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Sun L, Han Y, Li B, Yang Y, Fang Y, Ren X, An L, Hou X, Fan H, Wu Y. A Novel Frameshift Variant of the ELF4 Gene in a Patient with Autoinflammatory Disease: Clinical Features, Transcriptomic Profiling and Functional Studies. J Clin Immunol 2024; 44:127. [PMID: 38773005 DOI: 10.1007/s10875-024-01732-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
We described the diagnosis and treatment of a patient with autoinflammatory disease, named "Deficiency in ELF4, X-linked (DEX)". A novel ELF4 variant was discovered and its pathogenic mechanism was elucidated. The data about clinical, laboratory and endoscopic features, treatment, and follow-up of a patient with DEX were analyzed. Whole exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing were performed to identify potential pathogenic variants. The mRNA and protein levels of ELF4 were analyzed by qPCR and Western blotting, respectively. The association of ELF4 frameshift variant with nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) in the pathogenesis DEX was examined. Moreover, RNA-seq was performed to identify the key molecular events triggered by ELF4 variant. The relationship between ELF4 and IFN-β activity was validated using a dual-luciferase reporter assay and a ChIP-qPCR assay. An 11-year-old boy presented with a Behçet's-like phenotype. The laboratory abnormality was the most obvious in elevated inflammatory indicators. Endoscopy revealed multiple ileocecal ulcers. Intestinal histopathology showed inflammatory cell infiltrations. The patient was treated with long-term immunosuppressant and TNF-α blocker (adalimumab), which reaped an excellent response over 16 months of follow-up. Genetic analysis identified a maternal hemizygote frameshift variant (c.1022del, p.Q341Rfs*30) in ELF4 gene in the proband. The novel variant decreased the mRNA level of ELF4 via the NMD pathway. Mechanistically, insufficient expression of ELF4 disturbed the immune system, leading to immunological disorders and pathogen susceptibility, and disrupted ELF4-activating IFN-β responses. This analysis detailed the clinical characteristics of a Chinese patient with DEX who harbored a novel ELF4 frameshift variant. For the first time, we used patient-derived cells and carried out transcriptomic analysis to delve into the mechanism of ELF4 variant in DEX.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Sun
- MOE Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, No.28 Xianning West Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710049, China
- Department of Gastroenterology, Xi'an Children's Hospital, Xi'an, China
| | - Ya'nan Han
- Department of Gastroenterology, Xi'an Children's Hospital, Xi'an, China
| | - Benchang Li
- Shaanxi Institute of Pediatric Diseases, Xi'an Children's Hospital, Xi'an, China
| | - Ying Yang
- Shaanxi Institute of Pediatric Diseases, Xi'an Children's Hospital, Xi'an, China
| | - Ying Fang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Xi'an Children's Hospital, Xi'an, China
| | - Xiaoxia Ren
- Department of Gastroenterology, Xi'an Children's Hospital, Xi'an, China
| | - Lu An
- Department of Pathology, Xi'an Children's Hospital, Xi'an, China
| | - Xin Hou
- Department of Imaging, Xi'an Children's Hospital, Xi'an, China
| | - Huafeng Fan
- Department of Education Science, Xi'an Children's Hospital, Xi'an, China
| | - Yi Wu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University, No.28 Xianning West Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710049, China.
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王 楠, 谢 咏, 汪 志. [Two Cases of Behcet's Disease-Like Syndrome with Gene Deficiency in ELF4]. SICHUAN DA XUE XUE BAO. YI XUE BAN = JOURNAL OF SICHUAN UNIVERSITY. MEDICAL SCIENCE EDITION 2024; 55:756-761. [PMID: 38948265 PMCID: PMC11211776 DOI: 10.12182/20240560606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
The patient 1, a 13-year-old boy, was admitted due to "recurrent oral ulcers for 3 years, abdominal pain for 8 months, and perianal ulcers for 10 days"; The patient 2, a 3-year-old boy, was admitted due to "recurrent abdominal pain, diarrhea, and fever for over 3 months". Genetic testing of both patients revealed "deficiency in ELF4, X-linked" (DEX), and the patients were diagnosed with Behcet's disease-like syndrome due to deficiency in ELF4, accordingly. The patient 1 was successively given intravenous methylprednisolone pulses and oral prednisone and mesalazine for symptomatic treatment. The patient 2 was successively treated with corticosteroids combined with enteral nutrition, as well as oral mercaptopurine. Subsequently, both patients showed improvements in symptoms and were discharged.
