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Gazzin A, Pala F, Bosticardo M, Niemela J, Stoddard J, Biasin E, Quarello P, Carli D, Ferroni F, Delmonte OM, Montin D, Rosenzweig SD, Licciardi F, Notarangelo LD. Mulibrey nanism and immunological complications: a comprehensive case report and literature review. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1303251. [PMID: 38116000 PMCID: PMC10728670 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1303251] [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: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Mulibrey nanism (MUL) is a rare disorder caused by TRIM37 gene variants characterized by growth failure, dysmorphic features, congestive heart failure (CHF), and an increased risk of Wilms' tumor. Although immune system impairment has been documented in MUL, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Methods We present a case of MUL with progressive lymphopenia and review similar cases from the literature. Results Our patient presented with prenatal onset growth restriction, characteristic dysmorphic features, and Wilms' tumor. She developed progressive lymphopenia starting at 10 years of age, leading to the initiation of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) replacement therapy and infection prophylaxis. Genetic analysis detected a likely pathogenic variant on the maternal allele and copy number loss on the paternal allele in TRIM37. Subsequently a cardiac magnetic resonance imaging was conducted revealing signs of pericardial constriction raising concerns for intestinal lymphatic losses. The cessation of IVIG therapy did not coincide with any increase in the rate of infections. The patient exhibited a distinct immunological profile, characterized by hypogammaglobulinemia, impaired antibody responses, and skewed T-cell subsets with an altered CD4+/CD8+ ratio, consistent with previous reports. Normal thymocyte development assessed by artificial thymic organoid platform ruled out an early hematopoietic intrinsic defect of T-cell development. Discussion The immunological profile of MUL patients reported so far shares similarities with that described in protein-losing enteropathy secondary to CHF in Fontan circulation and primary intestinal lymphangiectasia. These similarities include hypogammaglobulinemia, significant T-cell deficiency with decreased CD4+ and CD8+ counts, altered CD4+/CD8+ ratios, and significantly modified CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell phenotypes toward effector and terminal differentiated T cells, accompanied by a loss of naïve CD45RA+ T lymphocytes. In MUL, CHF is a cardinal feature, occurring in a significant proportion of patients and influencing prognosis. Signs of CHF or constrictive pericarditis have been evident in the case reported here and in all cases of MUL with documented immune dysfunction reported so far. These observations raise intriguing connections between these conditions. However, further investigation is warranted to in-depth define the immunological defect, providing valuable insights into the pathophysiology and treatment strategies for this condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Gazzin
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, Immune Deficiency Genetics Section, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
- Postgraduate School of Pediatrics, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Francesca Pala
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, Immune Deficiency Genetics Section, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Marita Bosticardo
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, Immune Deficiency Genetics Section, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Julie Niemela
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Jennifer Stoddard
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Eleonora Biasin
- Pediatric Onco-Hematology, Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Division, Regina Margherita Children’s Hospital, Turin, Italy
| | - Paola Quarello
- Pediatric Onco-Hematology, Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Division, Regina Margherita Children’s Hospital, Turin, Italy
| | - Diana Carli
- Immunogenetics and Transplant Biology Unit, Città della Salute e della Scienza University Hospital, Turin, Italy
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Francesca Ferroni
- Department of Pediatric Cardiology, City of Health and Science University Hospital, Turin, Italy
| | - Ottavia M. Delmonte
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, Immune Deficiency Genetics Section, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Davide Montin
- Department of Public Health and Pediatrics, University of Turin, Pediatria Specialistica U, “Regina Margherita” Children Hospital, Turin, Italy
| | - Sergio D. Rosenzweig
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Francesco Licciardi
- Department of Public Health and Pediatric Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Luigi D. Notarangelo
- Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, Immune Deficiency Genetics Section, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
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Mantell BS, Azeka E, Cantor RS, Carlo WF, Chrisant M, Dykes JC, Hoffman TM, Kirklin JK, Koehl D, L'Ecuyer TJ, McAllister JM, Prada-Ruiz AC, Richmond ME. The Fontan immunophenotype and post-transplant outcomes in children: A multi-institutional study. Pediatr Transplant 2023; 27:e14456. [PMID: 36591863 DOI: 10.1111/petr.14456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 09/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients after Fontan palliation represent a growing pediatric population requiring heart transplant (HTx) and often have lymphopenia (L) and/or hypogammaglobinemia that may be exacerbated by protein-losing enteropathy (PLE, P). The post-HTx effects of this altered immune phenotype are not well studied. METHODS In this study of the Pediatric Heart Transplant Society Registry, 106 Fontan patients who underwent HTx between 2005 and 2018 were analyzed. The impact of lymphopenia and PLE on