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In a prospective cohort study, clinical and biologic factors that contribute to maternal-child transmission of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) were studied. HIV-infected pregnant women and their infants were evaluated prospectively according to a standardized protocol. Of 204 evaluable women, 81% received zidovudine during their pregnancy. The infection rate among the 209 evaluable infants was 9.1%. By univariate analysis, histologic chorioamnionitis, prolonged rupture of membranes, and a history of genital warts were significantly associated with transmission. Additional factors associated with transmission that approached significance included a higher maternal virus load at delivery and the presence of cocaine in the urine. In a logistic regression model, histologic chorioamnionitis was the only independent predictor of transmission. Despite a significantly higher transmission rate at one site, no unique viral genotype was found at any site. Thus, chorioamnionitis was found to be the major risk factor for transmission among women receiving zidovudine. Copyright © 1999 The University of Chicago [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A prospective study of transplacental transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) showed an increased rate of spontaneous fetal demise in HIV-seropositive mothers: 14 losses in 124 pregnancies. HIV was detected in placental and fetal tissues in 7 of 14 by in situ hybridization. The proportion of fetal infection far exceeded the transmission rate of 13% in liveborn babies. No association was seen between fetal transmission and a maternal history of drug abuse or coinfections; mothers with AIDS more often had fetal loss associated with HIV transmission than did asymptomatic mothers. In affected fetuses, HIV was detected in many tissues and was associated with thymic pathology. This suggests that maternal HIV infection increases the risk for pregnancy loss associated with HIV transmission. The possibility that HIV may be fetotoxic, that thymic dysfunction may interfere with pregnancy progression, or that the intrauterine milieu in HIV-seropositive pregnancies may be unfavorable (or a combination of factors) should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The early referral of HIV-exposed children and their mothers to coordinated medical and social services has become increasingly important. In July 1989, the Missouri Department of Health initiated the Service Coordination Program to provide individualized referral (case management) for Missouri, residents who were reported to have acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or HIV infection. The purpose of the Service Coordination Program is to assist persons in accessing medical and social services. The authors describe the characteristics of the 36 children (18 enrolled in the Service Coordination Program, and 18 not enrolled) reported to the Missouri Department of Health through September 1992. Although more detailed evaluations are necessary, preliminary data suggest that opportunities for early intervention may be facilitated by the Service Coordination Program if the child's HIV status is recognized early. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is no consensus on the best donor for children with nonmalignant disorders and immune deficiencies in the absence of a matched related donor (MRD). We evaluated the 2-year overall survival (OS) after umbilical cord blood transplantation (UCBT) in patients with nonmalignant disorders from 2009 to 2020 enrolled in a prospective clinical trial using either 5/6 or 6/6 UCB as the cell source. Patients receive a fully ablative busulfan, cyclophosphamide, and fludarabine without serotherapy. Fifty-five children were enrolled, median age 5 months (range, 1-111 months); primary immune deficiency (45), metabolic (5), hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (1), and hematologic disorders (4). Twenty-six patients had persistent infections before transplant. Nineteen of them (34%) were 6/6 matched, and 36 (66%) were 5/6 human leukocyte antigen-matched. The OS at 2 years was 91% (95% cumulative incidence, 79-96), with a median follow-up of 4.3 years. The median time to neutrophil and platelet recovery were 17 days (range, 5-39 days) and 37 days (range, 20-92 days), respectively. All but one evaluable patient achieved full donor chimerism. The cumulative incidence of acute GVHD grades 2-4 on day 100 was 16% (n = 9). All patients with viral infections at the time of transplant cleared the infection at a median time of 54 days (range, 44-91 days). All evaluable patients underwent correction of their immune or metabolic defects. We conclude that in the absence of MRD, UCBT following myeloablative conditioning without serotherapy is an excellent curative option in young children with nonmalignant disorders. This trial has been registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00950846., (© 2023 by The American Society of Hematology. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), permitting only noncommercial, nonderivative use with attribution. All other rights reserved.)

Patients with common variable immunodeficiency associated with autoimmune cytopenia (CVID+AIC) generate few isotype-switched B cells with severely decreased frequencies of somatic hypermutations (SHMs), but their underlying molecular defects remain poorly characterized. We identified a CVID+AIC patient who displays a rare homozygous missense M466V mutation in β-catenin-like protein 1 (CTNNBL1). Because CTNNBL1 binds activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) that catalyzes SHM, we tested AID interactions with the CTNNBL1 M466V variant. We found that the M466V mutation interfered with the association of CTNNBL1 with AID, resulting in decreased AID in the nuclei of patient EBV-transformed B cell lines and of CTNNBL1 466V/V Ramos B cells engineered to express only CTNNBL1 M466V using CRISPR/Cas9 technology. As a consequence, the scarce IgG+ memory B cells from the CTNNBL1 466V/V patient showed a low SHM frequency that averaged 6.7 mutations compared with about 18 mutations per clone in healthy-donor counterparts. In addition, CTNNBL1 466V/V Ramos B cells displayed a decreased incidence of SHM that was reduced by half compared with parental WT Ramos B cells, demonstrating that the CTNNBL1 M466V mutation is responsible for defective SHM induction. We conclude that CTNNBL1 plays an important role in regulating AID-dependent antibody diversification in humans.

