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Abstract: Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS) is a multifaceted monogenic disorder with a broad disease spectrum and variable disease severity and a variety of treatment options including allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and gene therapy (GT). No reliable biomarker exists to predict disease course and outcome for individual patients. A total of 577 patients with a WAS variant from 26 countries and a median follow-up of 8.9 years (range, 0.3-71.1), totaling 6118 patient-years, were included in this international retrospective study. Overall survival (OS) of the cohort (censored at HSCT or GT) was 82% (95% confidence interval, 78-87) at age 15 years and 70% (61-80) at 30 years. The type of variant was predictive of outcome: patients with a missense variant in exons 1 or 2 or with the intronic hot spot variant c.559+5G>A (class I variants) had a 15-year OS of 93% (89-98) and a 30-year OS of 91% (86-97), compared with 71% (62-81) and 48% (34-68) in patients with any other variant (class II; P < .0001). The cumulative incidence rates of disease-related complications such as severe bleeding (P = .007), life-threatening infection (P < .0001), and autoimmunity (P = .004) occurred significantly later in patients with a class I variant. The cumulative incidence of malignancy (P = .6) was not different between classes I and II. It confirms the spectrum of disease severity and quantifies the risk for specific disease-related complications. The class of the variant is a biomarker to predict the outcome for patients with WAS.

Abstract: Primary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (pHLH) is a life-threatening hyperinflammatory syndrome that develops mainly in patients with genetic disorders of lymphocyte cytotoxicity and X-linked lymphoproliferative syndromes. Previous studies with etoposide-based treatment followed by hematopoetic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) resulted in 5-year survival of 50% to 59%. Contemporary data are lacking. We evaluated 88 patients with pHLH documented in the international HLH registry from 2016-2021. In 12 of 88 patients, diagnosis was made without HLH activity, based on siblings or albinism. Major HLH-directed drugs (etoposide, antithymocyte globulin, alemtuzumab, emapalumab, ruxolitinib) were administered to 66 of 76 patients who were symptomatic (86% first-line etoposide); 16 of 57 patients treated with etoposide and 3 of 9 with other first-line treatment received salvage therapy. HSCT was performed in 75 patients; 7 patients died before HSCT. Three-year probability of survival (pSU) was 82% (confidence interval [CI], 72%-88%) for the entire cohort and 77% (CI, 64%-86%) for patients receiving first-line etoposide. Compared with the HLH-2004 study, both pre-HSCT and post-HSCT survival of patients receiving first-line etoposide improved, 83% to 91% and 70% to 88%. Differences to HLH-2004 included preferential use of reduced-toxicity conditioning and reduced time from diagnosis to HSCT (from 148 to 88 days). Three-year pSU was lower with haploidentical (4 of 9 patients [44%]) than with other donors (62 of 66 [94%]; P < .001). Importantly, early HSCT for patients who were asymptomatic resulted in 100% survival, emphasizing the potential benefit of newborn screening. This contemporary standard-of-care study of patients with pHLH reveals that first-line etoposide-based therapy is better than previously reported, providing a benchmark for novel treatment regimes., (© 2024 American Society of Hematology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.)

