID group; three in RAG1 (A565P, N591Pfs*14 and K621E) and one in RAG2 (F29S). Seven patients presented with OS and a novel RAG2 mutation (C419W) was documented in one patient. The atypical SCID group comprised five patients. Two had normal B cell counts; one had a previously undescribed RAG2 mutation (V327D). The other three patients presented with autoimmune cytopaenias and features of combined immunodeficiency and were diagnosed at a relatively late age and with a substantial diagnostic delay; one patient had a novel RAG1 mutation (C335R). PID disorders are frequent among Egyptian children because of the high consanguinity. RAG mutations stand behind several variable phenotypes, including classical SCID, OS, atypical SCID with autoimmunity and T–B+ CID.

"Çalışmada 57 yazar bulunmaktadır. Bu yazarlardan sadece Bursa Uludağ Üniversitesi mensuplarının girişleri yapılmıştır.” Background: In contrast to adult-onset inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), where many genetic loci have been shown to be involved in complex disease etiology, early-onset IBD (eoIBD) and associated syndromes can sometimes present as monogenic conditions. As a result, the clinical phenotype and ideal disease management in these patients often differ from those in adult-onset IBD. However, due to high costs and the complexity of data analysis, high-throughput screening for genetic causes has not yet become a standard part of the diagnostic work-up of eoIBD patients. Methods: We selected 28 genes of interest associated with monogenic IBD and performed targeted panel sequencing in 71 patients diagnosed with eoIBD or early-onset chronic diarrhea to detect causative variants. We compared these results to whole-exome sequencing (WES) data available for 25 of these patients. Results: Target coverage was significantly higher in the targeted gene panel approach compared with WES, whereas the cost of the panel was considerably lower (approximately 25% of WES). Disease-causing variants affecting protein function were identified in 5 patients (7%), located in genes of the IL10 signaling pathway (3), WAS (1), and DKC1 (1). The functional effects of 8 candidate variants in 5 additional patients (7%) are under further investigation. WES did not identify additional causative mutations in 25 patients. Conclusions: Targeted gene panel sequencing is a fast and effective screening method for monogenic causes of eoIBD that should be routinely established in national referral centers. Federal Ministry of Education & Research (BMBF) - IFB/CCI: 01EO1303 - E:med/SysInflame: 012X1306F - DZIF: 8000805-3 German Research Foundation (DFG) - FR 2821/6-1

Background Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is an inherited disease that results from a defect in the phagocytic cells of the immune system. It is caused by defects in one of the major subunits of the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase complex. The clinical presentations of CGD patients are heterogeneous. Objectives This is the first report from Egypt discussing clinical and laboratory data of twenty-nine patients (from 26 families) with CGD from a single tertiary referral centre. Results There were twenty male and nine female patients. The consanguinity rate was 76% (19/25). Their age of diagnosis ranged from 2 to 168 months with a mean of 52.8 months ± 49.6 SD. The most common manifestations were abscesses in 79.3% (deep organ abscesses in 37.9% of patients), followed by pneumonia in 75.8% and gastrointestinal symptoms in 27.5%. Rare but fatal complications were also reported among patients as one patient developed haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) syndrome. Although X linked-CGD universally constitutes the most common pattern of inheritance; only 6 of our patients 6/25 (24%) belonged to this group with a Stimulation Index (SI) of 1–5, and confirmed by carrier pattern of their mothers. Mothers were not available for testing in four male children. Nineteen patients (76%) had autosomal recessive patterns; ten males and nine females patients based on having abnormal SI, positive history of consanguinity and their mothers showing normal SI. Conclusion Increasing the awareness of physicians about symptoms of CGD may lead to earlier diagnosis of the disease, thus enhancing proper management and better quality of life.

Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is a primary immunodeficiency disorder caused by inherited defects in the NADPH oxidase complex which may be involved in important pathways that connect innate and adaptive immunity.Characterize the naive and memory compartment of B and T lymphocytes in patients with CGD.Twenty CGD patients and twenty healthy controls matched for age and sex were enrolled in this study. Flow cytometric assessment of the naïve and memory compartments of peripheral blood lymphocytes was done using cell surface markers CD45RO, CD45RA, CD27, CD3 and CD19.There were 15 (79%) autosomal recessive CGD patients (8 females (53%) and 7 males (47%), 100% positive parental consanguinity) and four (21%) X-linked CGD patients. On comparing the 3 groups; AR CGD, X-linked CGD and controls, there was a positive statistical significant difference for the percentage and absolute count of CD19 + CD27+ memory B cell (p = 0.028 and p = 0.047 respectively), CD45RA cells (with p values of p = 0.000 and 0.033, respectively), the naïve compartment CD3 + CD45RA+ cells percentage and absolute counts (p = 0.005, 0.01respectively), CD3 + CD27 + cells percentage and absolute counts (p = 0.001, 0.012 respectively), CD3 + CD45RA + CD27+ cells percentage and absolute counts (p = 0.015, 0.005, respectively). The significance was mainly attributed to the decrease in the X-linked group than control group.There was an altered naïve and memory B profile in CGD patients, this may increase susceptibility of the patients to opportunistic infections and autoimmune disorders. T-cell alterations have to be interpreted cautiously especially in the presence of infections.

Background: Ex-preterms often develop hydrocephalic changes which may necessitate ventriculoperitoneal shunt insertion as early as possible to preserve cognitive functions. Surgery is often challenged by the preterm’s bleeding tendency and susceptibility to infections in addition to anatomical differences. Methodology: A case series of ten ex-preterms with hydrocephalic changes were followed through their course and evaluated by comprehensive examination. Detailed history taking of their neonatal intensive course stay along with perioperative evaluation and report of intraoperative or postoperative incidents was done. Results: Reported incidents included seizures (3/10), jitteriness (2/10), and hypotension (1/10). Infection rate was 10% and obstruction in 10% rate.

Background: Primary immunodeficiency diseases (PID) comprise a group of more than 300 diseases that affect development and /or function of the immune system. Objectives: The aim of this study was diagnosis of PID among a suspected group of neonates and infants within the first six months of life as well as identifying the warning signs of PID characteristic to this period. Method: Fifty neonates presenting with warning signs of PID were enrolled in the study. Results: The study revealed that twenty six patients (52%) were diagnosed with Primary Immunodeficiency, T cell/combined immunodeficiency were noted as the most common PID class (88.5%) with fourteen T-B-SCID patients (70%) and six T-B+ SCID patients (30%), phagocytic disorders were estimated to be 7.7% while 3.8% were unclassified immunodeficiency. The mean age of presentation for PID group was 1.42±1.38 months with a diagnostic lag of 3.08±1.78 months. Consanguinity was positive in 76.9% of the PID group. Lower respiratory tract infections ,persistent fungal infections and lymphopenia were the most significant warning signs for diagnosing PID with a p value of (0.01). Combined, lower respiratory tract infections, fungal infections and lymphopenia were 12.3 times more likely to be associated with PID. Conclusion: Focused screening in high risk neonates proved to be a valuable tool for diagnosis of PID disorders. Keywords: Primary immunodeficiency disorders, neonatal period, early infancy.

Primary immunodeficiency disorders (PIDs) are heterogeneous disorders that mainly present with severe, persistent, unusual, or recurrent infections in childhood. Reports from different parts of the world indicate a difference between Western and Eastern populations. The aim of this study was to report on the different patterns of PIDs and identify subgroup characteristics in a highly consanguineous population in Egypt. We performed a retrospective chart review for children below 18 years diagnosed with PID at Cairo University Pediatric Hospital from 2010 to 2014. Four hundred seventy-six children were diagnosed with PID disorders. Major categories included combined immunodeficiency disorders, which constituted a large proportion (30 %) of cases, along with predominantly antibody disorders (18 %) followed by syndromic combined disorders (16.8 %), phagocytic disorders (13.2 %), immune dysregulation disorders (10.5 %), and autoinflammatory disorders (9 %). PIDs have different patterns within inbred populations with high consanguinity.

Background: If exposed to oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV), persons with primary immune deficiency disorders (PID) are at increased risk of paralytic poliomyelitis; and can chronically excrete poliovirus. However, the risk of excretion of vaccine derived poliovirus among immunodeficient persons (iVDPV) is not well characterized. We present summary of data from poliovirus surveillance project among PID patients collected between 2011 and 2014 from 11 Egyptian Governorates. Methods: Stool was tested for polioviruses in suspected or confirmed PID children regardless of whether Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) was present or not. Those excreting poliovirus were followed until three consecutive negative stool samples were obtained. Results: There were 122 patients with suspected or confirmed PID identified; 13/122 (11%) excreted poliovirus; of these, 6 excreted iVDPVs, the remaining 7 excreted Sabin virus. The duration of iVDPV excretion ranged from 1 to 21 months. AFP was detected in 3/6 (50%) of those excreting iVDPVs. All iVDPV excretors had history of receiving OPV. Conclusions: Chronic poliovirus excretion in PID patients is rare, however, poliovirus eradication requires removal of all polioviruses from circulation; and because PID individuals are not necessarily paralyzed they might be missed by current poliovirus surveillance based on detection of AFP. To achieve poliovirus eradication, surveillance for polioviruses among PID patients should be routinely conducted in all countries, and poliovirus antiviral therapy must be made available for those with chronic excretion.