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.)

Background: Allergen specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE) levels predictive of shrimp allergy have not been identified, but these may be helpful in identifying patients at risk for shrimp-induced allergic reactions., Objective: This study sought to identify component resolved diagnostic tests useful for diagnosis of shrimp allergy in patients with or without house-dust mite (HDM) sensitization to the major allergen cysteine protease (Der p 1)., Methods: Patients with positive skin-prick test (SPT) results and/or sIgE values were recruited. Shrimp allergy was classified by oral food challenge (OFC) or by a clear history of anaphylaxis after shrimp ingestion. Patients with shrimp allergy and patients who were tolerant were further classified based on HDM sensitivity (Der p 1 > 0.35 kUA/L). Testing for sIgE to total shrimp, and shrimp and HDM components was performed. The Fisher exact test, Wilcoxon sum rank test, and receiver operating characteristics analyses were used to compare sIgE levels in patients with allergy and patients who were tolerant., Results: Of 79 patients recruited, 12 patients with shrimp allergy (7 with positive OFC results and 5 with a history of anaphylaxis) and 18 patients who were shrimp tolerant were enrolled. Of the patients not HDM sensitized, sIgE levels to shrimp (10.5 kUA/L, p = 0.012) and Der p 10 (4.09 kUA/L, p = 0.035) were higher in patients with shrimp allergy. Shrimp sIgE of ≥3.55 kUA/L had 100% diagnostic sensitivity and 85.7% specificity (receiver operating characteristic 0.94 [0.81, 1.0] 95% CI) and Der p 10 sIgE levels of ≥3.98 kUA/L had a diagnostic sensitivity of 80% and specificity of 100% (receiver operating characteristic 0.86 [0.57, 1.0] 95% CI) for prediction of clinical reactivity., Conclusion: HDM sensitization influences shrimp and HDM component sIgE levels and, consequently, their diagnostic accuracy in shrimp allergy. In our series, in the patients who were non-HDM sensitized, a shrimp sIgE level of >3.55 kUA/L showed 100% sensitivity and, Der p 10 sIgE of >3.98 kUA/L showed 100% specificity for the diagnosis of shrimp allergy. These levels may not be applicable to every patient and, therefore, may not obviate the need for OFC.

There is a lack of consensus regarding the role and method of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) on patients with chronic granulomatous disease (CGD). Long-term follow-up after HSCT in these patient population is essential to know its potential complications and decide who will benefit the most from HSCT. We report the outcome of HSCT and long-term follow-up in 24 patients with CGD, transplanted in our center from either related (n = 6) or unrelated (n = 18) donors, over a 12-year period (2003 to 2015), using high-dose alemtuzumab in the preparative regimen. We evaluated the incidence and timing of adverse events and potential risk factors. We described in detailed the novel finding of increased autoimmunity after HSCT in patients with CGD. At a median follow-up of 1460 days, 22 patients were full donor chimeras, and 2 patients had stable mixed chimerism. All assessable patients showed normalization of their neutrophil oxidative burst test. None of the patients developed grades II to IV acute graft-versus-host disease, and no patient had chronic graft-versus-host disease. Twelve of 24 patients developed 17 autoimmune diseases (ADs). Severe ADs (cytopenia and neuropathy) occurred exclusively in the unrelated donor setting and mainly in the first year after HSCT, whereas thyroid AD occurred in the related donor setting as well and more than 3 years after HSCT. Two patients died due to infectious complications after developing autoimmune cytopenias. One additional patient suffered severe brain injury. The remaining 21 patients have long-term Lansky scores ≥ 80. The outcome of HSCT from unrelated donors is comparable with related donors but might carry an increased risk of developing severe AD. A lower dose of alemtuzumab may reduce this risk and should be tested in further studies., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) typically results in donor T-cell engraftment and function in patients with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), but humoral immunity, particularly when using donors other than matched siblings, is variable. B-cell function after HSCT for SCID depends on the genetic cause, the use of pre-HSCT conditioning, and whether donor B-cell chimerism is achieved. Patients with defects in IL2RG or JAK3 undergoing HSCT without conditioning often have poor B-cell function post-HSCT, perhaps as a result of impairment of IL-21 signaling in host-derived B cells. To investigate the effect of pre-HSCT conditioning on B-cell function, and the relationship of in vitro B-cell function to clinical humoral immune status, we analyzed 48 patients with IL2RG/JAK3 SCID who were older than 2 years after HSCT with donors other than matched siblings. T follicular helper cells (T FH ) developed in these patients with kinetics similar to healthy young children; thus, poor B-cell function could not be attributed to a failure of T FH development. In vitro differentiation of B cells into plasmablasts and immunoglobulin secretion in response to IL-21 strongly correlated with the use of conditioning, donor B-cell engraftment, freedom from immunoglobulin replacement, and response to tetanus vaccine. Patients receiving immunoglobulin replacement who had normal serum immunoglobulin M showed poor response to IL-21 in vitro, similar to those with low serum IgM. In vitro response of B cells to IL-21 may predict clinically relevant humoral immune function in patients with IL2RG/JAK3 SCID after HSCT.

