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Heinz JL, Swagemakers SMA, von Hofsten J, Helleberg M, Thomsen MM, De Keukeleere K, de Boer JH, Ilginis T, Verjans GMGM, van Hagen PM, van der Spek PJ, Mogensen TH. Whole exome sequencing of patients with varicella-zoster virus and herpes simplex virus induced acute retinal necrosis reveals rare disease-associated genetic variants. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1253040. [PMID: 38025266 PMCID: PMC10630912 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1253040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Herpes simplex virus (HSV) and varicella-zoster virus (VZV) are neurotropic human alphaherpesviruses endemic worldwide. Upon primary infection, both viruses establish lifelong latency in neurons and reactivate intermittently to cause a variety of mild to severe diseases. Acute retinal necrosis (ARN) is a rare, sight-threatening eye disease induced by ocular VZV or HSV infection. The virus and host factors involved in ARN pathogenesis remain incompletely described. We hypothesize an underlying genetic defect in at least part of ARN cases. Methods We collected blood from 17 patients with HSV-or VZV-induced ARN, isolated DNA and performed Whole Exome Sequencing by Illumina followed by analysis in Varseq with criteria of CADD score > 15 and frequency in GnomAD < 0.1% combined with biological filters. Gene modifications relative to healthy control genomes were filtered according to high quality and read-depth, low frequency, high deleteriousness predictions and biological relevance. Results We identified a total of 50 potentially disease-causing genetic variants, including missense, frameshift and splice site variants and on in-frame deletion in 16 of the 17 patients. The vast majority of these genes are involved in innate immunity, followed by adaptive immunity, autophagy, and apoptosis; in several instances variants within a given gene or pathway was identified in several patients. Discussion We propose that the identified variants may contribute to insufficient viral control and increased necrosis ocular disease presentation in the patients and serve as a knowledge base and starting point for the development of improved diagnostic, prophylactic, and therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna L. Heinz
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Sigrid M. A. Swagemakers
- Department of Pathology and Clinical Bioinformatics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Joanna von Hofsten
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Ophthalmology, Halland Hospital Halmstad, Halmstad, Sweden
| | - Marie Helleberg
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Center of Excellence for Health, Immunity and Infections, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Michelle M. Thomsen
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Kerstin De Keukeleere
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Joke H. de Boer
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Tomas Ilginis
- Department of Ophthalmology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Georges M. G. M. Verjans
- HerpeslabNL, Department of Viroscience, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Peter M. van Hagen
- Department of Internal Medicine and Immunology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Peter J. van der Spek
- Department of Pathology and Clinical Bioinformatics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Trine H. Mogensen
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
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Mogensen TH. Genetic susceptibility to viral disease in humans. Clin Microbiol Infect 2022; 28:1411-1416. [PMID: 35218976 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmi.2022.02.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 01/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND During the past decades studies on patients with severe viral infections have revealed rare inborn errors of immunity (IEI) underlying these diseases. This has led to important new insights into the molecular genetics and immunological mechanisms underlying susceptibility to viral infection in humans. OBJECTIVES Here the current knowledge on major IEI predisposing to severe or chronic viral infection are described and discussed, and the clinical implications of these findings for individualized prophylaxis and treatment are outlined. SOURCES The review is based on a broad literature search including relevant studies primarily based studies in patients, supported by experimental molecular models in vitro or in mice to characterize pathophysiological mechanism governing these disease conditions. CONTENT Current concepts and principles of genetic predisposition to viral infections in humans are described with a major focus on defects related to innate immune responses and new concepts of constitutive immune mechanisms. The topic therefore spans from seminal studies on the human genetics of herpesvirus infections in the central nervous system, severe influenza, and disease following vaccination with live attenuated viral vaccines, and finally mentioning genetic resistance to viral infection. IMPLICATIONS Past and present studies in patients with IEI conferring vulnerability to viral infections have taught us important lessons on protective innate and adaptive antiviral immunity in humans. Such knowledge also has important clinical implications allowing development of prophylactic and therapeutic solutions to prevent or dampen the clinical consequences of insufficient or dysregulated antiviral immunity in patients. Collectively, such measures are likely to improve patient management at an individualized level and also help societies reduce disease burden from viral infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trine H Mogensen
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.