graft survival, infection, rejection, and malignancy was analyzed at 1 and 5 years post-HTx. RESULTS The following combinations of lymphopenia and PLE were noted: +L+P, n = 37; +L-P, n = 23; -L+P, n = 10; and -L-P, n = 36. Graft survival between the groups was similar within the first year after transplant (+L+P: 86%, +L-P: 86%, -L+P: 87%, -L-P: 89%, p = .9). Freedom from first infection post-HTx was greatest among -L-P patients compared to patients with either PLE, lymphopenia, or both; with a 22.1% infection incidence in the -L-P group and 41.4% in all others. These patients had a significantly lower infection rate in the first year after HTx (+L+P: 1.03, +L-P: 1, -L+P: 1.3, -L-P: 0.3 infections/year, p < .001) and were similar to a non-single ventricle CHD control group (0.4 infections/year). Neither freedom from rejection nor freedom from malignancy 1 and 5 years post-HTx, differed among the groups. CONCLUSIONS Fontan patients with altered immunophenotype, with lymphopenia and/or PLE, are at increased risk of infection post-HTx, although have similar early survival and freedom from rejection and malignancy. These data may encourage alternative immunosuppression strategies and enhanced monitoring for this growing subset of patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin S Mantell
- Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, Columbia University Irving Medical Center of NewYork-Presbyterian, New York, New York, USA
| | - Estela Azeka
- Heart Institute (InCor), University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ryan S Cantor
- Kirklin Institute for Research in Surgical Outcomes, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Waldemar F Carlo
- Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Children's of Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Maryanne Chrisant
- The Heart Institute, Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital, Hollywood, Florida, USA
| | - John C Dykes
- Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford, Palo Alto, California, USA
| | - Timothy M Hoffman
- Division of Pediatric Cardiology, North Carolina Children's Hospital, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - James K Kirklin
- Kirklin Institute for Research in Surgical Outcomes, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Devin Koehl
- Kirklin Institute for Research in Surgical Outcomes, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Thomas J L'Ecuyer
- Division of Pediatric Cardiology, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Jennie M McAllister
- Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, Columbia University Irving Medical Center of NewYork-Presbyterian, New York, New York, USA
| | - Adriana C Prada-Ruiz
- Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, Delaware, USA
| | - Marc E Richmond
- Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, Columbia University Irving Medical Center of NewYork-Presbyterian, New York, New York, USA
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Moosmann J, Schroeder C, Cesnjevar R, Rottermann K, Weigelt A, Dittrich S. Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte and Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratio in Univentricular Patients From Birth to Follow-Up After Fontan-Predicting Lymphatic Abnormalities. Front Pediatr 2021; 9:740951. [PMID: 34956972 PMCID: PMC8692875 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2021.740951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Reliable laboratory parameters identifying complications after Fontan surgery including the lymphatic abnormalities and the development of protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) are rare. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocte ratio (PLR) are inflammatory markers and have been studied to predict outcome and prognosis in various diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate NLR and PLR from birth to follow-up after Fontan and evaluate their use as prognostic parameters for single ventricle patients regarding the development of lymphatic malformations during follow-up. Materials and Methods: Sixty-six univentricular patients who underwent Fontan surgery and had 6-month follow-up magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with T2 weighted lymphatic imaging after total cavopulmonary connection (TCPC) surgery were included in the study. NLR and PLR were determined at specific time points, from neonatal age to follow-up after Fontan operation and correlated to data from the MRI 6 months after Fontan. Results: NLR and PLR increase significantly over time from the first surgery during infancy to the follow-up after Fontan (both p < 0.0001), with a significant increase after the Glenn surgery for both ratios (each p < 0.0001). Higher NLR (p = 0.002) and higher PLR (p = 0.004) correlated with higher-grade classification of lymphatic abnormalities in T2-weighted imaging 6 months after Fontan surgery and higher NLR correlated with higher transpulmonary gradient prior to Fontan surgery (p = 0.035) Both ratios showed a significant correlation to total protein at follow-up (NLR p = 0.0038; PLR<0.0001). Conclusion: Increased NLR and PLR correlate with higher degree lymphatic malformations after TCPC and therefore might contribute as valuable additional biomarker during follow-up after TCPC. NLR and PLR are simple, inexpensive and easily available parameters to complement diagnostics after TCPC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Moosmann
- Department of Pediatric Cardiology, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Christian Schroeder
- Department of Pediatric Cardiology, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Robert Cesnjevar
- Department of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Kathrin Rottermann
- Department of Pediatric Cardiology, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Annika Weigelt
- Department of Pediatric Cardiology, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Sven Dittrich
- Department of Pediatric Cardiology, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
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