Background: Natural killer (NK) cells are critical innate effector cells whose development is dependent on the Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) pathway. NK cell deficiency can result in severe or refractory viral infections. Patients with STAT1 gain-of-function (GOF) mutations have increased viral susceptibility., Objective: We sought to investigate NK cell function in patients with STAT1 GOF mutations., Methods: NK cell phenotype and function were determined in 16 patients with STAT1 GOF mutations. NK cell lines expressing patients' mutations were generated with clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR-Cas9)-mediated gene editing. NK cells from patients with STAT1 GOF mutations were treated in vitro with ruxolitinib., Results: Peripheral blood NK cells from patients with STAT1 GOF mutations had impaired terminal maturation. Specifically, patients with STAT1 GOF mutations have immature CD56 dim NK cells with decreased expression of CD16, perforin, CD57, and impaired cytolytic function. STAT1 phosphorylation was increased, but STAT5 was aberrantly phosphorylated in response to IL-2 stimulation. Upstream inhibition of STAT1 signaling with the small-molecule Janus kinase 1/2 inhibitor ruxolitinib in vitro and in vivo restored perforin expression in CD56 dim NK cells and partially restored NK cell cytotoxic function., Conclusions: Properly regulated STAT1 signaling is critical for NK cell maturation and function. Modulation of increased STAT1 phosphorylation with ruxolitinib is an important option for therapeutic intervention in patients with STAT1 GOF mutations., (Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. All rights reserved.)

Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS) is a rare X-linked disorder characterized by a triad of immunodeficiency, eczema, and thrombocytopenia. Currently, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is the most reliable curative treatment with excellent results for patients with HLA-matched family or unrelated donors. However, even after fully myeloablative preparative regimens, mixed donor chimerism is a potential concern. We performed a retrospective chart review of 12 children who underwent allogeneic HSCT for WAS to report our experience. The median age at transplant was 10.5 months (range, 3 to 39). The median nucleated cell dose from the marrow was 4.55 × 10 9 /kg (range, .3 to 7.9). The median times to neutrophil and platelet engraftment were 19 days (range, 13 to 27) and 18.5 days (range, 12 to 31), respectively. The rate of overall survival was 92% with median follow-up of 67 months (range, 3 to 146). Two patients developed grade IV acute graft-versus-host disease, and 1 died on day +99. Five of 12 patient's (42%) had mixed donor chimerism (range, 12% to 85%) at day +180. None of the pretransplant patient parameters was predictive of mixed chimerism. Nonetheless, of these 5 patients, 2 had normalization of the platelet count despite the mixed chimerism, 2 had full donor chimerism after receiving a second transplant with the same donor, and 1 remains transfusion dependent awaiting a second transplant. Hence, even with a significant rate of mixed chimerism, HSCT provides substantial benefit to WAS patients, with excellent overall survival., (Copyright © 2017 The American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

With the advent of high-throughput genomic sequencing techniques, novel genetic etiologies are being uncovered for previously unexplained Mendelian phenotypes, and the underlying genetic architecture of disease is being unraveled. Although most of these "mendelizing" disease traits represent phenotypes caused by single-gene defects, a percentage of patients have blended phenotypes caused by pathogenic variants in multiple genes. We describe an adult patient with susceptibility to bacterial, herpesviral, and fungal infections. Immunologic defects included CD8 + T cell lymphopenia, decreased T cell proliferative responses to mitogens, hypogammaglobulinemia, and radiation sensitivity. Whole-exome sequencing revealed compound heterozygous variants in ZAP70 . Biallelic mutations in ZAP70 are known to produce a spectrum of immune deficiency that includes the T cell abnormalities observed in this patient. Analyses for variants in genes associated with radiation sensitivity identified the presence of a homozygous RNF168 variant of unknown significance. RNF168 deficiency causes radiosensitivity, immunodeficiency, dysmorphic features, and learning difficulties syndrome and may account for the radiation sensitivity. Thus, the patient was found to have a novel blended phenotype associated with multilocus genomic variation: i.e., separate and distinct genetic defects. These findings further illustrate the clinical utility of applying genomic testing in patients with primary immunodeficiency diseases.

Background: Gain-of-function (GOF) mutations in the human signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) manifest in immunodeficiency and autoimmunity with impaired T H 17 cell differentiation and exaggerated responsiveness to type I and II interferons. Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation has been attempted in severely affected patients, but outcomes have been poor., Objective: We sought to define the effect of increased STAT1 activity on T helper cell polarization and to investigate the therapeutic potential of ruxolitinib in treating autoimmunity secondary to STAT1 GOF mutations., Methods: We used in vitro polarization assays, as well as phenotypic and functional analysis of STAT1-mutated patient cells., Results: We report a child with a novel mutation in the linker domain of STAT1 who had life-threatening autoimmune cytopenias and chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis. Naive lymphocytes from the affected patient displayed increased T H 1 and follicular T helper cell and suppressed T H 17 cell responses. The mutation augmented cytokine-induced STAT1 phosphorylation without affecting dephosphorylation kinetics. Treatment with the Janus kinase 1/2 inhibitor ruxolitinib reduced hyperresponsiveness to type I and II interferons, normalized T H 1 and follicular T helper cell responses, improved T H 17 differentiation, cured mucocutaneous candidiasis, and maintained remission of immune-mediated cytopenias., Conclusions: Autoimmunity and infection caused by STAT1 GOF mutations are the result of dysregulated T helper cell responses. Janus kinase inhibitor therapy could represent an effective targeted treatment for long-term disease control in severely affected patients for whom hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is not available., (Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. All rights reserved.)

