Autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type 1: an Italian survey on 158 patients.

BACKGROUND: Autoimmune Polyglandular Syndrome type 1 (APS-1) is a rare recessive inherited disease, caused by AutoImmune Regulator (AIRE) gene mutations and characterized by three major manifestations: chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis (CMC), chronic hypoparathyroidism (CH) and Addison's disease (AD). METHODS: Autoimmune conditions and associated autoantibodies (Abs) were analyzed in 158 Italian patients (103 females and 55 males; F/M 1.9/1) at the onset and during a follow-up of 23.7 ± 15.1 years. AIRE mutations were determined. RESULTS: The prevalence of APS-1 was 2.6 cases/million (range 0.5-17 in different regions). At the onset 93% of patients presented with one or more components of the classical triad and 7% with other components. At the end of follow-up, 86.1% had CH, 77.2% AD, 74.7% CMC, 49.5% premature menopause, 29.7% autoimmune intestinal dysfunction, 27.8% autoimmune thyroid diseases, 25.9% autoimmune gastritis/pernicious anemia, 25.3% ectodermal dystrophy, 24% alopecia, 21.5% autoimmune hepatitis, 17% vitiligo, 13.3% cholelithiasis, 5.7% connective diseases, 4.4% asplenia, 2.5% celiac disease and 13.9% cancer. Overall, 991 diseases (6.3 diseases/patient) were found. Interferon-ω Abs (IFNωAbs) were positive in 91.1% of patients. Overall mortality was 14.6%. The AIRE mutation R139X was found in 21.3% of tested alleles, R257X in 11.8%, W78R in 11.4%, C322fsX372 in 8.8%, T16M in 6.2%, R203X in 4%, and A21V in 2.9%. Less frequent mutations were present in 12.9%, very rare in 9.6% while no mutations in 11% of the cases. CONCLUSIONS: In Italy, APS-1 is a rare disorder presenting with the three major manifestations and associated with different AIRE gene mutations. IFNωAbs are markers of APS-1 and other organ-specific autoantibodies are markers of clinical, subclinical or potential autoimmune conditions.

Neurotrophic keratitis in autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type 1: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type 1 (APS-1) is a rare autosomal recessive disease. In patients with APS-1, the most frequently reported ocular manifestations are keratoconjunctivitis with dry eye and retinal degeneration. However, to our knowledge, no research studies have reported the relationship between APS-1 and neurotrophic keratitis (NK). Possible explanations such as limbus cell deficiency being the primary cause of APS-1 keratopathy are not applicable to our unusual case of the patient with APS-1 presenting as ocular surface disease with NK. Our case findings suggest a new explanation for the observed corneal pathology and a potential treatment for these patients. CASE PRESENTATION: A 27-year-old woman was referred to our hospital because of intermittent blurred vision and recalcitrant ocular surface problems in both eyes for many years. She has a history of autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type 1 (APS-1), which includes hypothyroidism, hypoparathyroidism, hypoadrenalism, and hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. In vivo confocal microscopy clearly demonstrated significant degeneration of the sub-basal nerve plexus and stromal nerve bundles in her corneas bilaterally. She was diagnosed with severe NK and ocular surface disease caused by dry eye. Treatment included the application of therapeutic soft contact lenses and punctual occlusion; however, both treatments had a limited effect. CONCLUSION: Patients with APS-1 may have ocular surface disease and severe damage to corneal nerves. Regular follow-up and treatment focusing on the regeneration of corneal nerves is particularly important in these patients.

An AIREless Breath: Pneumonitis Caused by Impaired Central Immune Tolerance.

Autoimmune-polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy (APECED), a monogenic disorder caused by biallelic mutations in the AIRE gene, has historically been defined by the development of chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis together with autoimmune endocrinopathies, primarily hypoparathyroidism and adrenal insufficiency. Recent work has drawn attention to the development of life-threatening non-endocrine manifestations such as autoimmune pneumonitis, which has previously been poorly recognized and under-reported. In this review, we present the clinical, radiographic, autoantibody, and pulmonary function abnormalities associated with APECED pneumonitis, we highlight the cellular and molecular basis of the autoimmune attack in the AIRE-deficient lung, and we provide a diagnostic and a therapeutic roadmap for patients with APECED pneumonitis. Beyond APECED, we discuss the relevance and potential broader applicability of these findings to other interstitial lung diseases seen in secondary AIRE deficiency states such as thymoma and RAG deficiency or in common polygenic autoimmune disorders such as idiopathic Sjögren's syndrome.