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Pediatric Evans syndrome (pES) is increasingly identified as the presenting manifestation of several inborn errors of immunity. Despite an improved understanding of genetic defects in pES, the underlying immunobiology of pES is poorly defined, and characteristic diagnostic immune parameters are lacking. We describe the immune characteristics of 24 patients with pES and compared them with 22 patients with chronic immune thrombocytopenia (cITP) and 24 healthy controls (HCs). Compared with patients with cITP and HC, patients with pES had increased circulating T-follicular helper cells (cTfh), increased T-cell activation, and decreased naïve CD4+ T cells for age. Despite normal or high immunoglobulin G (IgG) in most pES at presentation, class-switched memory B cells were decreased. Within the cTfh subset, we noted features of postactivation exhaustion with upregulation of several canonical checkpoint inhibitors. T-cell receptor β chain (TCR-β) repertoire analysis of cTfh cells revealed increased oligoclonality in patients with pES compared with HCs. Among patients with pES, those without a known gene defect had a similar characteristic immune abnormality as patients with defined genetic defects. Similarly, patients with pES with normal IgG had similar T-cell abnormalities as patients with low IgG. Because genetic defects have been identified in less than half of patients with pES, our findings of similar immune abnormalities across all patients with pES help establish a common characteristic immunopathology in pES, irrespective of the underlying genetic etiology.

Key Points CXCL9, BAFF, and sC5b-9 are potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for graft rejection after transplant.Fever monitoring is a widely available and informative predictor of graft rejection after transplant., Visual Abstract, Graft rejection (GR) is a poorly understood complication of hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT). GR risk factors are well published, but there are no reliable biomarkers or therapies known. Fever is the most common symptom of GR, but no study has evaluated fever kinetics as a diagnostic marker of GR. The objectives of this study were to identify mechanisms, biomarkers, and potential therapies for GR after HCT. Chemokine ligand 9 (CXCL9), B-cell activating factor (BAFF), and complement markers (sC5b-9, C3a, and C5a) were measured in 7 patients with GR and compared with 15 HCT controls. All patients had a diagnosis of aplastic anemia, Fanconi anemia, or genetically undefined chromosomal fragility syndrome. All patients with GR were febrile during GR; therefore, control patients who underwent HCT were matched for diagnosis and early fevers after HCT. Patients withh GR had significantly higher CXCL9, BAFF, and sC5b-9 at the time of fever and GR compared with control patients who underwent HCT at the time of fever. The maximum fever was significantly higher and occurred significantly later in the transplant course in patients with GR compared with febrile HCT controls. These data support the use of CXCL9, BAFF, sC5b-9, and fever kinetics as GR markers. Two patients with GR underwent a second HCT that was complicated by high fevers. Both patients received interferon and complement blockers during their second HCT, and both preserved their graft. These laboratory and clinical findings support larger studies to evaluate the safety and efficacy of interferon, complement, and BAFF inhibitors for the prevention and treatment of GR after HCT.

Few reports have examined whether prophylactic allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) for X-linked lymphoproliferative syndrome type 1 (XLP1) improves the prognosis. We compared the prognosis of symptomatic probands and affected siblings in the same family. Twenty-two cases (10 probands and 12 affected siblings) in Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States were analyzed. The overall survival (OS) rate at 5 years after diagnosis was 70.0% in probands and 91.7% in affected siblings (p = 0.0789). The prognosis of patients who developed symptoms of XLP1 before HCT and those who did not was also compared. The 5-year probability of OS from the time of diagnosis in asymptomatic patients (100%) was significantly better than that in symptomatic patients (66.7%). These results suggested that early HCT as soon as the diagnosis is made improves the prognosis in asymptomatic XLP1 patients.

High-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) is prevalent and known to cause 5% of all cancers worldwide. The rare, cancer prone Fanconi anemia (FA) population is characterized by a predisposition to both head and neck squamous cell carcinomas and gynecological cancers, but the role of HPV in these cancers remains unclear. Prompted by a patient-family advocacy organization, oral HPV and HPV serological studies were simultaneously undertaken. Oral DNA samples from 201 individuals with FA, 303 unaffected family members, and 107 unrelated controls were tested for 37 HPV types. Serum samples from 115 individuals with FA and 55 unrelated controls were tested for antibodies against 9 HPV types. Oral HPV prevalence was higher for individuals with FA (20%) versus their parents (13%, p = 0.07), siblings (8%, p = 0.01), and unrelated controls (6%, p ≤ 0.001). A FA diagnosis increased HPV positivity 4.84-fold (95% CI: 1.96–11.93) in adjusted models compared to unrelated controls. Common risk factors associated with HPV in the general population did not predict oral positivity in FA, unlike unrelated controls. Seropositivity and anti-HPV titers did not significantly differ in FA versus unrelated controls regardless of HPV vaccination status. We conclude that individuals with FA are uniquely susceptible to oral HPV independent of conventional risk factors.

Inborn errors of immunity (IEI) are a genetically heterogeneous group of disorders with a broad clinical spectrum. Identification of molecular and functional bases of these disorders is important for diagnosis, treatment, and an understanding of the human immune response. We identified 6 unrelated males with neutropenia, infections, lymphoproliferation, humoral immune defects, and in some cases bone marrow failure associated with 3 different variants in the X-linked gene TLR8, encoding the endosomal Toll-like receptor 8 (TLR8). Interestingly, 5 patients had somatic variants in TLR8 with

PURPOSE: A need exists for reduced toxicity conditioning regimens that offer less toxicity while maintaining myeloablation, especially for primary immune deficiencies where myeloablation or high donor myeloid chimerism is required to achieve cure. We adapted a busulfan and fludarabine regimen by Gungor et al. for children and young adults undergoing allogeneic HCT for non-CGD primary immune deficiencies requiring myeloablation or high donor myeloid chimerism, and herein report our experience. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed records of 41 consecutive patients who underwent allogeneic HCT for Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (n = 12), primary HLH/XLP (n = 10), CD40L deficiency (n = 7), or other (n = 12) primary immune deficiencies with a conditioning regimen containing pharmacokinetic-guided busulfan dosing which achieved a cumulative AUC between 57 and 74 mg/L × h (65–80% of conventional myeloablative exposure), along with fludarabine and alemtuzumab or anti-thymocyte globulin at 3 transplant centers between 2014 and 2019. RESULTS: Forty-one patients underwent a first (n = 33) or second (n = 8) allogeneic HCT. Median age was 2.3 years (range, 0.3 years–19.8 years). All but one patient (97.5%) achieved neutrophil recovery at a median of 14 days (range, 11–34 days). One patient developed sinusoidal obstruction syndrome and two patients developed diffuse alveolar hemorrhage. Four patients developed grades II–IV acute GVHD. Three patients developed chronic GVHD. One-year overall survival was 90% (95% confidence interval [CI] 81–99%) and event-free survival was 83% (95% CI 71–94%). CONCLUSIONS: Our experience suggests that a reduced toxicity busulfan-fludarabine regimen offers low toxicity, low incidence of grades 2–4 GVHD, durable myeloid engraftment, and excellent survival, and may be considered for a variety of primary immune deficiencies where myeloablative HCT is desired.

