Eculizumab discontinuation in children and adults with atypical hemolytic-uremic syndrome: a prospective multicenter study.

The optimal duration of eculizumab treatment in patients with atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) remains poorly defined. We conducted a prospective national multicenter open-label study to assess eculizumab discontinuation in children and adults with aHUS. Fifty-five patients (including 19 children) discontinued eculizumab (mean treatment duration, 16.5 months). Twenty-eight patients (51%) had rare variants in complement genes, mostly in MCP (n = 12; 22%), CFH (n = 6; 11%), and CFI (n = 6; 10%). At eculizumab discontinuation, 17 (30%) and 4 patients (7%) had stage 3 and 4 chronic kidney disease, respectively. During follow-up, 13 patients (23%; 6 children and 7 adults) experienced aHUS relapse. In multivariable analysis, female sex and presence of a rare variant in a complement gene were associated with an increased risk of aHUS relapse, whereas requirement for dialysis during a previous episode of acute aHUS was not. In addition, increased sC5b-9 plasma level at eculizumab discontinuation was associated with a higher risk of aHUS relapse in all patients and in the subset of carriers with a complement gene rare variant, both by log-rank test and in multivariable analysis. Of the 13 relapsing patients, all of whom restarted eculizumab, 11 regained their baseline renal function and 2 had a worsening of their preexisting chronic kidney disease, including 1 patient who progressed to end-stage renal disease. A strategy of eculizumab discontinuation in aHUS patients based on complement genetics is reasonable and safe. It improves the management and quality of life of a sizeable proportion of aHUS patients while reducing the cost of treatment. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT02574403.

Optimizing COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy in Pediatric Kidney Transplant Recipients: Humoral and Cellular Response to SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccination.

In this retrospective cohort study, we analyze the early humoral and cellular response in 64 adolescents KTx recipients, after two or three doses of mRNA vaccine BNT162b2 against different variants of COVID-19. After 2 doses, 77.8% % of children with no history of infection had a positive humoral response with a median anti-S IgG level of 1107 (IQR, 593-2,658) BAU/mL. All the patients with a history of infection responded with a higher median IgG level (3,265 (IQR, 1,492-8,178) BAU/mL). In non-responders after 2 doses, 75% responded after a third dose with a median Ab titer at 355 (IQR, 140-3,865 BAU/mL). Neutralizing activity was significantly lower against the delta and the omicron variants compared to the wild-type strain and did not improve after a 3rd dose, while infection did provide higher levels of neutralizations against the variants. T cell specific response correlated with humoral response and no patient displayed a cellular response without a humoral response. Adolescent KTx recipients exhibit a high seroconversion rate after only two doses. A third injection, induces a response in the majority of the non-responders patients but did not counterbalance the strong decrease in neutralizing antibody activities against variants highlighting the need for boosters with specific vaccines.

Anti-Factor B Antibodies and Acute Postinfectious GN in Children.

BACKGROUND: The pathophysiology of the leading cause of pediatric acute nephritis, acute postinfectious GN, including mechanisms of the pathognomonic transient complement activation, remains uncertain. It shares clinicopathologic features with C3 glomerulopathy, a complement-mediated glomerulopathy that, unlike acute postinfectious GN, has a poor prognosis. METHODS: This retrospective study investigated mechanisms of complement activation in 34 children with acute postinfectious GN and low C3 level at onset. We screened a panel of anticomplement protein autoantibodies, carried out related functional characterization, and compared results with those of 60 children from the National French Registry who had C3 glomerulopathy and persistent hypocomplementemia. RESULTS: All children with acute postinfectious GN had activation of the alternative pathway of the complement system. At onset, autoantibodies targeting factor B (a component of the alternative pathway C3 convertase) were found in a significantly higher proportion of children with the disorder versus children with hypocomplementemic C3 glomerulopathy (31 of 34 [91%] versus 4 of 28 [14%], respectively). In acute postinfectious GN, anti-factor B autoantibodies were transient and correlated with plasma C3 and soluble C5b-9 levels. We demonstrated that anti-factor B antibodies enhance alternative pathway convertase activity in vitro, confirming their pathogenic effect. We also identified crucial antibody binding sites on factor B, including one correlated to disease severity. CONCLUSIONS: These findings elucidate the pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying acute postinfectious GN by identifying anti-factor B autoantibodies as contributing factors in alternative complement pathway activation. At onset of a nephritic syndrome with low C3 level, screening for anti-factor B antibodies might help guide indications for kidney biopsy to avoid misdiagnosed chronic glomerulopathy, such as C3 glomerulopathy, and to help determine therapy.