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., (Copyright © 2023 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) represents a curative treatment for patients with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), a group of monogenic immune disorders with an otherwise fatal outcome., Objective: We performed a comprehensive multicenter analysis of genotype-specific HSCT outcome, including detailed analysis of immune reconstitution (IR) and the predictive value for clinical outcome., Methods: HSCT outcome was studied in 338 patients with genetically confirmed SCID who underwent transplantation in 2006-2014 and who were registered in the SCETIDE registry. In a representative subgroup of 152 patients, data on IR and long-term clinical outcome were analyzed., Results: Two-year OS was similar with matched family and unrelated donors and better than mismatched donor HSCT (P < .001). The 2-year event-free survival (EFS) was similar in matched and mismatched unrelated donor and less favorable in mismatched related donor (MMRD) HSCT (P < .001). Genetic subgroups did not differ in 2-year OS (P = .1) and EFS (P = .073). In multivariate analysis, pretransplantation infections and use of MMRDs were associated with less favorable OS and EFS. With a median follow-up of 6.2 years (range, 2.0-11.8 years), 73 of 152 patients in the IR cohort were alive and well without Ig dependency. IL-2 receptor gamma chain/Janus kinase 3/IL-7 receptor-deficient SCID, myeloablative conditioning, matched donor HSCT, and naive CD4 T lymphocytes >0.5 × 10 e3 /μL at +1 year were identified as independent predictors of favorable clinical and immunologic outcome., Conclusion: Recent advances in HSCT in SCID patients have resulted in improved OS and EFS in all genotypes and donor types. To achieve a favorable long-term outcome, treatment strategies should aim for optimal naive CD4 T lymphocyte regeneration., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Data on stem cell transplantation (SCT) for Diamond-Blackfan Anemia (DBA) is limited. We studied patients transplanted for DBA and registered in the EBMT database. Between 1985 and 2016, 106 DBA patients (median age, 6.8 years) underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from matched-sibling donors (57%), unrelated donors (36%), or other related donors (7%), using marrow (68%), peripheral blood stem cells (20%), both marrow and peripheral blood stem cells (1%), or cord blood (11%). The cumulative incidence of engraftment was 86% (80% to 93%), and neutrophil recovery and platelet recovery were achieved on day +18 (range, 16 to 20) and +36 (range, 32 to 43), respectively. Three-year overall survival and event-free survival were 84% (77% to 91%) and 81% (74% to 89%), respectively. Older patients were significantly more likely to die (hazard ratio, 1.4; 95% confidence interval, 1.06 to 1.23; P < .001). Outcomes were similar between sibling compared to unrelated-donor transplants. The incidence of acute grades II to IV of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) was 30% (21% to 39%), and the incidence of extensive chronic GVHD was 15% (7% to 22%). This study shows that SCT may represent an alternative therapeutic option for transfusion-dependent younger patients., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: CD40 ligand (CD40L) deficiency, an X-linked primary immunodeficiency, causes recurrent sinopulmonary, Pneumocystis and Cryptosporidium species infections. Long-term survival with supportive therapy is poor. Currently, the only curative treatment is hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT)., Objective: We performed an international collaborative study to improve patients' management, aiming to individualize risk factors and determine optimal HSCT characteristics., Methods: We retrospectively collected data on 130 patients who underwent HSCT for CD40L deficiency between 1993-2015. We analyzed outcome and variables' relevance with respect to survival and cure., Results: Overall survival (OS), event-free survival (EFS), and disease-free survival (DFS) were 78.2%, 58.1%, and 72.3% 5 years after HSCT. Results were better in transplantations performed in 2000 or later and in children less than 10 years old at the time of HSCT. Pre-existing organ damage negatively influenced outcome. Sclerosing cholangitis was the most important risk factor. After 2000, superior OS was achieved with matched donors. Use of myeloablative regimens and HSCT at 2 years or less from diagnosis associated with higher OS and DFS. EFS was best with matched sibling donors, myeloablative conditioning (MAC), and bone marrow-derived stem cells. Most rejections occurred after reduced-intensity or nonmyeloablative conditioning, which associated with poor donor cell engraftment. Mortality occurred mainly early after HSCT, predominantly from infections. Among survivors who ceased immunoglobulin replacement, T-lymphocyte chimerism was 50% or greater donor in 85.2%., Conclusion: HSCT is curative in patients with CD40L deficiency, with improved outcome if performed before organ damage development. MAC is associated with better OS, EFS, and DFS. Prospective studies are required to compare the risks of HSCT with those of lifelong supportive therapy., (Copyright © 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Severe combined immunodeficiencies (SCID) comprise a group of genetic diseases characterized by abrogated development of T lymphocytes. In some case reports of atypical SCID patients elevated proportions of γδ T lymphocytes have been reported. However, it is unknown whether these γδ T cells modulate or reflect the patient's clinical phenotype. We investigated the frequency of elevated γδ T cell proportions and associations with clinical disease manifestations in a cohort of 76 atypical SCID patients. Increased proportions of γδ T lymphocytes were present in approximately 60% of these patients. Furthermore, we identified positive correlations between elevated proportions of γδ T cells and the occurrence of CMV infections and autoimmune cytopenias. We discuss that CMV infections might trigger an expansion of γδ T lymphocytes, which could drive the development of autoimmune cytopenias. We advocate that atypical SCID patients should be screened for elevated proportions of γδ T lymphocytes, CMV infection and autoimmune cytopenias., (Crown Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) can experience a severe disease course, with progressive destructive polyarthritis refractory to conventional therapy with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs including biologics, as well as life-threatening complications including macrophage activation syndrome (MAS). Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is a potentially curative immunomodulatory strategy for patients with such refractory disease. We treated 16 patients in 5 transplant centers between 2007 and 2016: 11 children with systemic JIA and 5 with rheumatoid factor-negative polyarticular JIA; all were either refractory to standard therapy, had developed secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis/MAS poorly responsive to treatment, or had failed autologous HSCT. All children received reduced toxicity fludarabine-based conditioning regimens and serotherapy with alemtuzumab. Fourteen of 16 patients are alive with a median follow-up of 29 months (range, 2.8-96 months). All patients had hematological recovery. Three patients had grade II-IV acute graft-versus-host disease. The incidence of viral infections after HSCT was high, likely due to the use of alemtuzumab in already heavily immunosuppressed patients. All patients had significant improvement of arthritis, resolution of MAS, and improved quality of life early following allo-HSCT; most importantly, 11 children achieved complete drug-free remission at the last follow-up. Allo-HSCT using alemtuzumab and reduced toxicity conditioning is a promising therapeutic option for patients with JIA refractory to conventional therapy and/or complicated by MAS. Long-term follow-up is required to ascertain whether disease control following HSCT continues indefinitely., (© 2018 by The American Society of Hematology.)