Overactivated complement is a high-risk feature in hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients with transplant-associated thrombotic microangiopathy (TA-TMA), and untreated patients have dismal outcomes. We present our experience with 64 pediatric HSCT recipients who had high-risk TA-TMA (hrTA-TMA) and multiorgan injury treated with the complement blocker eculizumab. We demonstrate significant improvement to 66% in 1-year post-HSCT survival in treated patients from our previously reported untreated cohort with same hrTA-TMA features that had 1-year post-HSCT survival of 16.7%. Responding patients benefited from a brief but intensive course of eculizumab using pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic-guided dosing, requiring a median of 11 doses of eculizumab (interquartile range [IQR] 7-20). Treatment was discontinued because TA-TMA resolved at a median of 66 days (IQR 41-110). Subjects with higher complement activation measured by elevated blood sC5b-9 at the start of treatment were less likely to respond (odds ratio, 0.15; P = .0014) and required more doses of eculizumab (r = 0.43; P = .0004). Patients with intestinal bleeding had the fastest eculizumab clearance, required the highest number of eculizumab doses (20 vs 9; P = .0015), and had lower 1-year survival (44% vs 78%; P = .01). Over 70% of survivors had proteinuria on long-term follow-up. The best glomerular filtration rate (GFR) recovery in survivors was a median 20% lower (IQR, 7.3%-40.3%) than their pre-HSCT GFR. In summary, complement blockade with eculizumab is an effective therapeutic strategy for hrTA-TMA, but some patients with severe disease lacked a complete response, prompting us to propose early intervention and search for additional targetable endothelial injury pathways.

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.

Primary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) can be caused by biallelic mutations in PRF1, encoding perforin, or UNC13D, STXBP2, STX11, RAB27A, LYST, and AP3B1, encoding proteins involved in cytotoxic lymphocyte degranulation. Natural killer (NK)-cell cytotoxicity assays can quickly screen for all of these genetic diseases, facilitating treatment, but combining NK-cell perforin expression and CD107a upregulation tests can as well. To determine the relative diagnostic accuracies for each approach, we retrospectively reviewed screening test performance in 1614 patients referred for HLH evaluation. For each test, we generated a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and calculated area under the curve (AUC) and diagnostic parameters at optimal threshold. We generated an AUC for combining perforin and CD107a tests by creating a logistic regression model and applying model-generated coefficients to patient values. Sensitivities of NK-cell function, perforin mean channel fluorescence (MCF), and CD107a MCF to detect biallelic mutations were 59.5%, 96.6%, and 93.8%, with specificities of 72.0%, 99.5%, and 73%. AUCs for NK-cell cytotoxicity, perforin MCF, CD107a MCF, and combined perforin and CD107a MCFs were 0.690, 0.971, 0.860, and 0.838. Perforin and CD107a tests are more sensitive and no less specific compared with NK cytotoxicity testing for screening for genetic HLH and should be considered for addition to current HLH criteria.

Introduction A reduced toxicity busulfan, fludarabine regimen with alemtuzumab or anti-thymocyte globulin (Gungor et al.) was efficacious in patients undergoing allogeneic HCT for CGD. We report our experience with a similar approach for patients with non-CGD primary immune deficiencies needing a reduced toxicity myeloablative approach. Methods We retrospectively reviewed records of consecutive patients who underwent allogeneic HCT for primary immune deficiencies with a preparative regimen containing busulfan, fludarabine and alemtuzumab or anti-thymocyte globulin(ATG) at two transplant centers between 2015-2018. Busulfan was given twice daily over 4 days with target AUC of 1800 to 2000 μMol/min (based on q12 hr. dosing) or once daily over 4 days with a target AUC of 3600-4400 μMol/min (based on q24 hr. dosing). Fludarabine 180 mg/m2 or 160 mg/m2 was given divided over 6 days or 4 days, respectively. Serotherapy included alemtuzumab 0.3 - 0.5 mg/kg or ATG 7.5 mg/kg given divided over 3 days. GVHD prophylaxis consisted of cyclosporine and mycophenolate mofetil. Results Thirty-five patients (WAS=11, HLH=10, CD40L deficiency=6, IPEX/VEOIBD=4, IFNGR1 def./ SCN/CID/LAD=1) received busulfan, fludarabine and alemtuzumab or ATG for allogeneic HCT (first HCT in 26 patients and second HCT in 9 of 10 patients with HLH). Median age was 2.0 years (range, 0.3 years – 19.8 years). Patients received a graft from an HLA-matched related (n=10), unrelated (n=23), or single allele mismatched related or unrelated donor (n=2). All except one patient engrafted at a median of 13 days (range,11-34 days). One patient developed veno-occlusive disease and two patients developed diffuse alveolar hemorrhage. Seven patients (20%) developed grade 2-3 acute GVHD and 2 patients (5.7%) developed chronic GVHD. One patient developed primary graft failure and two patients secondary graft failure. Eighteen patients (51%) maintained >95% donor chimerism following allogeneic HCT. Sixteen patients (46%) developed mixed chimerism, predominantly in the T-cell lineage, but T-cell donor chimerism progressively increased post-HCT. At 1-year post-transplant, 13 of 16 patients (81%) with mixed chimerism had donor myeloid chimerism >90% and T-cell chimerism >75%. Two patients underwent a second transplant for graft failure. Overall survival was 86%(30 of 35) and event free survival was 77%(27 of 35) at 1 year. Conclusion Our experience suggests that a reduced toxicity busulfan, fludarabine regimen with alemtuzumab or ATG as serotherapy offers a promising approach with low toxicity, durable myeloid engraftment, low incidence of grade 2-4 GVHD and excellent overall survival, and can be considered for a variety of primary immune deficiencies where myeloablative HCT is desired.

