BCG Moreau Vaccine Safety Profile and NK Cells-Double Protection Against Disseminated BCG Infection in Retrospective Study of BCG Vaccination in 52 Polish Children with Severe Combined Immunodeficiency.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to estimate the rate of adverse reactions to live BCG Moreau vaccine, manufactured by Biomed in Poland, in severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) patients. MATERIAL: The profiles of 52 SCID patients vaccinated at birth with BCG, hospitalized in Children's Memorial Health Institute, Warsaw (CMHI), in the years 1980-2015 were compared with those of 349 BCG-vaccinated SCID patients from other countries analyzed by Beatriz E. Marciano et al. in a retrospective study (Marciano et al. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2014;133(4):1134-1141). RESULTS: Significantly less disseminated BCG infections (10 out of 52 SCID, 19%) occurred in comparison with Marciano study-119 out of 349, 34% (p = 0.0028), with no death in patients treated with SCID anti-TB drug, except one in lethal condition. In our study, disseminated BCG infection was observed only in SCID with T-B+NK- phenotype and significantly lower NK cell counts (p = 0.0161). NK cells do not influence on the frequency of local BCG reaction. A significantly higher number of hematopoietic stem cells transplantations (HSCT) were performed in CMHI study (p = 0.0001). Anti-TB treatment with at least two medicines was provided. CONCLUSION: The BCG Moreau vaccine produced in Poland, with well-documented genetic characteristics, seems to be safer than other BCG substrains used in other regions of the world. Importantly, NK cells seem to play a role in protecting SCID patients against disseminated BCG complications, which NK- SCID patients are more prone to. HSCT and TB therapy could be relevant due to the patients' survival and the fact that they protect against BCG infection.

Eosinophilic cystitis and cholangitis - systemic disease triggered by mycobacterium tuberculosis?

Eosinophilic cystitis (EC) is a rare inflammatory disorder of the urinary tract characterized by infiltration of bladder with eosinophils. The cause remains unclear, immunological mechanisms have been implicated in pathogenesis. Potential etiological factors include: tumors, allergy, parasitic infections, trauma. The disease may have a variable course, from a mild self-limiting, through common symptoms like: dysuria, hematuria, abdominal pain, tumor, to severe renal failure, with eosinophilic infiltration of the other organs and systemic complications. Treatment depending on disease severity and etiology is pharmacological and/or surgical. Here we report a case of a previously healthy 16-year old girl with inflammatory tumor in the liver hilum infiltrating extrahepatic biliary tract who developed three months later haematuria with acute dysuric signs and renal failure. Based on histopathological findings diagnosis of eosinophilic cystitis was established. Tests for Mycobacterium tuberculosis were positive. To our knowledge, EC association with cholangitis and tuberculosis have never been reported before.

Eosinophilic cystitis and cholangitis - systemic disease triggered by mycobacterium tuberculosis?

Eosinophilic cystitis (EC) is a rare inflammatory disorder of the urinary tract characterized by infiltration of bladder with eosinophils. The cause remains unclear, immunological mechanisms have been implicated in pathogenesis. Potential etiological factors include: tumors, allergy, parasitic infections, trauma. The disease may have a variable course, from a mild self-limiting, through common symptoms like: dysuria, hematuria, abdominal pain, tumor, to severe renal failure, with eosinophilic infiltration of the other organs and systemic complications. Treatment depending on disease severity and etiology is pharmacological and/or surgical. Here we report a case of a previously healthy 16-year old girl with inflammatory tumor in the liver hilum infiltrating extrahepatic biliary tract who developed three months later haematuria with acute dysuric signs and renal failure. Based on histopathological findings diagnosis of eosinophilic cystitis was established. Tests for Mycobacterium tuberculosis were positive. To our knowledge, EC association with cholangitis and tuberculosis have never been reported before.

Cerebrospinal fluid eosinophilia in a child with neuroborreliosis.

Cerebrospinal fluid eosinophilia is rare and usually associated with eosinophilic meningitis caused by helminthic infections. It is also observed in bacterial or fungal meningitis (syphilis, tuberculosis, coccidioidomycosis), in patients with malignancies, ventriculoperitonial shunts, hypereosinophilic syndrome or allergy to some medications. Here we present a case of an 8-year-old boy admitted with fever and clinical signs of meningitis. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis showed marked eosinophilia. Basing on further serological CSF testing the diagnosis of borreliosis was established. Cerebrospinal fluid eosinophilia in Borrelia burgdorferi infection has never been reported before.

[Secondary hemophagocytic syndromes]. / Wtórne zespoly hemofagocytarne--aktualny problem interdyscyplinarny.