Confirmation and further delineation of the SMG9-deficiency syndrome, a rare and severe developmental disorder.

INTRODUCTION: SMG9 deficiency is an extremely rare autosomal recessive condition originally described in three patients from two families harboring homozygous truncating SMG9 variants in a context of severe syndromic developmental disorder. To our knowledge, no additional patient has been described since this first report. METHODS: We performed exome sequencing in a patient exhibiting a syndromic developmental delay and in her unaffected parents and report the phenotypic features. RESULTS: Our patient presented with a syndromic association of severe global developmental delay and diverse malformations, including cleft lip and palate, facial dysmorphic features, brain abnormalities, heart defect, growth retardation, and severe infections. She carried a novel SMG9 homozygous variant NM_019108.3:c.1177C>T, p.(Gln393*), while her unaffected parents were both heterozygous. CONCLUSIONS: We confirm that bi-allelic truncating SMG9 variants cause a severe developmental syndrome including brain and heart malformations associated with facial dysmorphic features, severe growth and developmental delay with or without ophthalmological abnormalities, severe feeding difficulties, and life-threatening infections.

Treatment and outcome of congenital nephrotic syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Recommendations for management of Finnish-type congenital nephrotic syndrome (CNS) followed by many teams include daily albumin infusions, early bilateral nephrectomy, dialysis and transplantation. We aimed to assess the treatment and outcome of patients with CNS in France. METHODS: We conducted a nationwide retrospective study on 55 consecutive children born between 2000 and 2014 treated for non-infectious CNS. RESULTS: The estimated cumulative incidence of CNS was 0.5/100 000 live births. The underlying defect was biallelic mutations in NPHS1 (36/55, 65%), NPHS2 (5/55, 7%), PLCE1 (1/55, 2%), heterozygous mutation in WT1 (4/55, 7%) and not identified in nine children (16%). Fifty-three patients (96%) received daily albumin infusions from diagnosis (median age 14 days), which were spaced and withdrawn in 10 patients. Twenty children (35%) were managed as outpatients. Thirty-nine patients reached end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) at a median age of 11 months. The overall renal survival was 64% and 45% at 1 and 2 years of age, respectively. Thirteen children died during the study period including four at diagnosis, two of nosocomial catheter-related septic shock, six on dialysis and one after transplantation. The remaining 13 patients were alive with normal renal function at last follow-up [median 32 months (range 9-52)]. Renal and patient survivals were longer in patients with NPHS1 mutations than in other patients. The invasive infection rate was 2.41/patient/year. CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows: (i) a survival free from ESKD in two-thirds of patients at 1 year and in one-half at 2 years and (ii) a significant reduction or even a discontinuation of albumin infusions allowing ambulatory care in a subset of patients. These results highlight the need for new therapeutic guidelines for CNS patients.

Clinical and Genetic Spectrum of Bartter Syndrome Type 3.