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Brinck Andersen NS, Jørgensen SE, Skipper KA, Larsen SM, Heinz J, Thomsen MM, Farahani E, Cai Y, Hait AS, Kay L, Giehm Mikkelsen J, Høgsbjerg Schleimann M, Thomsen MK, Paludan SR, Mogensen TH. Essential role of autophagy in restricting poliovirus infection revealed by identification of an ATG7 defect in a poliomyelitis patient. Autophagy 2021; 17:2449-2464. [PMID: 33016799 PMCID: PMC8496727 DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2020.1831800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Revised: 09/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Paralytic poliomyelitis is a rare disease manifestation following poliovirus (PV) infection. The disease determinants remain largely unknown. We used whole exome sequencing to uncover possible contributions of host genetics to the development of disease outcome in humans with poliomyelitis. We identified a patient with a variant in ATG7, an important regulatory gene in the macroautophagy/autophagy pathway. PV infection did not induce a prominent type I interferon response, but rather activated autophagy in neuronal-like cells, and this was essential for viral control. Importantly, virus-induced autophagy was impaired in patient fibroblasts and associated with increased viral burden and enhanced cell death following infection. Lack of ATG7 prevented control of infection in neuronal-like cells, and reconstitution of patient cells with wild-type ATG7 reestablished autophagy-mediated control of infection. Collectively, these data suggest that ATG7 defect contributes to host susceptibility to PV infection and propose autophagy as an unappreciated antiviral effector in viral infection in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nanna-Sophie Brinck Andersen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus N, Denmark
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Sofie Eg Jørgensen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus N, Denmark
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | | | - Simon Müller Larsen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus N, Denmark
| | - Johanna Heinz
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus N, Denmark
| | - Michelle Mølgaard Thomsen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus N, Denmark
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Ensieh Farahani
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Yujia Cai
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Alon Schneider Hait
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus N, Denmark
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Lise Kay
- Department of poliomyelitis survivors, Specialhospitalet, Værløse, Denmark
| | | | | | | | | | - Trine H. Mogensen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus N, Denmark
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus N, Denmark
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Sabli IK, Sancho-Shimizu V. Inborn errors of autophagy and infectious diseases. Curr Opin Immunol 2021; 72:272-276. [PMID: 34371322 DOI: 10.1016/j.coi.2021.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Autophagy is a fundamental component of cell-autonomous immunity, targeting intracellular pathogens including viruses and cytosolic bacteria to lysosomes for degradation. Genetic mutations in components of the autophagy pathway result in autoinflammatory and neurodegenerative disorders. We focus on recent developments through the newly discovered inborn errors of autophagy strictly predisposing to severe viral infections. These feature mutations in TBK1, ATG4A, MAP1LC3B2, and ATG7, leading to herpes encephalitis, recurrent lymphocytic meningitis, and paralytic poliomyelitis. We highlight how this enhances our understanding of autophagy mechanisms and its role in human viral disease. As we better understand the contribution of these genes to disease, we can aim to develop targeted therapies for enhanced infection control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ira Kd Sabli
- Dept of Paediatric Infectious Diseases & Virology, Imperial College London, London, UK; Centre for Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Vanessa Sancho-Shimizu
- Dept of Paediatric Infectious Diseases & Virology, Imperial College London, London, UK; Centre for Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.
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Constitutive and latent immune mechanisms exert 'silent' control of virus infections in the central nervous system. Curr Opin Immunol 2021; 72:158-166. [PMID: 34062364 DOI: 10.1016/j.coi.2021.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Viral infections in the central nervous system (CNS) can lead to severe disease manifestations often mediated by a combination of viral cytopathic effects and immunopathology. Moreover, neuronal tissue and brain activities are highly sensitive to excessive inflammation that disturb homeostasis. Immune responses to virus infections in the CNS should therefore be tightly balanced and limited in magnitude and duration to avoid immunopathology and tissue damage. Recent data from genetic studies of patients with viral infections in the CNS as well as experimental cell and animal models have provided evidence of non-redundant roles for constitutive and latent immune mechanisms, which mediate a first line of antiviral control without significantly triggering inflammatory activities. Collectively, accumulating data suggest the existence of a layer of immune mechanisms in the CNS exerting immediate control of infection, hence buffering the need for activation of more potent immune reactions with inherent potential to induce immunopathology and disease.
