Gastroesophageal reflux and severe combined immunodeficiency

The multidisciplinary approach to diagnosing inborn errors of immunity: a comprehensive review of discipline-based manifestations

INTRODUCTION

Congenital immunodeficiency is named primary immunodeficiency (PID), and more recently inborn errors of immunity (IEI). There are more than 485 conditions classified as IEI, with a wide spectrum of clinical and laboratory manifestations.

AREAS COVERED

Regardless of the developing knowledge of IEI, many physicians do not think of IEI when approaching the patient's complaint, which leads to delayed diagnosis, misdiagnosis, serious infectious and noninfectious complications, permanent end-organ damage, and even death. Due to the various manifestations of IEI and the wide spectrum of associated conditions, patients refer to specialists in different disciplines of medicine and undergo - mainly symptomatic - treatments, and because IEI are not included in physicians' differential diagnosis, the main disease remains undiagnosed.

EXPERT OPINION

A multidisciplinary approach may be a proper solution. Manifestations and the importance of a multidisciplinary approach in the diagnosis of main groups of IEI are discussed in this article.

Targeted STIM deletion impairs calcium homeostasis, NFAT activation, and growth of smooth muscle

The Ca(2+)-sensing stromal interaction molecule (STIM) proteins are crucial Ca(2+) signal coordinators. Cre-lox technology was used to generate smooth muscle (sm)-targeted STIM1-, STIM2-, and double STIM1/STIM2-knockout (KO) mouse models, which reveal the essential role of STIM proteins in Ca(2+) homeostasis and their crucial role in controlling function, growth, and development of smooth muscle cells (SMCs). Compared to Cre(+/-) littermates, sm-STIM1-KO mice showed high mortality (50% by 30 d) and reduced bodyweight. While sm-STIM2-KO was without detectable phenotype, the STIM1/STIM double-KO was perinatally lethal, revealing an essential role of STIM1 partially rescued by STIM2. Vascular and intestinal smooth muscle tissues from sm-STIM1-KO mice developed abnormally with distended, thinned morphology. While depolarization-induced aortic contraction was unchanged in sm-STIM1-KO mice, α1-adrenergic-mediated contraction was 26% reduced, and store-dependent contraction almost eliminated. Neointimal formation induced by carotid artery ligation was suppressed by 54%, and in vitro PDGF-induced proliferation was greatly reduced (79%) in sm-STIM1-KO. Notably, the Ca(2+) store-refilling rate in STIM1-KO SMCs was substantially reduced, and sustained PDGF-induced Ca(2+) entry was abolished. This defective Ca(2+) homeostasis prevents PDGF-induced NFAT activation in both contractile and proliferating SMCs. We conclude that STIM1-regulated Ca(2+) homeostasis is crucial for NFAT-mediated transcriptional control required for induction of SMC proliferation, development, and growth responses to injury.-Mancarella, S., Potireddy, S., Wang, Y., Gao, H., Gandhirajan, K., Autieri, M., Scalia, R., Cheng, Z., Wang, H., Madesh, M., Houser, S. R., Gill, D. L. Targeted STIM deletion impairs calcium homeostasis, NFAT activation, and growth of smooth muscle.

[Gastrointestinal diseases in primary immunodeficiency disorders]

Gastrointestinal symptoms are common and often reveal primary immunodeficiency. Although they mimic gastrointestinal diseases observed in immunocompetent patients, there have diagnostic and therapeutic specificities that should be known for optimal management of these patients. This review describes the gastrointestinal diseases found in primary immunodeficiency and proposes some diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.

Nursing care of the premature infant with severe combined immunodeficiency disease

Diagnosis and treatment of severe combined immunodeficiency disease (SCID) is documented in fetuses, term infants, and older children; however, there is very little information on its diagnosis and treatment in premature infants. When Duke University Medical Center's first preterm infant with a known SCID history was delivered, in June 1999, there was no defined protocol for the infant's nursing care. Although many of the guidelines for nursing care of the premature infant population (< or = 36 weeks) apply, there are important considerations for preterm infants with an SCID diagnosis. This article provides background on SCID and identifies those special considerations--namely, multidisciplinary communication, infection prevention, thorough physical assessments, and parental support.

Gastrointestinal Manifestations of Non-AIDS Immunodeficiency

Most primary immunodeficiencies are diagnosed in children and, therefore, are managed by pediatricians and pediatric specialists. Generally, internists and adult gastroenterologists only rarely encounter patients with primary immunodeficiency, and have little or no involvement in actual treatment. However, gastroenterologists should be familiar with primary immunodeficiency because 1) current and future therapy for immunodeficiency will allow more patients to survive into adulthood, 2) some primary immunodeficiencies, particularly common variable immunodeficiency, may have their first clinical manifestation in adolescence or early adulthood, and 3) recently it has been hypothesized that Crohn's disease may be an immunodeficiency. Detailed treatment recommendations are not included in this review, as subspecialists in pediatrics, immunology, and hematology manage such treatments. Of far greater importance, even in this treatment-oriented forum, is the enhancement of our awareness of these disorders.