Bartter syndrome type 3 is a clinically heterogeneous hereditary salt-losing tubulopathy caused by mutations of the chloride voltage-gated channel Kb gene (CLCNKB), which encodes the ClC-Kb chloride channel involved in NaCl reabsorption in the renal tubule. To study phenotype/genotype correlations, we performed genetic analyses by direct sequencing and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification and retrospectively analyzed medical charts for 115 patients with CLCNKB mutations. Functional analyses were performed in Xenopus laevis oocytes for eight missense and two nonsense mutations. We detected 60 mutations, including 27 previously unreported mutations. Among patients, 29.5% had a phenotype of ante/neonatal Bartter syndrome (polyhydramnios or diagnosis in the first month of life), 44.5% had classic Bartter syndrome (diagnosis during childhood, hypercalciuria, and/or polyuria), and 26.0% had Gitelman-like syndrome (fortuitous discovery of hypokalemia with hypomagnesemia and/or hypocalciuria in childhood or adulthood). Nine of the ten mutations expressed in vitro decreased or abolished chloride conductance. Severe (large deletions, frameshift, nonsense, and essential splicing) and missense mutations resulting in poor residual conductance were associated with younger age at diagnosis. Electrolyte supplements and indomethacin were used frequently to induce catch-up growth, with few adverse effects. After a median follow-up of 8 (range, 1-41) years in 77 patients, chronic renal failure was detected in 19 patients (25%): one required hemodialysis and four underwent renal transplant. In summary, we report a genotype/phenotype correlation for Bartter syndrome type 3: complete loss-of-function mutations associated with younger age at diagnosis, and CKD was observed in all phenotypes.

Infection-related hospitalizations after kidney transplantation in children: incidence, risk factors, and cost.

BACKGROUND: Infection is the leading cause of death and hospitalization in renal transplant recipients. We describe posttransplant infections requiring hospitalization, their risk factors and cost in a national pediatric kidney transplantation cohort. METHODS: Data on renal transplant recipients <20 years were extracted from the French National Medicoadministrative Hospital Discharge database between 2008 and 2013 and matched with the Renal Transplant Database. We used Cox regression to study risk factors of hospitalization and calculated the instantaneous risk of hospitalization per month for all infections and by infection type. RESULTS: Five hundred and ninety-three patients were included, and 660 infection-related hospitalizations were identified in 260 patients. The leading cause of hospitalization was urinary tract infection (UTI), followed by viral infection (16.6 and 15.6 per 100 person-years, respectively). Risk factors were younger age at transplantation, high number of HLA mismatches, and use cyclosporine rather than tacrolimus as first anticalcineurin treatment. Risk factors varied by infection type. Female gender, uropathy, cold ischemia time, and cyclosporine were associated with increased risk of UTI, while only age at transplantation inversely correlated with virus-related hospitalizations. Instantaneous risk of all infections decreased with time, except for cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection that displayed a peak at 6 months posttransplantation after prophylaxis withdrawal. Total cost of infection-related hospitalizations was 1600 kilo-euro (k€) (933 €/person-years). CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the high burden of infection in transplanted pediatric patients, especially the youngest. This should be considered both for pretransplantation information and designing procedures aiming to decrease hospitalization rate and duration.

Comprehensive PKD1 and PKD2 Mutation Analysis in Prenatal Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease.

Prenatal forms of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) are rare but can be recurrent in some families, suggesting a common genetic modifying background. Few patients have been reported carrying, in addition to the familial mutation, variation(s) in polycystic kidney disease 1 (PKD1) or HNF1 homeobox B (HNF1B), inherited from the unaffected parent, or biallelic polycystic kidney and hepatic disease 1 (PKHD1) mutations. To assess the frequency of additional variations in PKD1, PKD2, HNF1B, and PKHD1 associated with the familial PKD mutation in early ADPKD, these four genes were screened in 42 patients with early ADPKD in 41 families. Two patients were associated with de novo PKD1 mutations. Forty patients occurred in 39 families with known ADPKD and were associated with PKD1 mutation in 36 families and with PKD2 mutation in two families (no mutation identified in one family). Additional PKD variation(s) (inherited from the unaffected parent when tested) were identified in 15 of 42 patients (37.2%), whereas these variations were observed in 25 of 174 (14.4%, P=0.001) patients with adult ADPKD. No HNF1B variations or PKHD1 biallelic mutations were identified. These results suggest that, at least in some patients, the severity of the cystic disease is inversely correlated with the level of polycystin 1 function.

Renal and Extrarenal Phenotypes in Patients With HNF1B Variants and Chromosome 17q12 Microdeletions.