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Affiliation(s)
- 楠 王
- 四川大学华西第二医院 儿科 (成都 610041)Department of Pediatrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
- 出生缺陷与相关妇儿疾病教育部重点实验室(四川大学) (成都 610041)Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children of the Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
- 四川大学华西临床医学院 (成都 610041)West China College of Clinical Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - 咏梅 谢
- 四川大学华西第二医院 儿科 (成都 610041)Department of Pediatrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
- 出生缺陷与相关妇儿疾病教育部重点实验室(四川大学) (成都 610041)Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children of the Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - 志凌 汪
- 四川大学华西第二医院 儿科 (成都 610041)Department of Pediatrics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
- 出生缺陷与相关妇儿疾病教育部重点实验室(四川大学) (成都 610041)Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children of the Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
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Olyha SJ, O'Connor SK, Kribis M, Bucklin ML, Uthaya Kumar DB, Tyler PM, Alam F, Jones KM, Sheikha H, Konnikova L, Lakhani SA, Montgomery RR, Catanzaro J, Du H, DiGiacomo DV, Rothermel H, Moran CJ, Fiedler K, Warner N, Hoppenreijs EPAH, van der Made CI, Hoischen A, Olbrich P, Neth O, Rodríguez-Martínez A, Lucena Soto JM, van Rossum AMC, Dalm VASH, Muise AM, Lucas CL. "Deficiency in ELF4, X-Linked": a Monogenic Disease Entity Resembling Behçet's Syndrome and Inflammatory Bowel Disease. J Clin Immunol 2024; 44:44. [PMID: 38231408 PMCID: PMC10929603 DOI: 10.1007/s10875-023-01610-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
Defining monogenic drivers of autoinflammatory syndromes elucidates mechanisms of disease in patients with these inborn errors of immunity and can facilitate targeted therapeutic interventions. Here, we describe a cohort of patients with a Behçet's- and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-like disorder termed "deficiency in ELF4, X-linked" (DEX) affecting males with loss-of-function variants in the ELF4 transcription factor gene located on the X chromosome. An international cohort of fourteen DEX patients was assessed to identify unifying clinical manifestations and diagnostic criteria as well as collate findings informing therapeutic responses. DEX patients exhibit a heterogeneous clinical phenotype including weight loss, oral and gastrointestinal aphthous ulcers, fevers, skin inflammation, gastrointestinal symptoms, arthritis, arthralgia, and myalgia, with findings of increased inflammatory markers, anemia, neutrophilic leukocytosis, thrombocytosis, intermittently low natural killer and class-switched memory B cells, and increased inflammatory cytokines in the serum. Patients have been predominantly treated with anti-inflammatory agents, with the majority of DEX patients treated with biologics targeting TNFα.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam J Olyha
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Shannon K O'Connor
- Department of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Division of Rheumatology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Marat Kribis
- Section of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Molly L Bucklin
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Paul M Tyler
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Faiad Alam
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Kate M Jones
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Hassan Sheikha
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Liza Konnikova
- Department of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Division of Neonatal and Perinatal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale Medical School, New Haven, CT, USA
- Program in Human and Translational Immunology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Saquib A Lakhani
- Department of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Pediatric Genomics Discovery Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Ruth R Montgomery
- Section of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Jason Catanzaro
- Division of Pediatric Allergy and Clinical Immunology, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO, USA
| | - Hongqiang Du
- National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Child Infection and Immunity, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Department of Rheumatology & Immunology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Daniel V DiGiacomo
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Holly Rothermel
- Division of Pediatric Rheumatology, MassGeneral for Children, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Christopher J Moran
- Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, MassGeneral for Children, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Karoline Fiedler
- SickKids Inflammatory Bowel Disease Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Cell Biology Program, Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Neil Warner
- Cell Biology Program, Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Esther P A H Hoppenreijs
- Department of Pediatric Rheumatology, Amalia Children's Hospital, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Caspar I van der Made
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Alexander Hoischen
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Peter Olbrich
