How I manage inpatient consultations for quantitative neutrophil abnormalities in adults.

Neutrophilia and neutropenia commonly lead to inpatient hematology consultation. Quantitative neutrophil abnormalities have a broad differential and include diagnoses that are important to recognize because they may be associated with increased mortality. Neutrophilia can reflect etiologies such as infection, medications, inflammation, splenectomy, and congenital disorders. Neutropenia can arise from infection, medications, autoimmune destruction, sequestration, nutritional deficiency, malignancy, and congenital neutropenia syndromes. In the evaluation of all abnormalities of neutrophil number, the timing of the change, and the patient's historical neutrophil count are crucial.

Defective neutrophil development and specific granule deficiency caused by a homozygous splice-site mutation in SMARCD2.

BACKGROUND: SMARCD2 (SWI/SNF-related, matrix-associated, actin-dependent regulator of chromatin, subfamily D, member 2) has recently been shown to have a critical role in granulopoiesis in humans, mice, and zebrafish. Our patient presented with delayed cord separation, failure to thrive, and sepsis. Retrospective whole-exome sequencing confirmed a homozygous splice-site mutation in SMARCD2. OBJECTIVE: We sought to provide the second description of human SMARCD2 deficiency and the first functional analysis of human primary SMARCD2-deficient cells. METHODS: Heparinized venous blood and bone marrow were collected from the patient after obtaining informed consent. Patient leukocytes and CD34+ cells were then isolated, phenotyped, and assessed functionally. RESULTS: Circulating neutrophils appeared phenotypically immature, lacking multilobed nuclei, and neutrophil granules lacked lactoferrin but showed normal levels of myeloperoxidase. Neutrophil oxidative burst was preserved in response to phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate. Patient bone marrow-derived neutrophils and white blood cells showed a severely impaired chemotactic response. Furthermore, white blood cells showed defective in vitro killing of Staphylococcus aureus, consistent with a specific granule deficiency. Finally, patient bone marrow-derived CD34+ cells showed markedly impaired in vitro expansion and differentiation toward the neutrophil lineage. Before her molecular diagnosis, our patient underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and is well 8 years later. CONCLUSIONS: This report highlights an important role for SMARCD2 in human myelopoiesis and the curative effect of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for the hematopoietic features of SMARCD2 deficiency.

Age-specific characteristics of neutrophilic dermatoses and neutrophilic diseases in children.

BACKGROUND: Our suggested 'modern' concepts of 'neutrophilic dermatoses' (ND) and 'neutrophilic disease' were based on observations in adult patients and have not been studied in paediatric patients. Only a minority of ND occurs in children, and little is known about age-specific characteristics. OBJECTIVES: To describe age-specific characteristics of ND in children and to study whether our suggested 'modern' classification of ND may be applied to children. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective multicentre study in a French cohort of 27 paediatric patients diagnosed with pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) or Sweet's syndrome (SS). RESULTS: Demographics and distribution of typical/atypical forms were similar in patients diagnosed with PG and SS. Atypical ND were more frequent in infants (90%), when compared to young children (60%) and adolescents (33%). Neutrophilic disease was observed in 17/27 patients and was most frequent in infants. Neutrophilic disease of the upper respiratory tract, as well as cardiac neutrophilic disease, was only observed in infants, whereas other locations were similarly found in infants, young children and adolescents. In infants and young children, ND were associated with a large spectrum of general diseases, whereas in adolescents associations were limited to inflammatory bowel disease and Behçet's disease. CONCLUSIONS: Our study describes the concept of ND in paediatric patients and shows that they have some characteristics different from ND occurring in adults. ND occurring in infants can be associated with a large spectrum of general diseases. Occurrence of neutrophilic disease is frequent in children. Thus, ND occurring in young paediatric patients should incite clinicians to schedule complementary explorations in order to search for involvement of other organs and to rule out monogenetic autoinflammatory syndromes.

Flushing Disorders Associated with Gastrointestinal Symptoms: Part 1, Neuroendocrine Tumors, Mast Cell Disorders and Hyperbasophila.