The Recombination Activating Genes (RAG) 1/2 are important for the development and function of T and B cells. Loss of RAG1/2 function results in severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), which could lead to early death. We studied the prevalence of RAG1/2 mutations in ten SCID patients in Egypt. We identified two novel homozygous nonsense mutations in RAG1, a novel homozygous deletion, and a previously reported homozygous missense mutation from four patients, as well as two homozygous mutations in RAG2 from the same patient. Prenatal diagnosis performed in the mother of a patient with RAG1 deficiency determined that the fetus was heterozygous for the same mutation. This represents the first report on RAG1/2 mutations in SCID patients in Egypt. The early diagnosis dramatically affects the outcome of the disease by allowing bone marrow transplantation at an early age, and providing prenatal diagnosis and genetic counseling for families with a history of SCID.

PubMedID: 25724123 Background Mutations in dedicator of cytokinesis 8 (DOCK8) cause a combined immunodeficiency (CID) also classified as autosomal recessive (AR) hyper-IgE syndrome (HIES). Recognizing patients with CID/HIES is of clinical importance because of the difference in prognosis and management. Objectives We sought to define the clinical features that distinguish DOCK8 deficiency from other forms of HIES and CIDs, study the mutational spectrum of DOCK8 deficiency, and report on the frequency of specific clinical findings. Methods Eighty-two patients from 60 families with CID and the phenotype of AR-HIES with (64 patients) and without (18 patients) DOCK8 mutations were studied. Support vector machines were used to compare clinical data from 35 patients with DOCK8 deficiency with those from 10 patients with AR-HIES without a DOCK8 mutation and 64 patients with signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) mutations. Results DOCK8-deficient patients had median IgE levels of 5201 IU, high eosinophil levels of usually at least 800/µL (92% of patients), and low IgM levels (62%). About 20% of patients were lymphopenic, mainly because of low CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell counts. Fewer than half of the patients tested produced normal specific antibody responses to recall antigens. Bacterial (84%), viral (78%), and fungal (70%) infections were frequently observed. Skin abscesses (60%) and allergies (73%) were common clinical problems. In contrast to STAT3 deficiency, there were few pneumatoceles, bone fractures, and teething problems. Mortality was high (34%). A combination of 5 clinical features was helpful in distinguishing patients with DOCK8 mutations from those with STAT3 mutations. Conclusions DOCK8 deficiency is likely in patients with severe viral infections, allergies, and/or low IgM levels who have a diagnosis of HIES plus hypereosinophilia and upper respiratory tract infections in the absence of parenchymal lung abnormalities, retained primary teeth, and minimal trauma fractures. © 2015 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. National Institutes of Health: R01AI065617 National Institutes of Health: R21AI087627

Background: Intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG) are scarce biological products that are increasingly used in an expanding variety of disorders. Tolerance to infusions is usually well but adverse events, including serious ones have been reported. Objectives: The study aimed at detection of adverse events following IVIG infusion in relation to preparation, dosing regimen, duration and infusion hours with identification of patients at risk of developing complications. Material and Methods: An observational study was conducted on a cohort of 55 patients (birth-18 years) who received 62 infusion sessions for different disease conditions over a period of six months. Monitored clinical evaluation and laboratory assessments were done with follow up 7-10 days following the infusions. Results: Adverse events occurred in 37.1% of IVIG infusion sessions ranging from mild reactions as skin rash, fever to more severe anaphylactoid ones as serum sickness, anemia and acute renal failure. Infusion rate and the presence of risk factors were strong predicting variables for numerous reactions. Conclusion: Proper justification for use of IVIG with close monitoring of dosage and infusion rate during administration can avoid some reactions. Weighing benefits against hazards is crucial in high risk patients to minimize complications.