Introduction Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a syndrome of excessive immune system activation largely driven by high levels of interferon gamma. The clinical HLH presentation can have considerable overlap with other inflammatory conditions. We present a cohort of patients with therapy refractory HLH referred to our center who were found to have simultaneous presentation of complement mediated thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA). Figure 1 contains the diagnostic criteria for both HLH and TMA. Objectives • Recognize presenting symptoms of HLH • Recognize presenting symptoms of TMA • Recognize that HLH and TMA can present concurrently Methods Patients of any age with frontline therapy refractory hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) who were treated at our institution from January 2012 through December 2018 were identified by retrospective chart review after Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval. All patients were prospectively screened for TMA as part of clinical care as previously described. Patient demographics, disease characteristics, HLH and TMA targeted therapy, complications, intervention and laboratory assessment were captured from the electronic medical record. Results Sixteen of 23 patients with HLH met high risk TMA criteria (Figure 2). Renal failure requiring renal replacement therapy, severe hypertension, serositis and gastrointestinal bleeding were documented only in patients with HLH who had concomitant complement mediated TMA. Patients with HLH and without TMA required ventilatory support mainly due to CNS symptoms, such as status epilepticus, while those with HLH and TMA had respiratory failure predominantly associated with pulmonary hypertension, a known presentation of pulmonary TMA (Figure 2). Ten patients received eculizumab for complement mediated TMA management while being treated for HLH. All patients who received the complement blocker eculizumab, in addition to the interferon gamma blocker emapalumab, had complete resolution of their TMA and survived (Figure 2). Conclusion Our observations suggest co-activation of both interferon and complement pathways as a potential culprit in the evolution of thrombotic microangiopathy in patients with inflammatory disorders like HLH and may offer novel therapeutic approaches for these critically ill patients. TMA should be considered in children with HLH and multi-organ failure, as early institution of a brief course of complement blocking therapy in addition to HLH targeted therapy may improve clinical outcomes in these patients (Figure 3).

Mutations resulting in increased PI3K signaling confer increased risk of B cell lymphoma, recurrent infections, poor viral control, and autoimmunity. Allogeneic HCT is curative, but the optimal approach to HCT for these patients is still evolving as experience grows. Herein, we present the clinical outcomes of 27 patients transplanted for activating PI3K mutations. Required approvals were obtained by contributing centers. Nineteen PIK3CD patients and 8 PIK3R1 patients received 22 and 10 HCTs respectively, at median age 12 years (range 2-66) at time of first HCT. Significant pre-HCT comorbidities were common, Fig 1. Conditioning platforms varied in intensity; most included serotherapy (84%). With median survivor follow up of 26.3 months from first HCT (range 2.4-71.8), overall survival was 85% (3 infectious deaths and 1 due to organ toxicity); graft failure (GF)-free survival (GFFS) was estimated at 80% at 1 year but declined to 68% by 2 years, Fig 2. Neutrophil engraftment occurred at median 15.5 days (range 11-33) with autologous recovery in 1 patient at day +14 and another deceased prior to engraftment. Four engrafted patients are alive and well despite mixed donor chimerism ( Grade 2-4 acute graft versus host disease (GVHD) occurred in 27% patients, with Grade 3-4 acute GVHD and limited self-resolved chronic GVHD in 1 (4%). Organ toxicities and infectious complications are summarized in Fig 3; CMV infection requiring treatment occurred in 11 (41%) patients with disease in 3 (11%). Serotherapy use, conditioning intensity, and degree of donor human leukocyte antigen (HLA) match were not significantly associated with cumulative incidence of GF or subsequent unplanned DCI (with death as a competing risk), while mTOR inhibitor use post-HCT was associated with subsequent unplanned DCI for graft augmentation or GF (p=0.006). An mTOR inhibitor was used within the year following 12 HCTs, for primary GVHD prophylaxis (n=7) or to treat disease manifestations or GVHD; loss of chimerism and/or need for subsequent DCI occurred in 9 of these. Patients with activating PI3K mutations are at overall significant risk of GF or need for subsequent DCI. While we found no association with GF or DCI for discrete elements such as serotherapy use, donor source, or conditioning intensity, small numbers preclude conclusions regarding the optimal HCT approach, and more HCTs with longer follow up are needed to refine these preliminary findings. Post-HCT mTOR inhibitor exposure was associated with need for subsequent unplanned DCI, perhaps by providing a survival advantage to host lymphocytes, and may thus be detrimental in these patients during the early post-HCT timeframe.

Mixed chimerism and eventual graft loss occurs in a proportion of children with primary immune deficiencies receiving alemtuzumab, fludarabine, and melphalan reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) regimens before allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). We investigated the usefulness of a CD34+ selected stem cell "boost" without conditioning to treat mixed chimerism in children and young adults who received predominantly an alemtuzumab, fludarabine, and melphalan RIC regimen for primary immune deficiencies and reported the outcomes. Patients with a primary immune deficiency disorder who were either enrolled on a prospective CD34+ boost study for treatment of mixed chimerism from 2011 to 2014 (n = 9) or treated with a CD34+ boost on a clinical basis from 2014 to 2016 (n = 3) were included in this analysis. Response to a CD34+ boost was defined as a rise in donor chimerism by ≥15% with donor chimerism of at least 20%, stabilization was defined as a rise in chimerism by

Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS) is an X-linked disease caused by mutations in the WAS gene, leading to thrombocytopenia, eczema, recurrent infections, autoimmune disease, and malignancy. Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is the primary curative approach, with the goal of correcting the underlying immunodeficiency and thrombocytopenia. HCT outcomes have improved over time, particularly for patients with HLA-matched sibling and unrelated donors. We report the outcomes of 129 patients with WAS who underwent HCT at 29 Primary Immune Deficiency Treatment Consortium centers from 2005 through 2015. Median age at HCT was 1.2 years. Most patients (65%) received myeloablative busulfan-based conditioning. With a median follow-up of 4.5 years, the 5-year overall survival (OS) was 91%. Superior 5-year OS was observed in patients 95%) vs low-level (5%-49%) donor myeloid engraftment. In summary, HCT outcomes for WAS have improved since 2005, compared with prior reports. HCT at a younger age continues to be associated with superior outcomes supporting the recommendation for early HCT. High-level donor myeloid engraftment is important for platelet reconstitution after either myeloablative or busulfan-containing reduced intensity conditioning. (This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT02064933.)