Flushing is the subjective sensation of warmth accompanied by visible cutaneous erythema occurring throughout the body with a predilection for the face, neck, pinnae, and upper trunk where the skin is thinnest and cutaneous vessels are superficially located and in greatest numbers. Flushing can be present in either a wet or dry form depending upon whether neural-mediated mechanisms are involved. Activation of the sympathetic nervous system results in wet flushing, accompanied by diaphoresis, due to concomitant stimulation of eccrine sweat glands. Wet flushing is caused by certain medications, panic disorder and paroxysmal extreme pain disorder (PEPD). Vasodilator mediated flushing due to the formation and release of a variety of biogenic amines, neuropeptides and phospholipid mediators such as histamine, serotonin and prostaglandins, respectively, typically presents as dry flushing where sweating is characteristically absent. Flushing occurring with neuroendocrine tumors accompanied by gastrointestinal symptoms is generally of the dry flushing variant, which may be an important clinical clue to the differential diagnosis. A number of primary diseases of the gastrointestinal tract cause flushing, and conversely extra-intestinal conditions are associated with flushing and gastrointestinal symptoms. Gastrointestinal findings vary and include one or more of the following non-specific symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation. The purpose of this review is to provide a focused comprehensive discussion on the presentation, pathophysiology, diagnostic evaluation and management of those diseases that arise from the gastrointestinal tract or other site that may cause gastrointestinal symptoms secondarily accompanied by flushing. This review is divided into two parts given the scope of conditions that cause flushing and affect the gastrointestinal tract: Part 1 covers neuroendocrine tumors (carcinoid, pheochromocytomas, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, medullary carcinoma of the thyroid), polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, monoclonal protein, skin changes (POEMS), and conditions involving mast cells and basophils; while Part 2 covers dumping syndrome, mesenteric traction syndrome, rosacea, hyperthyroidism and thyroid storm, anaphylaxis, panic disorders, paroxysmal extreme pain disorder, and food, alcohol and medications.

Role of the Leucine Zipper Domain of CCAAT/ Enhancer Binding Protein-Epsilon (C/EBPε) in Neutrophil-Specific Granule Deficiency.

Neutrophil-specific granule deficiency (SGD) is a rare autosomal recessive primary immunodeficiency characterized by bilobed neutrophil nuclei and lack of neutrophil-specific granule proteins such as lactoferrin. A deficiency of a myeloid-specific transcription factor, CCAAT/enhancer binding protein-epsilon (C/EBPε), has been identified as a cause of SGD. C/EBPε binds to DNA though its basic leucine zipper (bZIP) domain, and regulates terminal differentiation of neutrophils and expression of specific granule genes. Homozygous frameshift mutations resulting in loss of the bZIP domain have been reported in two patients with SGD. A recent observation showed that a homozygous 2-aa deletion in the bZIP domain with normal DNA-binding and dimerization abilities causes SGD by impairing protein-protein interactions with other transcription factors, indicating that multiple molecular mechanisms can lead to SGD. Studies of patient-derived mutations and analysis of C/EBPε knockout mice have shown the importance of the bZIP domain for the essential functions of C/EBPε.

Eosinopenia as a Predictive Factor of the Short-Term Risk of Mortality and Infection after Acute Cerebral Infarction.

BACKGROUND: Eosinopenia has been shown to be a prognostic factor in bacteremia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and myocardial infarction, but studies focusing on cerebral infarction are lacking. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of 405 patients admitted to the Asahi General Hospital from June 2011 to September 2014 with a diagnosis of cerebral infarction within 24 hours after symptom onset. Differences in mortality, mortality associated with infection, and the prevalence of infection within 2 months of hospital admission were assessed between patients with and without eosinopenia at presentation. RESULTS: Patients with eosinopenia had a significantly higher mortality rate (hazard ratio (HR) 2.54, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.17-5.21, P = .01), mortality associated with infection (HR 28.7, 95% CI 4.9-542.2, P <.0001), and an increased prevalence of infection (HR 1.83, 95% CI 1.12-2.89, P = .01) than patients without eosinopenia. Patients with neutrophilia and eosinopenia showed a significantly higher mortality rate than patients without neutrophilia (HR 3.15, 95% CI 1.40-6.92, P = .007), whereas patients with neutrophilia without eosinopenia showed no significant difference in mortality compared with patients without neutrophilia (HR 1.57, 95% CI .56-3.93, P = .37). Eosinopenia was a significant risk factor in 2-month mortality rate in multivariate analyses (HR 2.34, 95% CI 1.05-4.95, P = .04). CONCLUSIONS: Eosinopenia is a novel predictive factor for complications after acute cerebral infarction. Stroke patients with eosinopenia should be monitored carefully for infection.

A case of refractory chronic neutrophilic pustular folliculitis treated with adalimumab.

Neutrophilic folliculitis is an often overlooked chronic condition characterized by a monomorphic eruption of "sterile" papulopustules. Neutrophilic folliculitis is often refractory to conventional treatment with topical and systemic antibiotics or isotretinoin. We report a case of severe pustular neutrophilic folliculitis successfully treated with the tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitor adalimumab.