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a life-threatening extreme whole body inflammatory state. It results from the pathological hyperactivation of the immune system, because of congenital or acquired abnormalities of cytotoxicity and NK or T cells. Uncontrolled stimulation of lymphocytes and macrophages lead to hypercytokinemia, organ infiltration by these cells and multiple organ failure. There are genetic HLH and secondary HLH, associated with infections, autoimmune disorders, malignancies. The frequency of the secondary form is difficult to estimate because of the wrong and difficult diagosis. The clinical course is often insidious and nonspecific. Symptoms are varied. The most important are: unremitting fever, hepatosplenomegaly. Generalized edema, rash, lymphadenopathy may occur. Liver failure, respiratory, circulatory and multiple organ failure could develop in a very short time. Most common abnormalities in additional tests are: cytopenias, hypofibrinogenaemia, hypertriglyceridaemia, hyperferritinaemia, hypertransaminasaemia, elevated parameters of inflammation (excepting lowering erythrocyte sedimentaion rate). Criteria for diagnosis and therapeutic protocols referto the genetic forms of HLH. Currently, there are no guidelines for secondary HLH. Diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties also arise from clinical picture, similar as in the systemic inflammatory response syndrome, sepsis, multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. We present the clinical presentation, diagnostic pitfalls and treatment of secondary HLH, based on a review of the current literature and our own observations.

Lipoid pneumonia--a case of refractory pneumonia in a child treated with ketogenic diet.

Lipoid pneumonia (LP) is a chronic inflammation of the lung parenchyma with interstitial involvement due to the accumulation of endogenous or exogenous lipids. Exogenous LP (ELP) is associated with the aspiration or inhalation of oil present in food, oil-based medications or radiographic contrast media. The clinical manifestations of LP range from asymptomatic cases to severe pulmonary involvement, with respiratory failure and death, according to the quantity and duration of the aspiration. The diagnosis of exogenous lipoid pneumonia is based on a history of exposure to oil and the presence of lipid-laden macrophages on sputum or bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) analysis. High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) is the imaging technique of choice for evaluation of patients with suspected LP. The best therapeutic strategy is to remove the oil as early as possible through bronchoscopy with multiple BALs and interruption in the use of mineral oil. Steroid therapy remains controversial, and should be reserved for severe cases. We describe a case of LP due to oil aspiration in 3-year-old girl with intractable epilepsy on ketogenic diet. Diagnostic problems were due to non-specific symptoms that were mimicking serious infectious pneumonia. A high index of suspicion and precise medical history is required in cases of refractory pneumonia and fever unresponsive to conventional therapy. Gastroesophageal reflux and a risk of aspiration may be regarded as relative contraindications to the ketogenic diet. Conservative treatment, based on the use of oral steroids, proved to be an efficient therapeutic approach in this case.

Clinical characteristics of Kawasaki disease in Polish children: A retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Kawasaki disease (KD), an acute, generalized vasculitis, is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease and is the most common cause of acquired heart disease in childhood. The incidence of KD is increasing worldwide. AIMS: Our study aims to analyze KD's clinical course in children and to evaluate risk factors for persistent changes in coronary vessels after 6-8 weeks of treatment. METHODS: The retrospective analysis included patients with KD hospitalized in a single tertiary carehospital. The diagnosis, as well as treatment, were based on the current worldwide treatment standards. The clinical course, selected laboratory parameters, the treatment effect, and following cardiac complications were analyzed in different age groups. RESULTS: In the years 2006-2019, 140 patients aged from two months to 16 years: 52 girls and 88 boys, were diagnosed with KD. Coronary artery aneurysms (CAA) at weeks 6-8 of disease were found in 16% of patients. Boys and infants were more likely to develop aneurysms at weeks 6-8 of the disease (P = 0.045; P = 0.03; respectively). The CAA frequency was related to the atypical course (P = 0.02), late diagnosis (P = 0.04), presence of changes in the coronary arteries at the time of diag nosis (P<0.001), immunoglobulin resistance (P = 0.002), a lower hemoglobin concentraction (P<0.001), and a higher platelet count (P = 0.02). There were 28% of patients resistant to first-line time treatment. In this group, we found CAA in 31% of children. CONCLUSIONS: We found that late diagnosis, low hemoglobin level, high platelet count, CAA presence at diagnosis, atypical course of KD, and resistance to intravenous immunoglobulins are predictors of CAA after 6-8 weeks in KD patients.

BCG Moreau Polish Substrain Infections in Patients With Inborn Errors of Immunity: 40 Years of Experience in the Department of Immunology, Children's Memorial Health Institute, Warsaw.

Objective: We aimed to assess BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guérin) complications in patients with Inborn Errors of Immunity (IEI), according to the inherited disorders and associated immunological defects, as well as the different BCG substrains. Material: We studied adverse reactions to the locally-produced BCG Moreau vaccine, analyzed in patients with IEI diagnosed between 1980 and 2020 in the Department of Immunology, Children's Memorial Health Institute (CMHI), Warsaw. These results were compared with previously published studies. Results: Significantly fewer disseminated BCG infections (BCGosis) were found in 11 of 72 (15%) SCID (Severe Combined Immunodeficiency) NK (Natural Killer)-phenotype patients, when compared with the 119 out of 349 (34%) (p = 0.0012) patients with SCID with BCG in other countries. Significantly fewer deaths caused by BCGosis were observed (p = 0.0402). A significantly higher number of hematopoietic stem cell transplantations (HSCTs) were performed in the CMHI study (p = 0.00001). BCGosis was found in six patients with Mendelian susceptibility to mycobacterial diseases (MSMD). Other patients with IEI prone to BCG complications, such as CGD (Chronic Granulomatous Disease), showed no case of BCGosis. Conclusion: The BCG Moreau substrain vaccine, produced in Poland since 1955, showed genetic differences with its parental Brazilian substrain together with a superior clinical safety profile in comparison with the other BCG substrains, with no BCGosis in patients with IEI other than SCID and MSMD. Our data also confirmed significantly fewer cases of BCGosis and deaths caused by BCG infection in patients with SCID with this vaccine substrain. Finally, they confirmed the protecting role of NK cells, probably via their production of IFN-γ.