IntroductionInflammatory bowel disease (IBD) affects approximately 1/3 of patients with chronic granulomatous disease (CGD). Comprehensive investigation of the effect of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) on CGD IBD and the impact of IBD on transplant outcomes is lacking.MethodsWe collected data retrospectively from 145 patients with CGD who had received allogeneic HCT at 26 Primary Immune Deficiency Treatment Consortium (PIDTC) centers between January 1, 2005 and June 30, 2016.ResultsForty-nine CGD patients with IBD and 96 patients without IBD underwent allogeneic HCT. Eighty-nine percent of patients with IBD and 93% of patients without IBD engrafted (p = 0.476). Upper gastrointestinal acute GVHD occurred in 8.5% of patients with IBD and 3.5% of patients without IBD (p = 0.246). Lower gastrointestinal acute GVHD occurred in 10.6% of patients with IBD and 11.8% of patients without IBD (p = 0.845). The cumulative incidence of acute GVHD grades II-IV was 30% (CI 17-43%) in patients with IBD and 20% (CI 12-29%) in patients without IBD (p = 0.09). Five-year overall survival was equivalent for patients with and without IBD: 80% [CI 66-89%] and 83% [CI 72-90%], respectively (p = 0.689). All 33 surviving evaluable patients with a history of IBD experienced resolution of IBD by 2years following allogeneic HCT.ConclusionsIn this cohort, allogeneic HCT was curative for CGD-associated IBD. IBD should not contraindicate HCT, as it does not lead to an increased risk of mortality. This study is registered at clinicaltrials.gov NCT02082353.

In the era of newborn screening (NBS) for severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) and the possibility of gene therapy (GT), it is important to link SCID phenotype to the underlying genetic disease. In western countries, X-linked interleukin 2 receptor gamma chain (IL2RG) and adenosine deaminase (ADA) deficiency SCID are two of the most common types of SCID and can be treated by GT. As a challenge, both IL2RG and ADA genes are highly polymorphic and a gene–based diagnosis may be difficult if the variant is of unknown significance or if it is located in non-coding areas of the genes that are not routinely evaluated with exon-based genetic testing (e.g., introns, promoters, and the 5′and 3′ untranslated regions). Therefore, it is important to extend evaluation to non-coding areas of a SCID gene if the exon-based sequencing is inconclusive and there is strong suspicion that a variant in that gene is the cause for disease. Functional studies are often required in these cases to confirm a pathogenic variant. We present here two unique examples of X-linked SCID with variable immune phenotypes, where IL2R gamma chain expression was detected and no pathogenic variant was identified on initial genetic testing. Pathogenic IL2RG variants were subsequently confirmed by functional assay of gamma chain signaling and maternal X-inactivation studies. We propose that such tests can facilitate confirmation of suspected cases of X-linked SCID in newborns when initial genetic testing is inconclusive. Early identification of pathogenic IL2RG variants is especially important to ensure eligibility for gene therapy.

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. (C) 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.

Introduction Overactivated complement is a high-risk feature in HSCT recipients with transplant associated thrombotic microangiopathy (TA-TMA) and untreated patients have dismal outcomes. We present our experience in 64 pediatric HSCT recipients with high risk TA-TMA and multi-organ injury treated with the complement blocker eculizumab. Objectives • To evaluate the impact of high risk TA-TMA on clinical outcomes. • To determine high risk TA-TMA response to complement blocking therapy with eculizumab. • To gain clinical knowledge in this high-risk population for future study planning. Methods We performed retrospective chart review of all patients receiving eculizumab therapy for high risk TA-TMA at our institution (2012-2018). All patients were prospectively screened for TA-TMA and received PK/PD guided eculizumab dosing. Results We demonstrate a significant improvement in 1 year post-HSCT survival to 66% in treated patients from our previously reported untreated cohort with the same high-risk TA-TMA features that had 1 year post-HSCT survival of 16.7%. Responding patients benefited from a brief but intensive eculizumab therapy course using PK/PD guided drug dosing, requiring a median of 11 doses of eculizumab (IQR 7-20), and were off therapy in median of 66 days (IQR 41-110). Subjects with higher complement activation measured by elevated blood sC5b-9 at the start of therapy were less likely to respond to treatment (OR =0.15, p-value 0.0014) and required more doses of eculizumab [r = 0.43, p-value = 0.0004]. Patients with intestinal bleeding had the fastest eculizumab clearance, required the highest number of eculizumab doses (20 vs 9, p=0.0015) and had lower 1y survival (44% vs 78%, p=0.01). Over 70% of survivors had mild proteinuria on long term follow up. The best CystC GFR recovery in survivors was a median 20% lower (IQR 7.3-40.3%) than their pre-HSCT CystC GFR. Conclusion Complement blockade with eculizumab is an effective therapeutic strategy for high risk TA-TMA, but some patients with severe disease lack a complete response, prompting us to propose early intervention strategies and search for additional targetable endothelial injury pathways.

