Frequency of Mycobacterium bovis and mycobacteria in primary immunodeficiencies.

AIM: Susceptibility to mycobacterial diseases is observed in some primary immunodeficiency diseases. In this study, we aimed to evaluate mycobacterial infections in primary immunodeficiency diseases. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients under follow-up by Ege University Pediatric Immunology Department for severe combined and combined immunodeficiencies, interleukin 12/ interferon gamma receptor deficiency, nuclear factor kappa-beta essential modulator deficiency and chronic granulomatosis disease were evaluated retrospectively in terms of the frequency and characteristics of mycobacterial infections using a questionnaire form for demographic properties, clinical features and laboratory tests. RESULTS: A diagnosis of mycobacterial infection was made clinically in a total of 25 patients including five (11.3%) of 45 patients who had severe combined immune deficiency, 12 (52.3%) of 21 patients who had chronic granulomatous disease, four patients (100%) who had interferon gamma receptor 2 partical deficiency, two patients (100%) who had interleukin 12 receptor beta 1 deficiency and one patient (100%) who had nuclear factor kapa-beta essential modulator deficiency. Mycobacterium strain could be typed in 14 (33%) of these 25 patients including Mycobacterium bovis, Mycobacterium chelonea, Mycobacterium elephantis, Mycobacterium fortuitum, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. All patients were treated with anti-tuberculosis therapy. Thirty-six percent of these 25 patients underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Eight patients (five before, three after transplantation) died. CONCLUSIONS: Non-tuberculosis mycobacteria including mainly Mycobacterium bovis were observed with a higher rate compared to Mycobacterium tuberculosis in primary immunodeficiencies, especially in those affecting the interleukin 12/interferon gamma pathway. Early diagnosis of primary immunodeficiencies with neonatal screening program and preventing administration of the Bacille Calmette-Guerin vaccine in these patients is important.

Early Diagnosis and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for IL10R Deficiency Leading to Very Early-Onset Inflammatory Bowel Disease Are Essential in Familial Cases.

Alterations of immune homeostasis in the gut may result in development of inflammatory bowel disease. A five-month-old girl was referred for recurrent respiratory and genitourinary tract infections, sepsis in neonatal period, chronic diarrhea, perianal abscess, rectovaginal fistula, and hyperemic skin lesions. She was born to second-degree consanguineous, healthy parents. Her elder siblings were lost at 4 months of age due to sepsis and 1 year of age due to inflammatory bowel disease, respectively. Absolute neutrophil and lymphocyte counts, immunoglobulin levels, and lymphocyte subsets were normal ruling out severe congenital neutropenia and classic severe combined immunodeficiencies. Quantitative determination of oxidative burst was normal, excluding chronic granulomatous disease. Colonoscopy revealed granulation, ulceration, and pseudopolyps, compatible with colitis. Very early-onset colitis and perianal disease leading to fistula formation suggested probability of inherited deficiencies of IL-10 or IL-10 receptor. A mutation at position c.G477A in exon of the IL10RB gene, resulting in a stop codon at position p.W159X, was identified. The patient underwent myeloablative hematopoietic stem cell transplantation from full matched father at 11 months of age. Perianal lesions, chronic diarrhea, and recurrent infections resolved after transplantation. IL-10/IL-10R deficiencies must be considered in patients with early-onset enterocolitis.

Recombinase Activating Gene 1 Deficiencies Without Omenn Syndrome May Also Present With Eosinophilia and Bone Marrow Fibrosis.

BACKGROUND: Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) syndromes are a heterogenous group of diseases characterized by impairment in both cellular and humoral immunity with a range of genetic disorders. Complete recombinase activating gene (RAG) deficiency is associated with classical T(-)B(-)NK(+) SCID which is the most common phenotype of Turkish SCID patients. There is a broad spectrum of hypomorfic RAG mutations including Omenn syndrome, leaky or atypical SCID with expansion of γδ T cells, autoimmunity and cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections. METHODS: Twenty-one (44%) patients had RAG1 deficiency of all 44 SCID patients followed up by pediatric immunology department. A retrospective analysis was conducted on the medical records of all SCID patients with RAG1 deficiency. RESULTS: Eight patients were classified as T(-)B(-)NK(+) SCID, five patients as T(+)B(-)NK(+) SCID (three of these were Omenn phenotype), and eight patients as T(+)B(+)NK(+) SCID phenotype. Mean age of the whole study group, mean age at onset of symptoms and mean age at diagnosis were 87.7 ± 73.8 (12 - 256), 4.4 ± 8.2 (1 - 36) and 29.1 ± 56.8 (1 - 244) months, respectively. Consanguinity was present in 11 (52%) of 21 patients. Autoimmunity was found in six patients (28%). Ten patients (47%) had CMV infection, four (19%) had Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infections and three (14%) had Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) infections. Seven patients who had refractory cytopenia (two pancytopenia and five bicytopenia) underwent bone marrow biopsy, three of whom had bone marrow fibrosis. Future evaluations must be considered about bone marrow fibrosis in RAG1 deficiency patients. Eosinophilia was observed in 10 patients, seven of whom did not have Omenn phenotype. CONCLUSION: Non-Omenn phenotype RAG1 deficiencies can also present with eosinophilia. This report is presented to emphasize that RAG1 mutations may lead to diverse clinical phenotypes.