Background: Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) is a syndrome characterized by profound T-cell deficiency. BCG vaccine is contraindicated in patients with SCID. Because most countries encourage BCG vaccination at birth, a high percentage of patients with SCID are vaccinated before their immune defect is detected., Objectives: We sought to describe the complications and risks associated with BCG vaccination in patients with SCID., Methods: An extensive standardized questionnaire evaluating complications, therapeutics, and outcomes regarding BCG vaccination in patients given a diagnosis of SCID was widely distributed. Summary statistics and association analysis was performed., Results: Data on 349 BCG-vaccinated patients with SCID from 28 centers in 17 countries were analyzed. Fifty-one percent of the patients had BCG-associated complications, 34% disseminated and 17% localized (a 33,000- and 400-fold increase, respectively, over the general population). Patients receiving early vaccination (≤1 month) showed an increased prevalence of complications (P = .006) and death caused by BCG-associated complications (P < .0001). The odds of experiencing complications among patients with T-cell numbers of 250/μL or less at diagnosis was 2.1 times higher (95% CI, 1.4-3.4 times higher; P = .001) than among those with T-cell numbers of greater than 250/μL. BCG-associated complications were reported in 2 of 78 patients who received antimycobacterial therapy while asymptomatic, and no deaths caused by BCG-associated complications occurred in this group. In contrast, 46 BCG-associated deaths were reported among 160 patients treated with antimycobacterial therapy for a symptomatic BCG infection (P < .0001)., Conclusions: BCG vaccine has a very high rate of complications in patients with SCID, which increase morbidity and mortality rates. Until safer and more efficient antituberculosis vaccines become available, delay in BCG vaccination should be considered to protect highly vulnerable populations from preventable complications., (Published by Mosby, Inc.)

We report an 18-yr-old female patient with repeated CMV reactivations after HSCT treated by several pre-emptive courses of virostatic therapy. Seven months after HSCT, she developed CMV encephalitis/retinitis. Initial therapy with GCV and hyperimmune globulin failed, and later on GCV-resistant strain was detected. Continual increase of CMV DNA in peripheral blood led us to combined therapy with CDV and FCV, which was successful and free of severe renal toxicity. To our best knowledge, this is the first reported case of successful CMV treatment with a combination of CDV and FCV.