Background CCR5 inhibition is a promising approach to prevent visceral acute GVHD in adults after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). Objective We performed a phase I/II study of maraviroc, an oral CCR5 inhibitor, to prevent visceral GVHD in children undergoing HSCT and have reported results of the phase I study previously. Methods We used our previously established dose (∼ 300 mg/m2) of maraviroc in the phase II study. Oral maraviroc was added to standard acute GVHD prophylaxis from day-3 twice daily for eligible patients until day+30 after HSCT. Trough levels of maraviroc were collected on day 0 +7, 14 and 21. Patients were observed until day+100 for acute GVHD. We assessed functional CCR5 blockade by our previously published pharmacodynamic assay. We explored mechanisms of resistance to maraviroc by comparing serum IL-15 levels, plasma CXCL9 and CXCL10 at day+30 between GVHD and no GVHD patients. CD38 expression on CD4+ T-cells measured by flow cytometry at day+30. Results Thirty-one patients were enrolled prospectively, 14 on the phase I and 17 on the phase II study. Phase II study Demographics are shown in Figure 1. Median maraviroc trough concentrations were therapeutic at > 100 ng/mL on day+7 and day+14 (Figure 2A). Functional CCR5 blockade was observed in all except one patient at day zero and day+14 (Figure 2B, 3A). Two patients developed grade 1 acute skin GVHD and were successfully treated with corticosteroids. Four patients developed gastrointestinal (GI) GVHD (Upper GI GVHD n=2, lower GI GVHD n=2). Two of these 4 patients with GI GVHD did not receive the planned 34 days of maraviroc. No adverse effects to maraviroc were observed. Seven patients discontinued maraviroc at a median of day+14 (range day+1- day+29) due to study rules regarding hepatotoxicity (n=5), renal function decline (n=1) and withdrawal from study (n=1). Phase I± Phase II study Incidence of GI GVHD in all 31 patients who received maraviroc was 19% (n=6) compared to 22% in historic controls (p=0.29). Four of the 6 GI GVHD patients did not complete maraviroc treatment. CD38 expression on CD4+ T-cells was elevated on day+30 in patients who developed GVHD compared to patients without GVHD (Figure 3B). We observed no difference in IL-15, CXCL10 and CXCL9 levels in patients with and without GVHD. Conclusion Maraviroc administration was feasible in children but was limited by elevated bilirubin levels and transaminases, unrelated to maraviroc. We achieved successful CCR5 blockade but also observed breakthrough of GVHD due to failure to administer maraviroc consistently. Peripheral blood activation of T-cell lymphocytes occurs in patients with imminent acute GVHD despite maraviroc prophylaxis, as might be expected since maraviroc regulates lymphocyte homing but does not suppress activation.

Alemtuzumab, fludarabine, and melphalan reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) regimens are increasingly used for the hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) of pediatric and young adult patients with nonmalignant diseases. Early experience suggests that these regimens are associated with good survival but a high incidence of mixed chimerism, which we have previously shown to be influenced by the alemtuzumab schedule. We hypothesized that the underlying diagnosis and donor graft source would also affect the development of mixed chimerism and that the majority of patients would survive RIC HCT without graft loss. To examine this, we conducted a retrospective study of 206 patients with metabolic diseases, non-Fanconi anemia marrow failure disorders, and primary immune deficiencies who underwent 210 consecutive RIC HCT procedures at Cincinnati Children's Hospital. Ninety-seven percent of the patients engrafted. Mixed donor and recipient chimerism developed in 46% of patients. Patients with marrow failure had a low risk of mixed chimerism (hazard ratio [HR], .208; 95% confidence interval [CI], .061 to .709; P = .012). The risk of mixed chimerism was high in patients who received a cord blood graft (HR, 3.122; 95% CI, 1.236 to 7.888; P = .016). As expected, patients who received a proximal or higher dose per kilogram of alemtuzumab schedule also experienced higher rates of mixed chimerism (all HR > 2, all P < .05). At the time of last follow-up (median, 654 days; range, 13 to 3337), over 75% of patients had greater than 90% whole blood donor chimerism. A second transplantation was performed in 5% of patients. Three-year survival without retransplantation was 84% (95% CI, 71% to 98%) for patients who underwent transplantation with an HLA-matched sibling donor. Survival without retransplantation was negatively affected by lack of a matched related donor, increasing age, and development of grades III and IV acute graft-versus-host disease. We conclude that alemtuzumab, fludarabine, and melphalan RIC HCT offers good results for many patients and that the risk of developing mixed chimerism is influenced by underlying diagnosis, graft source, and alemtuzumab dosing.

Trafficking from bedside to bench Typically in translational research, a discovery in cell or molecular biology is later exploited to improve patient care. Occasionally, information flows in the opposite direction. Lo et al. found that patients with an autoimmune disorder caused by deficiency of a protein called LRBA responded dramatically to the drug abatacept (see the Perspective by Sansom). Abatacept contains a segment of a potent inhibitory immune receptor, CTLA4. Experiments prompted by this observation revealed the relationship between the two proteins: LRBA controls the intracellular trafficking and degradation of CTLA4. This information may further improve patient care, because other clinically approved drugs have the desired mechanism of action with potentially fewer side effects. Science , this issue p. 436 ; see also p. 377

Mixed donor chimerism is increasingly common in the pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) setting because of the increased use of reduced-intensity preparative regimens for nonmalignant diseases. Donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI) is potentially useful in the treatment of mixed donor chimerism, but little are data available on the use of DLI in this setting. We conducted a retrospective review of 27 pediatric patients who received DLI for mixed donor chimerism between January 2006 and December 2010 after receiving a preparative regimen of alemtuzumab, fludarabine, and melphalan. Twenty-one patients (78%) were alive at a median of 35 months post-transplant. Seven patients (26%) sustained full donor chimerism after DLI only at a median of 35 months post-HSCT. Nine patients (33%) continued with mixed donor chimerism (median, 38% [range, 18% to 70%]) at a median of 37 months after DLI only. Five patients underwent unconditioned stem cell boosts or second conditioned transplants after no improvement in donor chimerism was seen following DLI. Donor source appeared to contribute to outcomes after DLI; patients with mismatched unrelated donors had earlier first decline in chimerism and timing of first DLI, a higher response rate to DLI, and an increased rate of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). There was no response to DLI in patients with matched sibling donors. Ten patients, all with improvement in chimerism after DLI, developed acute GVHD after DLI, with 3 having grade III GVHD. Three patients developed chronic GVHD after DLI. These data illustrate the potential efficacy of DLI in the treatment of mixed donor chimerism after a reduced-intensity preparative regimen.

GTPase of immunity-associated protein 5 (Gimap5) is linked with lymphocyte survival, autoimmunity, and colitis, but its mechanisms of action are unclear. Here, we show that Gimap5 is essential for the inactivation of glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK3β) following T cell activation. In the absence of Gimap5, constitutive GSK3β activity constrains c-Myc induction and NFATc1 nuclear import, thereby limiting productive CD4+ T cell proliferation. Additionally, Gimap5 facilitates Ser389 phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of GSK3β, thereby limiting DNA damage in CD4+ T cells. Importantly, pharmacological inhibition and genetic targeting of GSK3β can override Gimap5 deficiency in CD4+ T cells and ameliorates immunopathology in mice. Finally, we show that a human patient with a GIMAP5 loss-of-function mutation has lymphopenia and impaired T cell proliferation in vitro that can be rescued with GSK3 inhibitors. Given that the expression of Gimap5 is lymphocyte-restricted, we propose that its control of GSK3β is an important checkpoint in lymphocyte proliferation., Loss of function GIMAP5 mutation is associated with lymphopenia, but how it mediates T cell homeostasis is unclear. Here the authors study Gimap5−/− mice and a patient with GIMAP5 deficiency to show how this GTPAse negatively regulates GSK3β activity to prevent DNA damage and cell death.