An unusual manifestation: Papillary thyroid carcinoma in a patient with ataxia-telengiectasia.

Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) is a rare autosomal recessive, multisystem, neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by oculocutaneous telangiectasias, variable immunodeficiency and progressive neurological impairment. Definitive diagnosis is made by revealing a disease causing mutation on ATM gene. Missense mutations and polymorphisms of ATM gene can play a role in the development of thyroid papillary carcinoma. A 13-year-old Turkish girl was diagnosed with ataxia telengiectasia at the age of 8 years. When she was 12 years old, multi-nodular goiter was detected by physical examination and ultrasonography. She underwent thyroidectomy and histopathologic investigation revealed a papillary carcinoma with follicular variant. The patient received post-operative radioiodine therapy as well as L-thyroxine treatment because she had residual lesions. Up until now, she is the first Turkish child wit A-T and thyroid carcinoma described in the literature.

[Rifampicin-resistant Mycobacterium bovis BCG strain isolated from an infant with NEMO mutation]. / NEMO mutasyonlu bir bebekten izole edilen rifampisine dirençli Mycobacterium bovis BCG susu.

It is well known that disseminated Mycobacterium bovis BCG infection is developed after BCG vaccination in infants with congenital cellular immune deficiencies such as mutations in genes along the interleukin (IL)-12/interferon (IFN)-γ pathway and mutations in nuclear factor-kB essential modulator (NEMO). In this report, a rifampicin-resistant M.bovis BCG strain isolated from an infant with NEMO defect was presented. An 8-month-old male infant with NEMO defect admitted to the pediatric outpatient clinic of our hospital with fever, generalized lymphadenopathy and hepatosplenomegaly. Microscopic examination of the smears prepared from lymph node and liver biopsy specimens revealed abundant amount (3+) of acid-fast bacilli (AFB). Rifampicin-susceptible Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC) was detected by real-time PCR (GeneXpert MTB/RIF; Cepheid, USA) in the samples. The growth of mycobacteria was determined on the 20th day of culture performed in MGIT960 system (Becton Dickinson, USA). The isolate was identified as M.bovis BCG by GenoType MTBC kit (Hain Lifescience, Germany) and defined as M.bovis BCG [SIT 482 (BOV_1)] by spoligotyping. In the primary anti-tuberculosis drug susceptibility test performed by MGIT960 system, the isolate was found susceptible to rifampicin (RIF), isoniazid (INH), streptomycin (STM) and ethambutol (EMB). Then anti-tuberculosis treatment was started to the patient. However, the patient at the age of 2 years, re-admitted to the hospital with the complaint of hepatosplenomegaly. Smear of spontaneously draining abscess material obtained from subcutaneous nodules revealed intensive AFB positivity (3+) once again. In the present instance RIF-resistant MTC was detected with GeneXpert system in the specimen. The growth of mycobacteria was determined on the 13th day of culture and isolate was identified as M.bovis BCG. The present isolate was found susceptible to INH, STM and EMB but resistant to RIF. A mutation in the rpoB gene (codon 531, S531L) associated with RIF resistance was detected by using the partial sequencing of the rpoB gene. Patient died due to disseminated bovis BCG infection and multiple organ failure. To our knowledge, there are only six RIF-resistant M.bovis BCG strains isolated from patients in the literature. However, this is the first RIF-resistant M.bovis BCG strain isolated from a NEMO-deficient patient.

Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist deficiency with a novel mutation; late onset and successful treatment with canakinumab: a case report.

INTRODUCTION: Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist deficiency is a rare autoinflammatory disease involving neonatal onset of pustulosis, periostitis, and sterile osteomyelitis. The underlying genetic abnormality involves a recessive mutation in IL1RN, which encodes interleukin-1 receptor antagonist. In this case report, we describe a case of a 12-year-old Turkish girl who initially was presented at 1 year of age, older than previously reported children with interleukin-1 receptor antagonist deficiency, and with a novel mutation, p.R26X, in ILR1N. CASE PRESENTATION: Our patient developed pustular cutaneous lesions at 1 year of age. At the age of 12 years, she was hospitalized for arthralgia of her knees, elbows, and ankles and arthritis of the left knee, with simultaneous pustular cutaneous lesions. She was admitted to the intensive care unit because of septicemia and respiratory insufficiency during follow-up. A skin biopsy of hyperpigmented lesions demonstrated neutrophil infiltration in the epidermis and subepidermal pustular dermatosis. Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist deficiency was suspected, and genetic analysis revealed a homozygous mutation (p.R26X) in IL1RN, which led to a diagnosis of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist deficiency. Treatment with canakinumab (recombinant human anti-human interleukin-1ß monoclonal antibody) 150 mg subcutaneously once every 6 weeks was initiated. Our patient did not experience further cutaneous lesions or arthritis. Her post-treatment inflammatory markers were normal; she gained weight; and she was able to walk independently. CONCLUSIONS: In this case report, we describe a patient with interleukin-1 receptor antagonist deficiency who responded excellently to canakinumab treatment. We believe more awareness is warranted for interleukin-1 receptor antagonist deficiency in children. It is possible that the mutation in our patient was a founder mutation that may lead to diagnosis of additional cases in Turkey.