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Wald ER, Schmit KM, Gusland DY. A Pediatric Infectious Disease Perspective on COVID-19. Clin Infect Dis 2021; 72:1660-1666. [PMID: 32766824 PMCID: PMC7454399 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciaa1095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
This review highlights the clinical and epidemiologic characteristics of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in children and neonates and contrasts these features with other common respiratory viruses. Although the majority of infections in children are mild, there are many important, as yet, unanswered questions (specifically, the attack rate in children and the role of children as vectors of infection) that will have a major impact on disease in adults. There are no distinctive clinical characteristics that will allow the infectious disease consultant to make the diagnosis without laboratory testing. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) appears to be less common, with lower morbidity and mortality than respiratory syncytial virus or influenza, and causes less-severe disease in children with cancer than these more common viruses. The range of severity of infection during pregnancy is comparable to infection in nonpregnant cohorts. Intrauterine infection has been documented but is uncommon. A theme of less-severe disease in individuals with modulated immune systems is emerging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen R Wald
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Kathryn M Schmit
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Daniele Y Gusland
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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Ellwanger JH, Kulmann-Leal B, Kaminski VDL, Rodrigues AG, Bragatte MADS, Chies JAB. Beyond HIV infection: Neglected and varied impacts of CCR5 and CCR5Δ32 on viral diseases. Virus Res 2020; 286:198040. [PMID: 32479976 PMCID: PMC7260533 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2020.198040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Revised: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
CCR5 regulates multiple cell types (e.g., T regulatory and Natural Killer cells) and immune responses. The effects of CCR5, CCR5Δ32 (variant associated with reduced CCR5 expression) and CCR5 antagonists vary between infections. CCR5 affects the pathogenesis of flaviviruses, especially in the brain. The genetic variant CCR5Δ32 increases the risk of symptomatic West Nile virus infection. The triad “CCR5, extracellular vesicles and infections” is an emerging topic.
The interactions between chemokine receptors and their ligands may affect susceptibility to infectious diseases as well as their clinical manifestations. These interactions mediate both the traffic of inflammatory cells and virus-associated immune responses. In the context of viral infections, the human C-C chemokine receptor type 5 (CCR5) receives great attention from the scientific community due to its role as an HIV-1 co-receptor. The genetic variant CCR5Δ32 (32 base-pair deletion in CCR5 gene) impairs CCR5 expression on the cell surface and is associated with protection against HIV infection in homozygous individuals. Also, the genetic variant CCR5Δ32 modifies the CCR5-mediated inflammatory responses in various conditions, such as inflammatory and infectious diseases. CCR5 antagonists mimic, at least in part, the natural effects of the CCR5Δ32 in humans, which explains the growing interest in the potential benefits of using CCR5 modulators for the treatment of different diseases. Nevertheless, beyond HIV infection, understanding the effects of the CCR5Δ32 variant in multiple viral infections is essential to shed light on the potential effects of the CCR5 modulators from a broader perspective. In this context, this review discusses the involvement of CCR5 and the effects of the CCR5Δ32 in human infections caused by the following pathogens: West Nile virus, Influenza virus, Human papillomavirus, Hepatitis B virus, Hepatitis C virus, Poliovirus, Dengue virus, Human cytomegalovirus, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus, Enterovirus, Japanese encephalitis virus, and Hantavirus. Subsequently, this review addresses the impacts of CCR5 gene editing and CCR5 modulation on health and viral diseases. Also, this article connects recent findings regarding extracellular vesicles (e.g., exosomes), viruses, and CCR5. Neglected and emerging topics in “CCR5 research” are briefly described, with focus on Rocio virus, Zika virus, Epstein-Barr virus, and Rhinovirus. Finally, the potential influence of CCR5 on the immune responses to coronaviruses is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel Henrique Ellwanger
- Laboratório de Imunobiologia e Imunogenética, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul - UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul - UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Bruna Kulmann-Leal
- Laboratório de Imunobiologia e Imunogenética, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul - UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul - UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Valéria de Lima Kaminski
- Laboratório de Imunobiologia e Imunogenética, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul - UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul - UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Laboratório de Imunologia Aplicada, Instituto de Ciência e Tecnologia - ICT, Universidade Federal de São Paulo - UNIFESP, São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Andressa Gonçalves Rodrigues
- Laboratório de Imunobiologia e Imunogenética, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul - UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Alves de Souza Bragatte
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul - UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil; Núcleo de Bioinformática do Laboratório de Imunobiologia e Imunogenética, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul - UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - José Artur Bogo Chies
- Laboratório de Imunobiologia e Imunogenética, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul - UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul - UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
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