Regulatory T cells (Treg cells) deficient in the transcription factor Foxp3 lack suppressor function and manifest an effector T (Teff) cell–like phenotype. We demonstrate that Foxp3 deficiency dysregulates metabolic checkpoint kinase mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) complex 2 (mTORC2) signaling and gives rise to augmented aerobic glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation. Specific deletion of the mTORC2 adaptor gene Rictor in Foxp3-deficient Treg cells ameliorated disease in a Foxo1 transcription factor–dependent manner. Rictor deficiency re-established a subset of Treg cell genetic circuits and suppressed the Teff cell–like glycolytic and respiratory programs, which contributed to immune dysregulation. Treatment of Treg cells from patients with FOXP3 deficiency with mTOR inhibitors similarly antagonized their Teff cell–like program and restored suppressive function. Thus, regulatory function can be re-established in Foxp3-deficient Treg cells by targeting their metabolic pathways, providing opportunities to restore tolerance in Treg cell disorders. Loss of the transcription factor Foxp3 impairs Treg cell development and immune homeostasis. Chatila and colleagues use a series of Foxp3 mutants to show that its disruption results in altered Treg cell metabolism and loss of regulation, which are rescuable by metabolic manipulation.

Mixed chimerism and eventual graft loss occurs in a proportion of children with primary immune deficiencies receiving alemtuzumab, fludarabine, and melphalan reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) regimens before allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). We investigated the usefulness of a CD34

Introduction: X-linked lymphoproliferative disease is caused by mutations in two genes, SH2D1A and XIAP/BIRC4. Flow cytometric methods have been developed to detect the gene products, SAP and XIAP. However, there is no literature describing the accuracy of flow cytometric screening performed in a clinical lab setting. Methods: We reviewed the clinical flow cytometric testing results for 656 SAP and 586 XIAP samples tested during a 3-year period. Genetic testing was clinically performed as directed by the managing physician in 137 SAP (21%) and 115 XIAP (20%) samples. We included these samples for analyses of flow cytometric test accuracy. Results: SH2D1A mutations were detected in 15/137 samples. SAP expression was low in 13/15 (sensitivity 87%, CI 61–97%). Of the 122 samples with normal sequencing, SAP was normal in 109 (specificity 89%, CI 82–94%). The positive predictive values (PPVs) and the negative predictive values (NPVs) were 50% and 98%, respectively. XIAP/BIRC4 mutations were detected in 19/115 samples. XIAP expression was low in 18/19 (sensitivity 95%, CI 73–100%). Of the 96 samples with normal sequencing, 59 had normal XIAP expression (specificity 61%, CI 51–71%). The PPVs and NPVs were 33% and 98%, respectively. Receiver-operating characteristic analysis was able to improve the specificity to 75%. Conclusion: Clinical flow cytometric screening tests for SAP and XIAP deficiencies offer good sensitivity and specificity for detecting genetic mutations, and are characterized by high NPVs. We recommend these tests for patients suspected of having X-linked lymphoproliferative disease type 1 (XLP1) or XLP2. © 2014 International Clinical Cytometry Society

The original version of this article unfortunately contained mistakes in some of the author names and affiliations. The correct list of author names and affiliations is below, with the corrections in bold.