[Neutrophil disorders: diagnosis and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation].

Neutrophil disorders are classified into abnormal neutrophil function and granulopoiesis. The identification of genetic defects causing neutropenia and neutrophil dysfunction has revealed the mechanisms controlling myeloid differentiation and their functions. The International Union of Immunological Societies of Primary Immunodeficiencies represents the most current catalog of approximately 30 neutrophil disorders. In this report, we show the progress made in studies of the pathophysiology and treatment of these disorders, focusing on chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) and severe congenital neutropenia (SCN). Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is the only available curative therapy for CGD and SCN. However, the use of HSCT as treatment for both diseases is limited by transplant-related mortality (TRM) because of active infections and intractable inflammatory complications. Recently, reduced-intensity conditioning regimens have been introduced to minimize the TRM and the late adverse effects of HSCT for both diseases. The results of HSCT using the RIC regimen for 40 patients with CGD and SCN in Hiroshima University Hospital are summarized herein. Determining the optimal line of treatment will require further accumulation to cases to refine HSCT for both diseases.

Lessons learned from phagocytic function studies in a large cohort of patients with recurrent infections.

BACKGROUND: There is a paucity of data on the relationship between demographic characteristics, specific clinical manifestations, and neutrophil dysfunction, guiding physicians to decide which clinical signs and symptoms are a code for an underlying phagocytic disorder. METHODS: The data over a 21-year period of all adult and pediatric patients referred to our Laboratory for Leukocyte Functions with recurrent pyogenic infections were analyzed. Neutrophil function studies included chemotaxis, superoxide production (SOP), bactericidal activity (BA), and specific studies in case of suspected primary phagocytic disorder (PPD). RESULTS: Neutrophil dysfunction was found in 33.6% of 998 patients; chemotaxis in 16.6%, SOP in 6%, and BA in 24.5%. The younger the patient and the more organ systems involved, the greater the probability of finding phagocytic impairment. Impaired chemotaxis correlated with recurrent aphthous stomatitis, infections associated with elevated IgE, and purulent upper respiratory tract infections. Impaired SOP and BA correlated with deep-seated abscesses, recurrent lymphadenitis, sepsis, and bone and joint and central nervous system infections. PPDs were identified in 5.7%, chronic granulomatous disease in 4.8%, neutrophil glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency in 0.3%, leukocyte adhesion deficiency type 1 in 0.4%, and myeloperoxidase deficiency in 0.2%. Phagocytic evaluation contributed to the diagnosis of hyperimmunoglobulin-E syndrome (n = 21) and Chediak-Higashi syndrome (n = 3). CONCLUSIONS: PPDs are identified in 5.7% of patients with recurrent pyogenic infections; in the remainder, phagocytic dysfunction may be related to deleterious effects of persistent infection, drug consumption, or disorders not yet established.

Predictive factors for response to treatment in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma.

INTRODUCTION: The analysis of predictive factors of response may aid in predicting which patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) would be good candidates for systemic treatments. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The expression of several biomarkers was retrospectively analyzed using immunohistochemistry (IHC), as well as 2 analytical variables in 135 patients with advanced RCC treated with cytokines (CK) and/or new targeted drugs (NTD). RESULTS: 67 patients were treated solely with NTD and 68 with CK (23 also received NTD). Univariate analysis: HIF1α did not correlate significantly with response to these drugs. Overexpression of CAIX was associated with more responses (%) to NTD (64.7 vs. 21.1; p = 0.004) and CK (22.6 vs. 0; p = 0.038). PTEN demonstrated predictive value of response to sunitinib (70.8 vs. 34.1; p = 0.005). p21 was associated with a lower response to sunitinib (35.9 vs. 65.4; p = 0.025). Thrombocytosis was not significantly associated with response to NTD, although it was with CK (0 vs. 20; p = 0.017). Neutrophilia correlated with a lower response to NTD (29.6 vs. 57.5; p = 0.045), although not with CK. Multivariate analysis: Overexpression of CAIX was an independent predictor of significantly higher response to NTD and CK; OR = 8.773 (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight the usefulness of CAIX in selecting patients with advanced RCC as candidates for systemic treatment. PTEN and p21 may be important in predicting response to sunitinib. Thrombocytosis and neutrophilia correlate well with response to CK and NTD, respectively.

Spontaneous resolution of hypereosinophilic syndrome in an infant without treatment.

We report on a 4-month-old boy with hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) and spontaneous progressive resolution without treatment. Differential diagnosis excluded myeloproliferative, lymphocytic, familiar, associated, and overlap HES. The final diagnosis was undefined HES. Repeated measurements of blood eosinophil counts, monitoring of clonal T cells, and observation of skin lesions and organ involvement were carefully performed as an outpatient.