Allogeneic HSCT is a curative treatment, when chemotherapy fails, for certain malignant diseases. In Europe, only 15% of the indicated children have an HLA-matched sibling available; in 65-70% of others, HLA allele-matched (9-10/10) UDs can be identified. For the rest, it is necessary to identify other alternative donors (HLA-mismatched family or unrelated cord blood). We present our data of HSCT using HLA partially allele-mismatched (7-8/10) UDs in 24 children with leukemia. Uniform GvHD prophylaxis was used (rATG, CsA and MTX). Acute GvHD grade II was diagnosed in 70.8% of the patients and grade III-IV in 12.5%. Overall incidence of chronic GvHD was 38.7% (extensive in 30%). The probability of EFS was 60.3% (95% CI 35.5-78.1) and OS was 74.9 (95% CI 49.1-88.9). No difference in survival between PBSC and BM recipients was observed. TRM at day + 100 was 4%, and overall was 12.5%. We conclude that used combination of drugs for GvHD prophylaxis is efficient even for patients transplanted with grafts from a HLA-mismatched UDs. It enables stable engraftment, good control of GvHD, full reconstitution of immunity, and is not connected with unacceptable transplant-related mortality.

We present an infant with cDGS overlapping with CHARGE syndrome, who suffered from T-cell deficiency treated with screened healthy DLI from an unrelated donor (8/10 match). The first dose of DLI (1.1 x 10(6) CD3+/kg) was administered at the age of six months, the second one (0.9 x 10(6) CD3+/kg) 36 days later. No conditioning was employed, GvHD prophylaxis consisting of CsA was used only during the second infusion. Since day+10 after the first DLI, split chimerism showing T-cell engraftment has been documented. Proliferative response to PHA was detected on day+145. The treatment was complicated by severe acute GvHD (grade II-III) after the first DLI and prolonged chronic liver cholestatic GvHD developing after the second DLI. Vigorous EBV proliferation four wk after the second DLI was accompanied by peripheral expansion of CD8+ donor cells. The patient, 26-months old, is clinically well and has slowly started to gain his developmental milestones. We believe that infusions of small doses of DLI from an unrelated donor represent a potentially helpful therapeutic option in patients with cDGS/CHARGE phenotype.

Background: The level of minimal residual disease (MRD) prior to allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has been shown to be an independent prognostic factor for outcome of pediatric patients with high-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Retrospective studies which used (semi-) quantitation of clone-specific immunoglobulin/T-cell receptor (Ig/TCR) rearrangements have documented the feasibility and practicality of this technique. This approach has also been disputed due to the occurrence of clonal evolution and generally high MRD levels prior to HSCT., Procedure: In our prospective study, MRD before and after HSCT was monitored using quantitative real-time PCR in a cohort of 36 children with ALL consecutively transplanted in our center between VIII/2000 and VII/2004., Results: In 25 of 36 patients, MRD level prior HSCT was assessed. Seventeen patients were classified as MRD-negative and eight were MRD-positive up to 9 x 10(-2). In MRD-positive subgroup, seven events (six relapses) occurred post-transplant in striking contrast to only one relapse in MRD-negative subgroup (event-free survival (EFS) log-rank P < 0.0001). MRD proved to be the only significant prognostic factor in a multivariate analysis (P < 0.0001). Adoptive immunotherapy including donor lymphocyte infusions in patients with adverse dynamics of MRD after HSCT had only limited and/or temporary effect. Clonal evolution did not present a problem precluding MRD monitoring in any of patients suffering a post-transplant relapse., Conclusions: We show that MRD quantitation using clonal Ig/TCR rearrangements successfully assesses the risk in pediatric ALL patients undergoing allogeneic HSCT. As our ability to treat detectable MRD levels after HSCT is very limited, alternative strategies for MRD-positive patients prior HSCT are necessary., ((c) 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)