Background: X-linked hyper-IgM syndrome (XHIGM) is a primary immunodeficiency with high morbidity and mortality compared with those seen in healthy subjects. Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) has been considered a curative therapy, but the procedure has inherent complications and might not be available for all patients., Objectives: We sought to collect data on the clinical presentation, treatment, and follow-up of a large sample of patients with XHIGM to (1) compare long-term overall survival and general well-being of patients treated with or without HCT along with clinical factors associated with mortality and (2) summarize clinical practice and risk factors in the subgroup of patients treated with HCT., Methods: Physicians caring for patients with primary immunodeficiency diseases were identified through the Jeffrey Modell Foundation, United States Immunodeficiency Network, Latin American Society for Immunodeficiency, and Primary Immune Deficiency Treatment Consortium. Data were collected with a Research Electronic Data Capture Web application. Survival from time of diagnosis or transplantation was estimated by using the Kaplan-Meier method compared with log-rank tests and modeled by using proportional hazards regression., Results: Twenty-eight clinical sites provided data on 189 patients given a diagnosis of XHIGM between 1964 and 2013; 176 had valid follow-up and vital status information. Sixty-seven (38%) patients received HCT. The average follow-up time was 8.5 ± 7.2 years (range, 0.1-36.2 years). No difference in overall survival was observed between patients treated with or without HCT (P = .671). However, risk associated with HCT decreased for diagnosis years 1987-1995; the hazard ratio was significantly less than 1 for diagnosis years 1995-1999. Liver disease was a significant predictor of overall survival (hazard ratio, 4.9; 95% confidence limits, 2.2-10.8; P < .001). Among survivors, those treated with HCT had higher median Karnofsky/Lansky scores than those treated without HCT (P < .001). Among patients receiving HCT, 27 (40%) had graft-versus-host disease, and most deaths occurred within 1 year of transplantation., Conclusion: No difference in survival was observed between patients treated with or without HCT across all diagnosis years (1964-2013). However, survivors treated with HCT experienced somewhat greater well-being, and hazards associated with HCT decreased, reaching levels of significantly less risk in the late 1990s. Among patients treated with HCT, treatment at an early age is associated with improved survival. Optimism remains guarded as additional evidence accumulates., (Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Primary immunodeficiency diseases (PIDDs) are clinically and genetically heterogeneous disorders thus far associated with mutations in more than 300 genes. The clinical phenotypes derived from distinct genotypes can overlap. Genetic etiology can be a prognostic indicator of disease severity and can influence treatment decisions., Objective: We sought to investigate the ability of whole-exome screening methods to detect disease-causing variants in patients with PIDDs., Methods: Patients with PIDDs from 278 families from 22 countries were investigated by using whole-exome sequencing. Computational copy number variant (CNV) prediction pipelines and an exome-tiling chromosomal microarray were also applied to identify intragenic CNVs. Analytic approaches initially focused on 475 known or candidate PIDD genes but were nonexclusive and further tailored based on clinical data, family history, and immunophenotyping., Results: A likely molecular diagnosis was achieved in 110 (40%) unrelated probands. Clinical diagnosis was revised in about half (60/110) and management was directly altered in nearly a quarter (26/110) of families based on molecular findings. Twelve PIDD-causing CNVs were detected, including 7 smaller than 30 Kb that would not have been detected with conventional diagnostic CNV arrays., Conclusion: This high-throughput genomic approach enabled detection of disease-related variants in unexpected genes; permitted detection of low-grade constitutional, somatic, and revertant mosaicism; and provided evidence of a mutational burden in mixed PIDD immunophenotypes., (Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Primary immunodeficiency diseases (PIDDs) are inherited disorders of the immune system. The most severe form, severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), presents with profound deficiencies of T cells, B cells, or both at birth. If not treated promptly, affected patients usually do not live beyond infancy because of infections. Genetic heterogeneity of SCID frequently delays the diagnosis; a