Introduction: Hepatocyte nuclear factor 1-beta (HNF1B) gene variants or the chromosome 17q12 deletion (17q12del) represent the most common monogenic cause of developmental kidney disease. Although neurodevelopmental disorders have been associated with the 17q12del, specific genotype-phenotype associations with respect to kidney function evolution have not yet been fully defined. Here, we aimed to determine whether 17q12del or specific HNF1B variants were associated with kidney survival in a large patient population with HNF1B disease. Methods: This was a retrospective observational study involving 521 patients with HNF1B disease from 14 countries using the European Reference Network for rare kidney diseases with detailed information on the HNF1B genotype (HNF1B variants or the 17q12del). Median follow-up time was 11 years with 6 visits per patient. The primary end point was progression to chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 3 (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] < 60 ml/min per 1.73 m2). Secondary end points were the development of hypomagnesemia or extrarenal disorders, including hyperuricemia and hyperglycemia. Results: Progression toward CKD stage 3 was significantly delayed in patients with the 17q12del compared to patients with HNF1B variants (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.29, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.19-0.44, P < 0.001). Progression toward CKD stage 3 was also significantly delayed when HNF1B variants involved the HNF1B Pit-1, Oct-1, and Unc-86 homeodomain (POUh) DNA-binding and transactivation domains rather than the POU-specific domain (POUs) DNA-binding domain (HR: 0.15 [95% CI: 0.06-0.37), P < 0.001 and HR: 0.25 (95% CI: 0.11-0.57), P = 0.001, respectively). Finally, the 17q12del was positively associated with hypomagnesemia and negatively associated with hyperuricemia, but not with hyperglycemia. Conclusion: Patients with the 17q12del display a significantly better kidney survival than patients with other HNF1B variants; and for the latter, variants in the POUs DNA-binding domain lead to the poorest kidney survival. These are clinically relevant HNF1B kidney genotype-phenotype correlations that inform genetic counseling.

Rare Variants in Complement Gene in C3 Glomerulopathy and Immunoglobulin-Mediated Membranoproliferative GN.

BACKGROUND: C3 glomerulopathy and idiopathic immunoglobulin-mediated membranoproliferative GN (Ig-MPGN) are rare complement-mediated kidney diseases. Inherited forms of C3 glomerulopathy/Ig-MPGN are rarely described. METHODS: Three hundred ninety-eight patients with C3 glomerulopathy ( n =296) or Ig-MPGN ( n =102) from a national registry were screened for three complement genes: factor H ( CFH ), factor I ( CFI ), and C3 . Patients with rare variant (minor allele frequency <0.1%) were included. Epidemiologic, clinical, and immunologic data at diagnosis and kidney outcomes of patients were retrospectively collected. RESULTS: Fifty-three different rare variants, including 30 (57%), 13 (24%), and ten (19%) in CFH , CFI , and C3 variants, were identified in 66/398 (17%) patients. Thirty-eight (72%) variants were classified as pathogenic, including 20/30 (66%) and 11/13 (84%) variants in CFH and CFI , respectively, impairing synthesis of factor H or factor I regulators. Fifteen of 53 (27%) variants were of unknown significance. At diagnosis, 69% of patients were adult (median age of 31 years). With the exception of biologic stigma of thrombotic microangiopathy, which was more frequent in patients with CFI variants (5/14 [36%] versus 1/37 [3%] and 0% in the CFH group and C3 group, respectively, P < 0.001), the clinical and histologic features were similar among the three variants groups. The kidney outcome was poor regardless of the age at onset and treatment received. Sixty-five percent (43/66) of patients with rare variant reach kidney failure after a median delay of 41 (19-104) months, compared with 28% (55/195) after a median delay of 34 (12-143) months in the nonvariant group. Among 36 patients who received a kidney transplant, 2-year recurrence was frequent, occurring in 39% (12/31), without difference between variant groups, and led to graft failure in three cases. CONCLUSIONS: In our cohort, 17% of C3 glomerulopathy/Ig-MPGN cases were associated with rare variants in the CFH , CFI , or C3 genes. In most cases, a quantitative deficiency in factor H or factor I was identified. The presence of a rare variant was associated with poor kidney survival. PODCAST: This article contains a podcast at https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/www.asn-online.org/media/podcast/CJASN/2023_11_08_CJN0000000000000252.mp3.