- Inborn Errors of Immunity Group, Biomedicine Institute of Sevilla (IBiS), CSIC, Seville, Spain
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Rheumatology and Immunology Unit, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío, Seville, Spain
- Departamento de Farmacología, Pediatría y Radiología, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
| | - Olaf Neth
- Inborn Errors of Immunity Group, Biomedicine Institute of Sevilla (IBiS), CSIC, Seville, Spain
- Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Rheumatology and Immunology Unit, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío, Seville, Spain
| | - Alejandro Rodríguez-Martínez
- Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Unit, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío, Seville, Spain
| | | | - Annemarie M C van Rossum
- Erasmus MC University Medical Center-Sophia Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Virgil A S H Dalm
- Department of Immunology, Laboratory of Medical Immunology, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Allergy & Clinical Immunology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Academic Center for Rare Immunological Diseases (RIDC), Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Aleixo M Muise
- SickKids Inflammatory Bowel Disease Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Cell Biology Program, Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, Institute of Medical Science and Biochemistry, University of Toronto, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Carrie L Lucas
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Program in Human and Translational Immunology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
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Cao M, Chen P, Peng B, Cheng Y, Xie J, Hou Z, Chen H, Ye L, Li H, Wang H, Ren L, Xiong L, Geng L, Gong S. The transcription factor ELF4 alleviates inflammatory bowel disease by activating IL1RN transcription, suppressing inflammatory TH17 cell activity, and inducing macrophage M2 polarization. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1270411. [PMID: 38022496 PMCID: PMC10657822 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1270411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic immune-mediated disorder affecting millions worldwide. Due to the complexity of its pathogenesis, the treatment options for IBD are limited. This study focuses on ELF4, a member of the ETS transcription factor family, as a target to elucidate its role in IBD and investigate its mechanism of action in alleviating IBD symptoms by activating IL1RN transcription to suppress the activity of inflammatory TH17 cells. Methods Using the GEO database, this study examined LPS-induced intestinal inflammatory genes and their regulation mechanisms. We examined the colon length of LPS-treated mice and derived the Disease Activity Index (DAI). H&E staining, ELISA, and flow cytometry were used to detect mice colon tissue damage, inflammatory factor levels in mouse serum, mouse macrophage types and inflammatory TH17 cell activity. RT-qPCR and Western blot detected ELF4, IL1RN, M1, and M2 polarization markers. In Vitro, using dual-luciferase and ChIP assays, we tested mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) and mouse intestinal epithelial cells for IL1RN promoter activity and ELF4 enrichment. Results Bioinformatics showed that LPS-induced colitis animals have reduced ELF4 expression in their colon tissue. In vivo tests confirmed reduced ELF4 expression in mice with LPS-induced colitis. ELF4 overexpression reduced mouse intestinal inflammation. ELF4 activated IL1RN transcription in bioinformatics and in vitro tests. ELF4 promoted IL1RN transcription and macrophage M2 polarization to limit intestinal epithelial cell death and inflammation and reduce mouse intestinal inflammation in vitro. ELF4 also reduced the Th17/Treg ratio by increasing IL1RN transcription. Conclusion ELF4 activates IL1RN transcription, suppresses inflammatory TH17 cells, and induces macrophage M2 polarization to treat IBD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meiwan Cao
- Department of Gastroenterology, Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Peiyu Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology, Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Baoling Peng
- Center for Child Health and Mental Health, Shenzhen Childen’s Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yang Cheng
- Department of Gastroenterology, Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jing Xie
- Department of Gastroenterology, Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ziang Hou
- Department of Internal, Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Huan Chen
- Department of Gastroenterology, Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Liping Ye
- Department of Gastroenterology, Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Huiwen Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hongli Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lu Ren
- Department of Gastroenterology, Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Liya Xiong
- Department of Gastroenterology, Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lanlan Geng
- Department of Gastroenterology, Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Sitang Gong
- Department of Gastroenterology, Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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