specific diagnosis is crucial for life-saving treatment and optimal management., Objective: We developed a next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based multigene-targeted panel for SCID and other severe PIDDs requiring rapid therapeutic actions in a clinical laboratory setting., Methods: The target gene capture/NGS assay provides an average read depth of approximately 1000×. The deep coverage facilitates simultaneous detection of single nucleotide variants and exonic copy number variants in one comprehensive assessment. Exons with insufficient coverage (<20× read depth) or high sequence homology (pseudogenes) are complemented by amplicon-based sequencing with specific primers to ensure 100% coverage of all targeted regions., Results: Analysis of 20 patient samples with low T-cell receptor excision circle numbers on newborn screening or a positive family history or clinical suspicion of SCID or other severe PIDD identified deleterious mutations in 14 of them. Identified pathogenic variants included both single nucleotide variants and exonic copy number variants, such as hemizygous nonsense, frameshift, and missense changes in IL2RG; compound heterozygous changes in ATM, RAG1, and CIITA; homozygous changes in DCLRE1C and IL7R; and a heterozygous nonsense mutation in CHD7., Conclusion: High-throughput deep sequencing analysis with complete clinical validation greatly increases the diagnostic yield of severe primary immunodeficiency. Establishing a molecular diagnosis enables early immune reconstitution through prompt therapeutic intervention and guides management for improved long-term quality of life., (Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Viral infections are a leading fatal complication for patients with primary immunodeficiencies (PIDs) who require hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Use of virus-specific T lymphocytes (VSTs) has been successful for the treatment and prevention of viral infections after HSCT for malignant and nonmalignant conditions. Here we describe the clinical use of VSTs in patients with PIDs at 4 centers., Objective: We sought to evaluate the safety and efficacy of VSTs for treatment of viral infections in patients with PIDs., Methods: Patients with PIDs who have received VST therapy on previous or current protocols were reviewed in aggregate. Clinical information, including transplantation details, viral infections, and use of antiviral and immunosuppressive pharmacotherapy, were evaluated. Data regarding VST production, infusions, and adverse reactions were compared., Results: Thirty-six patients with 12 classes of PID diagnoses received 37 VST products before or after HSCT. Twenty-six (72%) patients had received a diagnosis of infection with cytomegalovirus, EBV, adenovirus, BK virus, and/or human herpesvirus 6. Two patients were treated before HSCT because of EBV-associated lymphoproliferative disease. Partial or complete responses against targeted viruses occurred in 81% of patients overall. Time to response varied from 2 weeks to 3 months (median, 28 days). Overall survival at 6 months after therapy was 80%. Four patients had graft-versus-host disease in the 45 days after VST infusion, which in most cases was therapy responsive., Conclusion: VSTs derived from either stem cell donors or third-party donors are likely safe and effective for the treatment of viral infections in patients with PIDs., (Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID-X1) is a profound deficiency of T, B, and natural killer (NK) cell immunity caused by mutations inIL2RGencoding the common chain (γc) of several interleukin receptors. Gamma-retroviral (γRV) gene therapy of SCID-X1 infants without conditioning restores T cell immunity without B or NK cell correction, but similar treatment fails in older SCID-X1 children. We used a lentiviral gene therapy approach to treat five SCID-X1 patients with persistent immune dysfunction despite haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplant in infancy. Follow-up data from two older patients demonstrate that lentiviral vector γc transduced autologous HSC gene therapy after nonmyeloablative busulfan conditioning achieves selective expansion of gene-marked T, NK, and B cells, which is associated with sustained restoration of humoral responses to immunization and clinical improvement at 2 to 3 years after treatment. Similar gene marking levels have been achieved in three younger patients, albeit with only 6 to 9 months of follow-up. Lentiviral gene therapy with reduced-intensity conditioning appears safe and can restore humoral immune function to posthaploidentical transplant older patients with SCID-X1., (Copyright © 2016, American Association for the Advancement of Science.)