Be aware of Shiga-toxin 2f-producing Escherichia coli: case report and false-negative results with certain rapid molecular panels.

We report a hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) case due to Stx2f-producing E. coli illustrating the diagnostic difficulty of this Shiga-toxin subtype. Clinicians should be aware of limits of certain rapid molecular panels that are increasingly being used and may play a role in underestimating the global burden of such infections.

Human C-terminal CUBN variants associate with chronic proteinuria and normal renal function.

BACKGROUNDProteinuria is considered an unfavorable clinical condition that accelerates renal and cardiovascular disease. However, it is not clear whether all forms of proteinuria are damaging. Mutations in CUBN cause Imerslund-Gräsbeck syndrome (IGS), which is characterized by intestinal malabsorption of vitamin B12 and in some cases proteinuria. CUBN encodes for cubilin, an intestinal and proximal tubular uptake receptor containing 27 CUB domains for ligand binding.METHODSWe used next-generation sequencing for renal disease genes to genotype cohorts of patients with suspected hereditary renal disease and chronic proteinuria. CUBN variants were analyzed using bioinformatics, structural modeling, and epidemiological methods.RESULTSWe identified 39 patients, in whom biallelic pathogenic variants in the CUBN gene were associated with chronic isolated proteinuria and early childhood onset. Since the proteinuria in these patients had a high proportion of albuminuria, glomerular diseases such as steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome or Alport syndrome were often the primary clinical diagnosis, motivating renal biopsies and the use of proteinuria-lowering treatments. However, renal function was normal in all cases. By contrast, we did not found any biallelic CUBN variants in proteinuric patients with reduced renal function or focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. Unlike the more N-terminal IGS mutations, 37 of the 41 proteinuria-associated CUBN variants led to modifications or truncations after the vitamin B12-binding domain. Finally, we show that 4 C-terminal CUBN variants are associated with albuminuria and slightly increased GFR in meta-analyses of large population-based cohorts.CONCLUSIONCollectively, our data suggest an important role for the C-terminal half of cubilin in renal albumin reabsorption. Albuminuria due to reduced cubilin function could be an unexpectedly common benign condition in humans that may not require any proteinuria-lowering treatment or renal biopsy.FUNDINGATIP-Avenir program, Fondation Bettencourt-Schueller (Liliane Bettencourt Chair of Developmental Biology), Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR) Investissements d'avenir program (ANR-10-IAHU-01) and NEPHROFLY (ANR-14-ACHN-0013, to MS), Steno Collaborative Grant 2018 (NNF18OC0052457, to TSA and MS), Heisenberg Professorship of the German Research Foundation (KO 3598/5-1, to AK), Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) Collaborative Research Centre (SFB) KIDGEM 1140 (project 246781735, to CB), and Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMB) (01GM1515C, to CB).

Metabolic causes of nonimmune hydrops fetalis: A next-generation sequencing panel as a first-line investigation.

PURPOSES: Hydrops fetalis is a life-threatening fetal condition, and 85% of all cases are classified as nonimmune hydrops fetalis (NIHF). Up to 15% of NIHF cases may be due to inborn errors of metabolism (IEM), but a large proportion of cases linked to metabolic disorders remains undiagnosed. This lack of diagnosis may be related to the limitations of conventional biological procedures, which involve sequential investigations and require multiple samples and steps. In addition, this approach is time consuming. We have developed a next-generation sequencing (NGS) panel to investigate metabolic causes of NIHF, ascites, and polyhydramnios associated to another fetal abnormality. METHODS: The hydrops fetalis (HydFet) panel was designed to cover the coding regions and flanking intronic sequences of 41 genes. A retrospective study of amniotic fluid samples from 40 subjects was conducted. A prospective study was subsequently initiated, and six samples were analyzed using the NGS panel. RESULTS: Five IEM diagnoses were made using the HydFet panel (Niemann-Pick type C (NPC), Barth syndrome, HNF1Β deficiency, GM1 gangliosidosis, and Gaucher disease). This analysis also allowed the identification of 8p sequence triplication in an additional case. CONCLUSION: NGS combined with robust bioinformatics analyses is a useful tool for identifying the causative variants of NIHF. Subsequent functional characterization of the protein encoded by the altered gene and morphological studies may confirm the diagnosis. This paradigm shift allows a significant improvement of IEM diagnosis in NIHF.