Background: Autoimmunity is a fundamental consequence of impaired tolerance checkpoints in patients with hypomorphic mutations in recombination activating genes (RAG1 and 2), the major player in V(D)J recombination of antigen receptors. We recently published a cohort of 63 patients with partial RAG deficiency with autoimmune and/or hyperinflammatory manifestations. Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) was most common, occurring in (60.3%) of patients at a median age of 1.9 years. The episodes of AIHA were often severe and refractory to first or second-line therapy. Despite the severity of early-onset disease, a large fraction of patients ware diagnosed later for an underlying genetic cause. This may be due to deceased awareness and lack of routine clinical biomarkers for underlying RAG deficiency. The natural course of AIHA episodes, diversity of antibodies targeting red blood cells (RBC) and the underlying mechanisms that promote AIHA remain elusive. Our previous study on RAG-deficient patients has revealed that autoreactive B cells are present early in B cell development, and autoantibodies are produced to a broad selection of self-antigens, including those on RBCs. A prevailing theory for the development of anti-RBC antibodies involves dysregulation of somatic hypermutation (SHM). There are specific regions of the immunoglobulin (Ig) that are naturally reactive to self-antigen in the germline state, and mutation away from self-reactivity occurs through SHM. On example is the germline Ig VH4-34 AVY segment that has been known to bind to the i/I antigen on RBCs. Increased awareness for detection and mechanistic understanding of the generation of anti-RBC antibodies are needed to promote targeted therapy in this highly vulnerable young patient population with AIHA and immune deficiency. Methods: Through retrospective chart review, we collected detailed information on the episodes of AIHA. This included clinical evidence of hemolysis, recurrence and severity of episodes, specifics on red blood cell reactivity, treatment and outcome. In addition, We performed B-cell repertoire studies to assess rate of SHM and "mutation away" from RBC reactivity. Results In our 42 patients with RAG deficiency and AIHA, we accumulated data on 20 patients. Many of the patients experienced the onset of AIHA after viral infections and often recurred (up to 8 times in lifetime). Most of the patients had warm AIHA with broad reactivity (direct, indirect, IgG, IgM, C3). In parallel, patients developed specific antibodies to cytokines targeting IFNa, IFNw and IL12. Second or third-line therapy was required in 50% of cases. One patient underwent HSCT due to severe refractory AIHA. The B-cell repertoire in selected RAG patients with AIHA contained more unmutated Ig VH4-34 segments (including the AVY segment), and demonstrate less evidence of SHM when compared to healthy donors. Conclusions Patients with partial RAG deficiency may develop severe, recurrent and treatment-refractory AIHA at early ages. Diagnosis may be expedited with increased awareness and serological evidence of broadly reactive antibodies to RBC and cytokines. Mechanistically, decreased SHM may promote the survival of naturally occurring antibodies to RBC. Studies should continue to advance understanding for targeted approach to serve as bridge therapy before HSCT is considered or indicated. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Lentivector mediated gene transfer into hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells and T cells has resulted in long-term stable integration of transgenes and significant clinical benefits in many diseases. We previously reported (De Ravin et al Sci Transl Med. 2016) early outcome data for 5 patients with X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency (X-SCID) enrolled in a first-in-human lentivector gene therapy clinical trial (NCT03315078) as salvage therapy for older children and young adults who had received prior haplo-identical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) as infants without chemotherapy-based conditioning. Lymphocyte-depleted haplo-identical stem cell transplant in X-SCID infants without conditioning generally results in only a T-cell engraftment that may also decline over time which, combined with B- and NK-cell dysfunction, may result in the progression of multi-system clinical problems (bronchiectasis, infections, gastrointestinal malabsorption, failure to grow, immune dysregulation). By 2016 three additional patients were treated and the cohort of 8 patients have now been followed for 3 to 7 years (Cohort A), where we observed gradual clinical benefit in the clearance of chronic norovirus and associated improved abdominal complaints, malabsorption, and growth and IgG production. Four patients were able to cease immunoglobulin replacement therapy. Despite these encouraging results, the relatively inefficient transduction of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) required large quantities of vector, and resulted in relatively low vector copy number in myeloid cells in some patients, with delayed immune cell recovery and persistent clinical disease especially in the last patient treated, P8. To address this, we developed a refined enhanced transduction (ET) procedure consisting of a single overnight transduction after 48hours pre-stimulation in cytokines (Stem cell factor, Thrombopoietin, Flt3-ligand; 100ng/mL) and incorporated transduction enhancers LentiBoost 1:100 and dimethyl prostaglandin 2 (dmPGE2; 1mM) and recently treat 6 patients, including re-treatment of P8 (Cohort B). Here we compared the early outcomes from Cohort B patients who received autologous CD34+ HSPCs processed with the enhanced transduction (ET) procedure. These patients (aged 12 to 36 yo) had significant problems with donor T cell infiltration of liver, bone marrow and kidneys, and near absent B and NK cells. Cryopreserved G-CSF/plerixafor mobilized peripheral blood CD34+ HSPCs (5x106/kg to 28x106/kg) were transduced by the ET process at 5% vector concentration, compared to previous method without transduction enhancers of two daily transductions at 20-30% final vector concentration, representing a 10-12 fold reduction in vector used. Colony forming unit assays showed 78%-92% versus 17%-58% vector-positive clones in Cohort B compared with Cohort A, with VCN of 1.5-12 copies (Cohort B), compared with 0.06 to 0.5 copies in Cohort A. At one month following infusion of gene corrected cell product, we isolated peripheral blood CD14+ myeloid cells as indication of early marrow output from engrafted HSPCs, and observed VCN of 1 to 4 copies (P9-12 and re-treat P8), a ≥10x increase from Cohort A (0.04 to 0.23) at same early time point after infusion (Fig 1). In addition to earlier clinical improvement (abdominal complaints, appetite, growth), there was also an early appearance of B and NK cells (Fig. 2) at much higher levels in Cohort B than previously observed even at years after treatment in Cohort A. In conclusion, we observed significantly improved measures of early clinical outcomes from lentivector gene therapy of older children and young adults with X-SCID using enhanced transduction procedure with addition of LentiBoost and dmPGE2, that achieves much greater transduction efficiencies with >10 fold less vector, and results in faster immune reconstitution and more significant clinical benefit by 3 months. The patients are monitored closely for potential risks from higher VCNs that may be balanced by reduced selection pressure due to the greater numbers of gene corrected clones. Figure Disclosures Puck: NIAID: Research Funding; Pfeizer: Other: spouse serves on Rare Disease Advisory Board; Invitae: Other: spouse employment. Cowan:bluebird bio: Consultancy; Homology Medicine: Equity Ownership, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; UpToDate: Honoraria; California Institute Of Regenerative Medicine: Research Funding; NIH NIAD: Research Funding; Rocket Pharma: Consultancy; Leadiant: Consultancy. Mamcarz:ASSISI Foundation of Memphis: Research Funding; MBIO: Other: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital has an existing exclusive license and ongoing partnership with Mustang Bio for the further clinical development and commercialization of this XSCID gene therapy; California Institute of Regenerative Medicine: Research Funding; NHLBI: Research Funding; UpToDate: Honoraria; American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities: Research Funding. Gottschalk:Patents and patent applications in the fields of T-cell & Gene therapy for cancer: Patents & Royalties; California Institute for Regenerative Medicine: Research Funding; NHLBI: Research Funding; America Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities: Research Funding; TESSA Therapeutics: Other: Research Collaboration; ViraCyte: Consultancy; MBIO: Other: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital has an existing exclusive license and ongoing partnership with Mustang Bio for the further clinical development and commercialization of this XSCID gene therapy; Sanofi: Honoraria; Tidal: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Merck: Consultancy; EMD Serono: Honoraria; ASSISI fundation of Memphis: Research Funding; Inmatics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Meagher:MBIO: Other: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital has an existing exclusive license and ongoing partnership with Mustang Bio for the further clinical development and commercialization of this XSCID gene therapy.

To the editor: Mutations in PRF1 , which encodes perforin, were discovered to cause familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (FHL) in 1999 and account for 20% to 50% of all FHL cases.[1][1][⇓][2][⇓][3][⇓][4][⇓][5]-[6][6] Flow cytometric detection of perforin in peripheral blood natural

Nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) is a key pathway for efficient repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) and V(D)J recombination. NHEJ defects in humans cause immunodeficiency and increased cellular sensitivity to ionizing irradiation (IR) and are variably associated with growth retardation, microcephaly, and neurodevelopmental delay. Repair of DNA DSBs is important for reprogramming of somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). To compare the specific contribution of DNA ligase 4 (LIG4), Artemis, and DNA-protein kinase catalytic subunit (PKcs) in this process and to gain insights into phenotypic variability associated with these disorders, we reprogrammed patient-derived fibroblast cell lines with NHEJ defects. Deficiencies of LIG4 and of DNA-PK catalytic activity, but not Artemis deficiency, were associated with markedly reduced reprogramming efficiency, which could be partially rescued by genetic complementation. Moreover, we identified increased genomic instability in LIG4-deficient iPSCs. Cell cycle synchronization revealed a severe defect of DNA repair and a G0/G1 cell cycle arrest, particularly in LIG4- and DNA-PK catalytically deficient iPSCs. Impaired myeloid differentiation was observed in LIG4-, but not Artemis- or DNA-PK-mutated iPSCs. These results indicate a critical importance of the NHEJ pathway for somatic cell reprogramming, with a major role for LIG4 and DNA-PKcs and a minor, if any, for Artemis.

Reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) improves the outcomes of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) in patients with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). Proximal (ie, close to graft infusion) dosing of alemtuzumab is associated with a high incidence of mixed chimerism, whereas distal (ie, distant from graft infusion) dosing is associated with less mixed chimerism but more acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). The alemtuzumab dose per kilogram of body weight also influences these outcomes. We hypothesized that an intermediate alemtuzumab dosing schedule would reduce mixed chimerism and maintain a low incidence of acute GVHD. In this study, 24 consecutive HCTs were performed in patients with HLH or a related disorder using a novel intermediate alemtuzumab schedule of 1 mg/kg starting on day -14. The cumulative incidences (CIs) of mixed chimerism, upfront acute GVHD grades II-IV, and receipt of additional hematopoietic cell products after HCT were compared in patients treated with a distal alemtuzumab schedule (n = 15) and those treated with a proximal alemtuzumab schedule (n = 33). All patients received fludarabine and melphalan. The CI of mixed chimerism was 31% in the intermediate group, 72% in the proximal group (P

Magnesium to the Rescue Individuals with X-linked immunodeficiency with Mg 2+ defect, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection, and neoplasia (XMEN) disease are genetically deficient for expression of MAGT1 , a magnesium transporter. Chaigne-Delalande et al. (p. 186 ) sought to better understand why these individuals are chronically infected with EBV at high viral loads and are susceptible to the development of lymphomas. CD8 + T cells and natural killer cells, which help to keep EBV infection in check, exhibited reduced cytotoxicity owing to their lower expression of the cell surface receptor NKG2D, which triggers cytolysis upon ligation. Magnesium supplementation in vitro and also in two XMEN patients restored levels of free Mg 2+ , increased NKG2D expression, and resulted in reduced amounts of EBV + cells, suggesting that this may be an effective therapeutic approach for XMEN patients.

International audience; X-linked recessive ectodermal dysplasia with immunodeficiency is a rare primary immunodeficiency caused by hypomorphic mutations of the gene encoding the nuclear factor κB essential modulator (NEMO) protein. This condition displays enormous allelic, immunological, and clinical heterogeneity, and therapeutic decisions are difficult because NEMO operates in both hematopoietic and nonhematopoietic cells. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is potentially life-saving, but the small number of case reports available suggests it has been reserved for only the most severe cases. Here, we report the health status before HSCT, transplantation outcome, and clinical follow-up for a series of 29 patients from unrelated kindreds from 11 countries. Between them, these patients carry 23 different hypomorphic mutations. HSCT was performed from HLA-identical related donors (n = 7), HLA-matched unrelated donors (n = 12), HLA-mismatched unrelated donors (n = 8), and HLA-haploidentical related donors (n = 2). Engraftment was documented in 24 patients, and graft-versus-host disease in 13 patients. Up to 7 patients died 0.2 to 12 months after HSCT. The global survival rate after HSCT among NEMO-deficient children was 74% at a median follow-up after HSCT of 57 months (range, 4-108 months). Preexisting mycobacterial infection and colitis were associated with poor HSCT outcome. The underlying mutation does not appear to have any influence, as patients with the same mutation had different outcomes. Transplantation did not appear to cure colitis, possibly as a result of cell-intrinsic disorders of the epithelial barrier. Overall, HSCT can cure most clinical features of patients with a variety of mutations.

Immune dysregulation, polyendocrinopathy, enteropathy, X-linked (IPEX) syndrome is caused by mutations in the FOXP3 gene. Patients usually present with a clinical triad of intractable diarrhea, diabetes, and eczema. In this patient, FOXP3 protein expression was normal, but FOXP3 Sanger sequencing confirmed the clinical suspicion of IPEX by detecting a previously unreported missense variant. Early recognition of IPEX is important, because hematopoietic stem cell transplantation can be curative.

Background Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a life-threatening hyperinflammatory syndrome that remains difficult to treat. Even with current standard HLH therapy, only approximately half of patients will experience complete resolution of disease, and early mortality remains a significant problem. Salvage therapies have been described only in limited case reports, and there are no large studies of second-line therapies.

Familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (FHL), is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by an impairment of cytotoxic cells and uncontrolled activation of macrophages. This study presents the first description of four patients with FHL type 2 in Latin America. Patient 1 fulfilled the disease diagnostic criteria since 2 months of age, whereas patients 2, 3 and 4 exhibited the typical manifestations of the disease only later in their childhood. The PRF1 genetic analysis in these patients revealed two previously reported mutations: L17fsx50 and R54C. Interestingly, seven out of the 8 alleles evaluated here in patients carried the haplotype R54C/A91V, suggesting that this is a highly frequent FHL type 2 allele in Colombia. This haplotype confers residual cytotoxic function leading to late onset disease. Therefore, this report highlights the remarkable complexity of FHL diagnostic, emphasizing the importance of the genetic characterization of the disease.

Fanconi anaemia is an autosomal recessive or X-linked disease characterized by progressive bone marrow failure, variable congenital abnormalities and a predisposition to malignancy. Reports of immune function in this population are limited, and include only specific areas of immune performance, showing variable defects. We report a cross-sectional immunological assessment in 10 children with FA. Absolute numbers of B cells and natural killer (NK) cells were reduced compared to controls (P = 0·048 and P = 0·0002, respectively), while absolute number of T cells were within normal range. Perforin and granzyme content of NK cells was reduced (P < 0·00001 and P = 0·0057, respectively) along with the NK cell cytotoxicity (P < 0·001). Antigen proliferation in response to tetanus was decreased (P = 0·008) while responses to candida and phytohaemagglutinin were not. Cytotoxic T cell function was also reduced (P < 0·0001). Immunoglobulin G levels were normal in those evaluated. Our series represents the first attempt at a comprehensive quantitative and functional evaluation of immune function in this rare group of patients and demonstrates a significant deficit in the NK cell compartment, a novel quantitative B cell defect, along with abnormal cytotoxic function. These findings may be especially relevant in this patient population with known predisposition to DNA damage and malignancy.