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) outcomes in X-linked severe combined immune deficiency are most effective when performed with patients <3 months of age and without coexisting morbidity, and with donor cells from a matched sibling. Even under such favorable circumstances, outcomes can be suboptimal, and full cellular engraftment may not be complete, which results in poor B or natural killer cell function. Protein losing enteropathies can accompany persistent immune deficiency disorders with resultant low serum globulins (immunoglobulin A [IgA], IgG, IgM) and lymphopenia. Patients with immune disorders acquire infections that can be predicted by their immune dysfunction. Fungal infections are typically noted in neutropenic (congenital or acquired) and T-cell deficient individuals. Coexisting fungal infections are rare, even in hosts who are immunocompromised, and they require careful evaluation. Antifungal treatment may result in drug-drug interactions with significant complications.

Background: DiGeorge syndrome affects more than 3.5 million persons worldwide. Partial DiGeorge syndrome (pDGS), which is characterized by a number of gene deletions in chromosome 22, including the chicken tumor virus number 10 regulator of kinase (Crk)-like (CrkL) gene, is one of the most common genetic disorders in human subjects. To date, the role of natural killer (NK) cells in patients with pDGS remains unclear., Objective: We sought to define the effect of pDGS-related Crk haploinsufficiency on NK cell activation and cytotoxic immunological synapse (IS) structure and function., Methods: Inducible CrkL-silenced NK cells were used to recapitulate the pDGS, CrkL-haploinsufficient phenotype. Findings were validated by using NK cells from patients with actual pDGS. Ultimately, deficits in the function of NK cells from patients with pDGS were restored by lentiviral transduction of CrkL., Results: Silencing of CrkL expression inhibits NK cell function. Specifically, pDGS haploinsufficiency of CrkL inhibits accumulation of activating receptors, polarization of cytolytic machinery and key signaling molecules, and activation of β2-integrin at the IS. Reintroduction of CrkL protein restores NK cell cytotoxicity., Conclusion: CrkL haploinsufficiency causes functional NK deficits in patients with pDGS by disrupting both β2-integrin activation and activating receptor accumulation at the IS. Our results suggest that NK cell IS quality can directly affect immune status, providing a potential target for diagnosis and therapeutic manipulation in patients with pDGS and in other patients with functional NK cell deficiencies., (Copyright © 2015 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In areas without newborn screening for severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), disease-defining infections may lead to diagnosis, and in some cases, may not be identified prior to the first year of life. We describe a female infant who presented with disseminated vaccine-acquired varicella (VZV) and vaccine-acquired rubella infections at 13 months of age. Immunological evaluations demonstrated neutropenia, isolated CD4 lymphocytopenia, the presence of CD8(+) T cells, poor lymphocyte proliferation, hypergammaglobulinaemia and poor specific antibody production to VZV infection and routine immunizations. A combination of whole exome sequencing and custom-designed chromosomal microarray with exon coverage of primary immunodeficiency genes detected compound heterozygous mutations (one single nucleotide variant and one intragenic copy number variant involving one exon) within the IL7R gene. Mosaicism for wild-type allele (20-30%) was detected in pretransplant blood and buccal DNA and maternal engraftment (5-10%) demonstrated in pretransplant blood DNA. This may be responsible for the patient's unusual immunological phenotype compared to classical interleukin (IL)-7Rα deficiency. Disseminated VZV was controlled with anti-viral and immune-based therapy, and umbilical cord blood stem cell transplantation was successful. Retrospectively performed T cell receptor excision circle (TREC) analyses completed on neonatal Guthrie cards identified absent TREC. This case emphasizes the danger of live viral vaccination in severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) patients and the importance of newborn screening to identify patients prior to high-risk exposures. It also illustrates the value of aggressive pathogen identification and treatment, the influence newborn screening can have on morbidity and mortality and the significant impact of newer genomic diagnostic tools in identifying the underlying genetic aetiology for SCID patients., (© 2014 British Society for Immunology.)

Importance: Newborn screening for severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) using assays to detect T-cell receptor excision circles (TRECs) began in Wisconsin in 2008, and SCID was added to the national recommended uniform panel for newborn screened disorders in 2010. Currently 23 states, the District of Columbia, and the Navajo Nation conduct population-wide newborn screening for SCID. The incidence of SCID is estimated at 1 in 100,000 births., Objectives: To present data from a spectrum of SCID newborn screening programs, establish population-based incidence for SCID and other conditions with T-cell lymphopenia, and document early institution of effective treatments., Design: Epidemiological and retrospective observational study., Setting: Representatives in states conducting SCID newborn screening were invited to submit their SCID screening algorithms, test performance data, and deidentified clinical and laboratory information regarding infants screened and cases with nonnormal results. Infants born from the start of each participating program from January 2008 through the most recent evaluable date prior to July 2013 were included. Representatives from 10 states plus the Navajo Area Indian Health Service contributed data from 3,030,083 newborns screened with a TREC test., Main Outcomes and Measures: Infants with SCID and other diagnoses of T-cell lymphopenia were classified. Incidence and, where possible, etiologies were determined. Interventions and survival were tracked., Results: Screening detected 52 cases of typical SCID, leaky SCID, and Omenn syndrome, affecting 1 in 58,000 infants (95% CI, 1/46,000-1/80,000). Survival of SCID-affected infants through their diagnosis and immune reconstitution was 87% (45/52), 92% (45/49) for infants who received transplantation, enzyme replacement, and/or gene therapy. Additional interventions for SCID and non-SCID T-cell lymphopenia included immunoglobulin infusions, preventive antibiotics, and avoidance of live vaccines. Variations in definitions and follow-up practices influenced the rates of detection of non-SCID T-cell lymphopenia., Conclusions and Relevance: Newborn screening in 11 programs in the United States identified SCID in 1 in 58,000 infants, with high survival. The usefulness of detection of non-SCID T-cell lymphopenias by the same screening remains to be determined.

Background: The Primary Immune Deficiency Treatment Consortium was formed to analyze the results of hematopoietic-cell transplantation in children with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) and other primary immunodeficiencies. Factors associated with a good transplantation outcome need to be identified in order to design safer and more effective curative therapy, particularly for children with SCID diagnosed at birth., Methods: We collected data retrospectively from 240 infants with SCID who had received transplants at 25 centers during a 10-year period (2000 through 2009)., Results: Survival at 5 years, freedom from immunoglobulin substitution, and CD3+ T-cell and IgA recovery were more likely among recipients of grafts from matched sibling donors than among recipients of grafts from alternative donors. However, the survival rate was high regardless of donor type among infants who received transplants at 3.5 months of age or younger (94%) and among older infants without prior infection (90%) or with infection that had resolved (82%). Among actively infected infants without a matched sibling donor, survival was best among recipients of haploidentical T-cell-depleted transplants in the absence of any pretransplantation conditioning. Among survivors, reduced-intensity or myeloablative pretransplantation conditioning was associated with an increased likelihood of a CD3+ T-cell count of more than 1000 per cubic millimeter, freedom from immunoglobulin substitution, and IgA recovery but did not significantly affect CD4+ T-cell recovery or recovery of phytohemagglutinin-induced T-cell proliferation. The genetic subtype of SCID affected the quality of CD3+ T-cell recovery but not survival., Conclusions: Transplants from donors other than matched siblings were associated with excellent survival among infants with SCID identified before the onset of infection. All available graft sources are expected to lead to excellent survival among asymptomatic infants. (Funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and others.).

The Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS) is due to mutations of the WAS gene encoding for the cytoskeletal WAS protein, leading to abnormal downstream signaling from the T cell and B cell antigen receptors (TCR and BCR). We hypothesized that the impaired signaling through the TCR and BCR in WAS would subsequently lead to aberrations in the immune repertoire of WAS patients. Using next generation sequencing (NGS), the T cell receptor β and B cell immunoglobulin heavy chain (IGH) repertoires of eight patients with WAS and six controls were sequenced. Clonal expansions were identified within memory CD4(+) cells as well as in total, naïve and memory CD8(+) cells from WAS patients. In the B cell compartment, WAS patient IGH repertoires were also clonally expanded and showed skewed usage of IGHV and IGHJ genes, and increased usage of IGHG constant genes, compared with controls. To our knowledge, this is the first study that demonstrates significant abnormalities of the immune repertoire in WAS patients using NGS.

Human phosphoglucomutase 3 (PGM3) catalyzes the conversion of N-acetyl-glucosamine (GlcNAc)-6-phosphate into GlcNAc-1-phosphate during the synthesis of uridine diphosphate (UDP)-GlcNAc, a sugar nucleotide critical to multiple glycosylation pathways. We identified three unrelated children with recurrent infections, congenital leukopenia including neutropenia, B and T cell lymphopenia, and progression to bone marrow failure. Whole-exome sequencing demonstrated deleterious mutations in PGM3 in all three subjects, delineating their disease to be due to an unsuspected congenital disorder of glycosylation (CDG). Functional studies of the disease-associated PGM3 variants in E. coli cells demonstrated reduced PGM3 activity for all mutants tested. Two of the three children had skeletal anomalies resembling Desbuquois dysplasia: short stature, brachydactyly, dysmorphic facial features, and intellectual disability. However, these additional features were absent in the third child, showing the clinical variability of the disease. Two children received hematopoietic stem cell transplantation of cord blood and bone marrow from matched related donors; both had successful engraftment and correction of neutropenia and lymphopenia. We define PGM3-CDG as a treatable immunodeficiency, document the power of whole-exome sequencing in gene discoveries for rare disorders, and illustrate the utility of genomic analyses in studying combined and variable phenotypes., (Copyright © 2014 The American Society of Human Genetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Autosomal recessive loss-of-function mutations in dedicator of cytokinesis 8 (DOCK8) cause a combined immunodeficiency characterized by atopy, recurrent infections, and cancer susceptibility. A genotype-phenotype explanation for the variable disease expression is lacking., Objective: We investigated whether reversions contributed to the variable disease expression., Methods: Patients followed at the National Institutes of Health's Clinical Center were studied. We performed detailed genetic analyses and intracellular flow cytometry to detect DOCK8 protein expression within lymphocyte subsets., Results: We identified 17 of 34 DOCK8-deficient patients who had germline mutations with variable degrees of reversion caused by somatic repair. Somatic repair of the DOCK8 mutations resulted from second-site mutation, original-site mutation, gene conversion, and intragenic crossover. Higher degrees of reversion were associated with recombination-mediated repair. DOCK8 expression was restored primarily within antigen-experienced T cells or natural killer cells but less so in naive T or B cells. Several patients exhibited multiple different repair events. Patients who had reversions were older and had less severe allergic disease, although infection susceptibility persisted. No patients were cured without hematopoietic cell transplantation., Conclusions: In patients with DOCK8 deficiency, only certain combinations of germline mutations supported secondary somatic repair. Those patients had an ameliorated disease course with longer survival but still had fatal complications or required hematopoietic cell transplantation. These observations support the concept that some DOCK8-immunodeficient patients have mutable mosaic genomes that can modulate disease phenotype over time., (Published by Mosby, Inc.)

The Primary Immune Deficiency Treatment Consortium (PIDTC) consists of 33 centers in North America. We hypothesized that the analysis of uniform data on patients with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) enrolled in a prospective protocol will identify variables that contribute to optimal outcomes following treatment. We report baseline clinical, immunologic, and genetic features of the first 50 patients enrolled, and the initial therapies administered, reflecting current practice in the diagnosis and treatment of both typical (n = 37) and atypical forms (n = 13) of SCID. From August 2010 to May 2012, patients with suspected SCID underwent evaluation and therapy per local center practices. Diagnostic information was reviewed by the PIDTC eligibility review panel, and hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) details were obtained from the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research. Most patients (92 %) had mutations in a known SCID gene. Half of the patients were diagnosed by newborn screening or family history, were younger than those diagnosed by clinical signs (median 15 vs. 181 days; P = <0.0001), and went to HCT at a median of 67 days vs. 214 days of life (P = <0.0001). Most patients (92 %) were treated with HCT within 1-2 months of diagnosis. Three patients were treated with gene therapy and 1 with enzyme replacement. The PIDTC plans to enroll over 250 such patients and analyze short and long-term outcomes for factors beneficial or deleterious to survival, clinical outcome, and T- and B-cell reconstitution, and which biomarkers are predictive of these outcomes.

Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) patients are highly susceptible to invasive aspergillosis and might benefit from aspergillus-specific T cell immunotherapy, which has shown promise in treating those with known T cell defects such as haematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients. But whether such T cell defects contribute to increased risks for aspergillus infection in CGD is unclear. Hence, we set out to characterize the aspergillus-specific T cell response in CGD. In murine CGD models and in patients with CGD we showed that the CD4(+) T cell responses to aspergillus were unimpaired: aspergillus-specific T cell frequencies were even elevated in CGD mice (P < 0·01) and humans (P = 0·02), compared to their healthy counterparts. CD4-depleted murine models suggested that the role of T cells might be redundant because resistance to aspergillus infection was conserved in CD4(+) T cell-depleted mice, similar to wild-type animals. In contrast, mice depleted of neutrophils alone or neutrophils and CD4(+) T cells developed clinical and pathological evidence of pulmonary aspergillosis and increased mortality (P < 0·05 compared to non-depleted animals). Our findings that T cells in CGD have a robust aspergillus CD4(+) T cell response suggest that CD4(+) T cell-based immunotherapy for this disease is unlikely to be beneficial., (© 2013 British Society for Immunology.)

Background: Dedicator of cytokinesis 8 (DOCK8) mutations are responsible for a rare primary combined immunodeficiency syndrome associated with severe cutaneous viral infections, increased IgE levels, autoimmunity, and malignancy. Natural killer (NK) cells are essential for tumor surveillance and defense against virally infected cells. NK cell function relies on Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein for filamentous actin (F-actin) accumulation at the lytic NK cell immunologic synapse. DOCK8 activates cell division cycle 42, which, together with Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein, coordinates F-actin reorganization. Although abnormalities in T- and B-cell function have been described in DOCK8-deficient patients, the role of NK cells in this disease is unclear., Objectives: We sought to understand the role of DOCK8 in NK cell function to determine whether NK cell abnormalities explain the pathogenesis of the clinical syndrome of DOCK8 deficiency., Methods: A cohort of DOCK8-deficient patients was assembled, and patients' NK cells, as well as NK cell lines with stably reduced DOCK8 expression, were studied. NK cell cytotoxicity, F-actin content, and lytic immunologic synapse formation were measured., Results: DOCK8-deficient patients' NK cells and DOCK8 knockdown cell lines all had decreased NK cell cytotoxicity, which could not be restored after IL-2 stimulation. Importantly, DOCK8 deficiency impaired F-actin accumulation at the lytic immunologic synapse without affecting overall NK cell F-actin content., Conclusions: DOCK8 deficiency results in severely impaired NK cell function because of an inability to form a mature lytic immunologic synapse through targeted synaptic F-actin accumulation. This defect might underlie and explain important attributes of the DOCK8 deficiency clinical syndrome, including the unusual susceptibility to viral infection and malignancy., (Published by Mosby, Inc.)

Abdominal cocoon is a rare disorder that may pose a diagnostic conundrum in patients presenting with intermittent symptoms of small bowel obstruction. We describe the imaging findings of a unique case of abdominal cocoon that presented in infancy.

Background: Matched related donor (MRD) hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a successful treatment for chronic granulomatous disease (CGD), but the safety and efficacy of HSCT from unrelated donors is less certain., Objective: We evaluated the outcomes and overall survival in patients with CGD after HSCT., Methods: We report the outcomes for 11 children undergoing HSCT from an MRD (n = 4) or an HLA-matched unrelated donor (MUD) (n = 7); 9 children were boys, and the median age was 3.8 years (range, 1-13 years). We treated both X-linked (n = 9) and autosomal recessive (n = 2) disease. Nine children had serious clinical infections before transplantation. The conditioning regimens contained busulfan, cyclophosphamide, cytarabine, or fludarabine according to the donor used. All patients received alemtuzumab (anti-CD52 antibody). Additional graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) prophylaxis included cyclosporine and methotrexate for MUD recipients and cyclosporine and prednisone for MRD recipients., Results: Neutrophil recovery took a median of 16 days (range, 12-40 days) and 18 days (range, 13-24 days) for MRD and MUD recipients, respectively. Full donor neutrophil engraftment occurred in 9 patients, and 2 had stable mixed chimerism; all patients had sustained correction of neutrophil oxidative burst defect. Four patients had grade I skin acute GVHD responding to topical treatment. No patient had grade II to IV acute GvHD or chronic GvHD. All patients are alive between 1 and 8 years after HSCT., Conclusion: For CGD, equivalent outcomes can be obtained with MRD or MUD stem cells, and HSCT should be considered an early treatment option., (Copyright © 2011 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.)