Use of Procalcitonin Assays to Predict Serious Bacterial Infection in Young Febrile Infants.

IMPORTANCE: The procalcitonin (PCT) assay is an accurate screening test for identifying invasive bacterial infection (IBI); however, data on the PCT assay in very young infants are insufficient. OBJECTIVE: To assess the diagnostic characteristics of the PCT assay for detecting serious bacterial infection (SBI) and IBI in febrile infants aged 7 to 91 days. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A prospective cohort study that included infants aged 7 to 91 days admitted for fever to 15 French pediatric emergency departments was conducted for a period of 30 months (October 1, 2008, through March 31, 2011). The data management and analysis were performed from October 1, 2011, through October 31, 2014. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The diagnostic characteristics of the PCT assay, C-reactive protein (CRP) concentration, white blood cell (WBC) count, and absolute neutrophil cell (ANC) count for detecting SBI and IBI were described and compared for the overall population and subgroups of infants according to the age and the duration of fever. Laboratory test cutoff values were calculated based on receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The SBIs were defined as a pathogenic bacteria in positive culture of blood, cerebrospinal fluid, urine, or stool samples, including bacteremia and bacterial meningitis classified as IBIs. RESULTS: Among the 2047 infants included, 139 (6.8%) were diagnosed as having an SBI and 21 (1.0%) as having an IBI (11.0% and 1.7% of those with blood culture (n = 1258), respectively). The PCT assay offered an area under the curve (AUC) of ROC curve similar to that for CRP concentration for the detection of SBI (AUC, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.75-0.86; vs AUC, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.75-0.85; P = .70). The AUC ROC curve for the detection of IBI for the PCT assay was significantly higher than that for the CRP concentration (AUC, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.83-0.99; vs AUC, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.65-0.89; P = .002). Using a cutoff value of 0.3 ng/mL for PCT and 20 mg/L for CRP, negative likelihood ratios were 0.3 (95% CI, 0.2-0.5) for identifying SBI and 0.1 (95% CI, 0.03-0.4) and 0.3 (95% CI, 0.2-0.7) for identifying IBI, respectively. Similar results were obtained for the subgroup of infants younger than 1 month and for those with fever lasting less than 6 hours. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The PCT assay has better diagnostic accuracy than CRP measurement for detecting IBI; the 2 tests perform similarly for identifying SBI in febrile infants aged 7 to 91 days.

Acute renal cortical necrosis due to acquired antiprotein S antibodies.

Although varicella is a common disease of childhood, renal complications are quite rare. We report here the interesting case of a-22 month-old boy exhibiting renal cortical necrosis related to an acquired protein S deficiency following varicella. Ten days after the vesicle eruption appearance, he presented with ecchymosed heels, oligoanuric kidney failure, anemia [hemoglobin (Hb) 78 g/L], schizocytosis (2.5%), but normal platelet count. Kidney sonography and magnetic resonance imaging evoked renal cortical necrosis. All together, these features suggested acquired protein S deficiency secondary to varicella. Strikingly, it was confirmed by a dramatic decrease in protein S plasma activity and a huge increase in immunoglobulin (Ig)G antibodies against protein S in the plasma. Anticoagulation therapy in addition with plasmapheresis and steroid pulses allowed a dramatic decrease in the antibodies against protein S and recovery of normal protein S activity. Undelayed diagnosis and treatment did not avoid kidney insufficiency but prevented life-threatening complications. In the light of this case report, protein S deficiency due to antibody inhibition should be carefully monitored anytime in the context of varicella when kidney insufficiency or necrosis occurs.