Association Between rs12037447, rs146732504, rs151078858, rs55723436, and rs6094136 Polymorphisms and Kawasaki Disease in the Population of Polish Children.

Background: Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute self-limited febrile vasculitis that mainly affects young children. Coronary artery involvement is the most serious complication in children with KD. It is currently the leading cause of acquired cardiac disease in children from developed countries. Literature data indicate a significant role of genetic susceptibility to KD. Objective: The aim of this study was to perform the first Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) in a population of Polish children with KD and identify susceptible genes involved in the pathogenesis of KD. Materials and Methods: The blood samples of Kawasaki disease patients (n = 119) were collected between 2016 and 2020, isolated and stored at the Department of Pediatrics, Nutrition and Metabolic Diseases, Children's Memorial Health Institute in Warsaw. The control group was based on Polish donors (n = 6,071) registered as the POPULOUS collection at the Biobank Lab of The Department of Molecular Biophysics in University of Lodz. DNA samples were genotyped for 558,231 Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) using the 24 × 1 Infinium HTS Human Core Exome microarrays according to the protocol provided by the manufacturer. In order to discover and verify genetic risk-factors for KD, association analysis was carried out using PLINK 1.9. Results: Of all 164,395 variants, 5 were shown to occur statistically (padjusted < 0.05) more frequent in Kawasaki disease patients than in controls. Those are: rs12037447 in non-coding sequence (padjusted = 8.329 × 10-4, OR = 8.697, 95% CI; 3.629-20.84) and rs146732504 in KIF25 (padjusted = 0.007354, OR = 11.42, 95% CI; 3.79-34.43), rs151078858 in PTPRJ (padjusted = 0.04513, OR = 8.116, 95% CI; 3.134-21.01), rs55723436 in SPECC1L (padjusted = 0.04596, OR = 5.596, 95% CI; 2.669-11.74), rs6094136 in RPN2 (padjusted = 0.04755, OR = 10.08, 95% CI; 3.385-30.01) genes. Conclusion: Polymorphisms of genes KIF25, PTRPJ, SPECC1L, RNP2 may be linked with the incidence of Kawasaki disease in Polish children.

Gastrointestinal phenotype of fabry disease in a patient with pseudoobstruction syndrome.

Fabry disease is a rare, X-linked inborn error of glycosphingolipid metabolism caused by a deficiency of the lysosomal enzyme α-galactosidase A. Progressive deposition of GL-3 starts early in life, presumably as early as in fetal life. Chronic burning or provoked attacks of excruciating pain in hands and feet in Fabry disease are common in most children as well as GI-symptoms.We describe a case of pediatric Fabry disease with gastrointestinal dysmotility symptoms as primary and most severe complaints. Colonic pseudoobstruction and necrosis developed by the age of 15 years. We hypothesize that this patient developed a gastrointestinal phenotype of pediatric Fabry disease that has not been described before.

[Diagnostic problems in a 17-year-old patient with gastrointestinal manifestations of Fabry disease]. / Rzadka postac choroby Fabry'ego z ciezkimi objawami ze strony przewodu pokarmowego - trudnosci diagnostyczne.

Fabry disease is a rare X-linked recessive lysosomal storage disorder caused by deficiency of lysosomal enzyme alpha-galactosidase, which leads to accumulation of globotriasylceramides (GL-3) in visceral tissues and vascular endothelium, causing multi-organ failure. We presenta case of Fabry disease in a 17-year-old patient with mainly gastrointestinal manifestations, diagnosed 10 years after the manifestation of first symptoms. Significant and progressive weight loss with abdominal pain and vomiting, leading to cachexia, were observed in early childhood. The patient was investigated for non-inflammatory bowel diseases, Raynaud syndrome, polimyositis, mitochondrial cytopathies, intestinal lypodystrophies and others. The symptoms of intenstinal pseudo-obstruction syndrome were observed and surgical treatment was instituted because of necrosis of the colon. There was progressive cachexia and parenteral nutrition had to be instituted. Finally, plasma alpha-galactosidase was measured, and its deficit confirmed Fabry disease. In conclusion gastrointestinal symptoms in the course of Fabry disease can obscure other characteristic symptoms, may be prodromal and leading. Heart and renal failure may not occur in children. Unexplained abdominal pain and malnutrition may be gastrointestinal manifestations of metabolic disorders.