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Background and Aims: Immune dysregulation contributes to the pathogenesis of pediatric acute liver failure (PALF). Our aim was to identify immune activation markers (IAMs) in PALF that are associated with a distinct clinical phenotype and outcome., Approach and Results: Among 47 PALF study participants, 12 IAMs collected ≤6 days after enrollment were measured by flow cytometry and IMMULITE assay on blood natural killer and cluster of differentiation 8-positive (CD8 + ) lymphocytes and subjected to unsupervised hierarchical analyses. A derivation cohort using 4 of 12 IAMs which were available in all participants (percent perforin-positive and percent granzyme-positive CD8 cells, absolute number of CD8 cells, soluble interleukin-2 receptor level) were sufficient to define high (n = 10), medium (n = 15), and low IAM (n = 22) cohorts. High IAM was more frequent among those with indeterminate etiology than those with defined diagnoses (80% versus 20%, P < 0.001). High IAM was associated with higher peak serum total bilirubin levels than low IAM (median peak 21.7 versus 4.8 mg/dL, P < 0.001) and peak coma grades. The 21-day outcomes differed between groups, with liver transplantation more frequent in high IAM participants (62.5%) than those with medium (28.2%) or low IAM (4.8%) (P = 0.002); no deaths were reported. In an independent validation cohort (n = 71) enrolled in a prior study, segregation of IAM groups by etiology, initial biochemistries, and short-term outcomes was similar, although not statistically significant. High serum aminotransferases, total bilirubin levels, and leukopenia at study entry predicted a high immune activation profile., Conclusion: Four circulating T-lymphocyte activation markers identify a subgroup of PALF participants with evidence of immune activation associated with a distinct clinical phenotype and liver transplantation; these biomarkers may identify PALF participants eligible for future clinical trials of early targeted immunosuppression., (© 2020 by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.)

Background: Gaucher disease (GD) is a rare disorder characterized by defective function of β-glucocerebrosidase, which leads to progressive accumulation of its substrate in various organs, particularly the mononuclear phagocyte system. Hepatosplenomegaly and cytopenia represent the disease's most common features, but patients with GD also show hyperinflammation, hypergammaglobulinemia, and immune dysregulation involving B, T, and natural killer cells. As clinical phenotype can be underhand, symptoms can overlap with autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS) or other ALPS-like disorders., Objective: To evaluate the ALPS-like immunological pattern and apoptosis function in patients with GD., Methods: We evaluated lymphocyte subsets and immunophenotypic and serological features of ALPS (double-negative T cells [DNTs], B220+DNTs, CD27+, T-reg/HLA-DR ratio, IL-10, IL-18, vitamin B12) in a population of patients with GD. Moreover, we tested FAS/TRAIL-induced apoptosis and CASP8/CASP10/PARP function in patients showing an immune-dysregulation pattern., Results: A total of 41 patients (33 treated, 8 treatment-naïve) were studied. Nine (21%) and 7 (17%) of 41 patients had high DNT and B220+DNT counts, respectively. Overall, 10 of 41(24%) patients showed immunological features suggestive of ALPS that were more frequent in treatment-naïve subjects (P = .040 vs P = .031) and in those with early onset of the disease (P = .046 vs P = .011), respectively. FAS-induced apoptosis and caspase activation were further evaluated in these 10 patients and were found to be defective in 7 of them., Conclusions: We show that patients with GD may have ALPS-like features and FAS-mediated apoptosis defects that are more pronounced in treatment-naïve subjects and in patients with early onset of the disease. Therefore, diagnostic workup of patients with an ALPS-like phenotype should include screening for GD., (Copyright © 2020 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Although autoimmunity and hyperinflammation secondary to recombination activating gene (RAG) deficiency have been associated with delayed diagnosis and even death, our current understanding is limited primarily to small case series., Objective: Understand the frequency, severity, and treatment responsiveness of autoimmunity and hyperinflammation in RAG deficiency., Methods: In reviewing the literature and our own database, we identified 85 patients with RAG deficiency, reported between 2001 and 2016, and compiled the largest case series to date of 63 patients with prominent autoimmune and/or hyperinflammatory pathology., Results: Diagnosis of RAG deficiency was delayed a median of 5 years from the first clinical signs of immune dysregulation. Most patients (55.6%) presented with more than 1 autoimmune or hyperinflammatory complication, with the most common etiologies being cytopenias (84.1%), granulomas (23.8%), and inflammatory skin disorders (19.0%). Infections, including live viral vaccinations, closely preceded the onset of autoimmunity in 28.6% of cases. Autoimmune cytopenias had early onset (median, 1.9, 2.1, and 2.6 years for autoimmune hemolytic anemia, immune thrombocytopenia, and autoimmune neutropenia, respectively) and were refractory to intravenous immunoglobulin, steroids, and rituximab in most cases (64.7%, 73.7%, and 71.4% for autoimmune hemolytic anemia, immune thrombocytopenia, and autoimmune neutropenia, respectively). Evans syndrome specifically was associated with lack of response to first-line therapy. Treatment-refractory autoimmunity/hyperinflammation prompted hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in 20 patients., Conclusions: Autoimmunity/hyperinflammation can be a presenting sign of RAG deficiency and should prompt further evaluation. Multilineage cytopenias are often refractory to immunosuppressive treatment and may require hematopoietic cell transplantation for definitive management., (Copyright © 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The Primary Immune Deficiency Treatment Consortium (PIDTC) performed a retrospective analysis of 662 patients with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) who received a hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) as first-line treatment between 1982 and 2012 in 33 North American institutions. Overall survival was higher after HCT from matched-sibling donors (MSDs). Among recipients of non-MSD HCT, multivariate analysis showed that the SCID genotype strongly influenced survival and immune reconstitution. Overall survival was similar for patients with RAG , IL2RG , or JAK3 defects and was significantly better compared with patients with ADA or DCLRE1C mutations. Patients with RAG or DCLRE1C mutations had poorer immune reconstitution than other genotypes. Although survival did not correlate with the type of conditioning regimen, recipients of reduced-intensity or myeloablative conditioning had a lower incidence of treatment failure and better T- and B-cell reconstitution, but a higher risk for graft-versus-host disease, compared with those receiving no conditioning or immunosuppression only. Infection-free status and younger age at HCT were associated with improved survival. Typical SCID, leaky SCID, and Omenn syndrome had similar outcomes. Landmark analysis identified CD4 + and CD4 + CD45RA + cell counts at 6 and 12 months post-HCT as biomarkers predictive of overall survival and long-term T-cell reconstitution. Our data emphasize the need for patient-tailored treatment strategies depending upon the underlying SCID genotype. The prognostic significance of CD4 + cell counts as early as 6 months after HCT emphasizes the importance of close follow-up of immune reconstitution to identify patients who may need additional intervention to prevent poor long-term outcome., (© 2018 by The American Society of Hematology.)

The study of B cell development is highly relevant for a better understanding of human disorders in which B cells are involved. B cell development in humans appears to proceed largely along a linear pathway and occurs in three compartments: bone marrow, peripheral blood, and lymphoid tissue. The focus of this unit is on the detailed immunophenotypic evaluation of cell suspensions obtained from these compartments. These protocols are based on routine methodology, commonly used by clinical flow laboratories. Special emphasis will be placed on the approach to the study of B cell development, including current knowledge regarding immunophenotypic identification of B cell subsets. Multiparameter flow cytometry provides powerful analytical tools, as long as attention is paid to careful design and proper execution of flow cytometric acquisition and analysis. The goal of this unit is to provide a guide to the flow cytometric study of B cell development in humans.