Specific Granule Deficiency Due To Novel Homozygote SMARCD2 Variant.

Background: Specific granule deficiency (SGD) is a rare immunodeficiency associated with CCAT/enhancer-binding protein epsilon (CEBPE) gene variants. It can cause severe recurrent infections and is lethal without successful stem cell transplantation. Few cases with SGD of both type 1 and type 2 have been described in the literature. In this study, we present the first report of a case with a novel homozygous c.511 C > T (p.Gln171Ter) mutation in the SMARCD2 gene of SGD type 2, which was successfully treated with bone marrow transplantation. Case: A male infant presented to our neonatal intensive care unit on the second day of life with an icteric appearance and mild hypotonia. He was evaluated for immunodeficiency as the cause of delayed cord separation and refractory neutropenia. At 6 weeks of age, SGD type 2 with a new variant was diagnosed and successfully treated by bone marrow transplantation. Conclusion: SGD is an immunodeficiency disease that is quite rare. However, we believe that SGD diagnosis and associated new variants can be detected more frequently with the widespread use of all whole-exome sequencing techniques.

Atypical lymphocytes in the peripheral blood of COVID-19 patients: A prognostic factor for the clinical course of COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Clinical observations have shown that there is a relationship between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and atypical lymphocytes in the peripheral blood; however, knowledge about the time course of the changes in atypical lymphocytes and the association with the clinical course of COVID-19 is limited. OBJECTIVE: Our purposes were to investigate the dynamics of atypical lymphocytes in COVID-19 patients and to estimate their clinical significance for diagnosis and monitoring disease course. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively identified 98 inpatients in a general ward at Kashiwa Municipal Hospital from May 1st, 2020, to October 31st, 2020. We extracted data on patient demographics, symptoms, comorbidities, blood test results, radiographic findings, treatment after admission and clinical course. We compared clinical findings between patients with and without atypical lymphocytes, investigated the behavior of atypical lymphocytes throughout the clinical course of COVID-19, and determined the relationships among the development of pneumonia, the use of supplemental oxygen and the presence of atypical lymphocytes. RESULTS: Patients with atypical lymphocytes had a significantly higher prevalence of pneumonia (80.4% vs. 42.6%, p < 0.0001) and the use of supplemental oxygen (25.5% vs. 4.3%, p = 0.0042). The median time to the appearance of atypical lymphocytes after disease onset was eight days, and atypical lymphocytes were observed in 16/98 (16.3%) patients at the first visit. Atypical lymphocytes appeared after the confirmation of lung infiltrates in 31/41 (75.6%) patients. Of the 13 oxygen-treated patients with atypical lymphocytes, approximately two-thirds had a stable or improved clinical course after the appearance of atypical lymphocytes. CONCLUSION: Atypical lymphocytes frequently appeared in the peripheral blood of COVID-19 patients one week after disease onset. Patients with atypical lymphocytes were more likely to have pneumonia and to need supplemental oxygen; however, two-thirds of them showed clinical improvement after the appearance of atypical lymphocytes.

Leukocyte-Related Disorders: A Review for the Pediatrician.

Leukocytes, or white blood cells, are part of the innate immune system that defends against infectious and foreign agents. In pediatrics, it is important to use age-specific laboratory values when interpreting results. Infections are the most common cause of leukocytosis or leukopenia in children. Symptoms suggestive of more serious etiologies include persistent fevers, weight loss, bruising, fatigue, and adenopathy. Neutropenia is of special importance in pediatrics due to associations of severe neutropenia with genetic syndromes and overlapping presentations with primary immunodeficiencies. Although the discovery of novel genetic mutations has aided the hematologist/oncologist and the immunologist in managing these conditions, the relationship between clinical phenotype and mutation is still not well known. [Pediatr Ann. 2020;49(1):e17-e26.].

Neutrophil Defects and Diagnosis Disorders of Neutrophil Function: An Overview.

Primary disorders of neutrophil function result from impairment in neutrophil responses that are critical for host defense. This chapter summarizes inherited disorders of neutrophils that cause defects in neutrophil adhesion, migration, and oxidative killing. These include the leukocyte adhesion deficiencies, actin defects and other disorders of chemotaxis, hyperimmunoglobulin E syndrome, Chédiak-Higashi Syndrome, neutrophil specific granule deficiency, chronic granulomatous disease, and myeloperoxidase deficiency. Diagnostic tests and treatment approaches are also summarized for each neutrophil disorder.