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Pulmonary infection with mycobacterium tuberculosis and clonal B-cell expansion is described in a 26-year-old woman with granulomatous disease of lung, liver, and bone marrow as well as a late onset common variable immunodeficiency syndrome (CVID).
Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 40 patients with a variety of primary immunodeficiency diseases were examined for concanavalin A (Con A) inducible suppressor activity against proliferative response of autologous and allogeneic PBMC to phytohaemagglutinin (PHA). 45% (12/27) of the patients with common variable immunodeficiency and 86% (6/7) of the patients with selective IgA deficiency demonstrated lack of Con A-induced suppressor activity against proliferative response of autologous/allogeneic PBMC. 2 of 4 patients with X-linked agammaglobulin and both patients, each with Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome and ataxia-telangiectasia, also showed deficient suppressor function. This study demonstrates a deficiency of Con A-inducible suppressor-cell activity in a variety of immunodeficiency diseases. Possible underlying mechanisms for this functional defects are discussed.
Individuals with either primary or secondary immunodeficiencies are at high risk to develop not only infections but also malignancy (especially of the lymphoid system). The major focus of this paper is on malignancies that develop in immunodeficiency syndromes, particularly malignancies in naturally occurring immunodeficiencies and following bone marrow transplantation (BMT). As of August, 1986, 514 cases of naturally occurring immunodeficiencies have been registered at the Immunodeficiency Cancer Registry. Overall non-Hodgkin's lymphomas predominate in these patients, accounting for 48.6% of all cases. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is the predominant malignancy in ataxia-telangiectasia, common variable immunodeficiency, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS) and severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID). The histopathology of the lymphomas differs somewhat in each of the disorders. In WAS, large cell "histiocytic" lymphoma predominates, with most cases having the features of B lymphocytes, including pleomorphic immunocytoma and immunoblastic lymphoma. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in SCID also generally has B cell features and in some cases multiple copies of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) genomic DNA have been found in tumor tissue. In contrast to ataxia-telangiectasia, in which non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is also the predominant neoplasm, the morphology and cell marker characteristics are more similar to those seen in nonimmunodeficient children. The lymphomas in ataxia-telangiectasia are very heterogeneous with representation from all the major histologic subtypes. We have found no relationship between the degree of immunodeficiency and the development of malignancy. Immunodeficiency following BMT, as in naturally occurring immunodeficiencies, appears to predispose patients to the development of lymphoid malignancy, especially for recipients of partially mismatched bone marrow. In Minnesota 8 patients have developed B cell lympho-proliferative disorders (BLPD) following BMT.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Numerous flat and tinea versicolor-like warts developed on the face, trunk, and upper extremities of a 10-year-old boy with human immunodeficiency virus infection. Nucleic acid analysis of involved skin revealed human papillomavirus type 5, which has sometimes been associated with epidermodysplasia verruciformis. This human papillomavirus type has also been described in patients with common variable immunodeficiency and dyskeratosis congenita and in renal allograft recipients. Human immunodeficiency virus infection should be added to the list of immune-related disorders that predispose to widespread flat warts.
"Immune regulation: what immunodeficiency disease has taught us" is reviewed by discussing three immuno-deficiency disorders. Hypogammaglobulinemia, the first documented primary immunodeficiency disorder, has a well defined and uniform clinical presentation which reflects a variety of underlying abnormalities involving the B cell, T cell, and monocyte. X-linked hypogammaglobulinemia, transient hypogammaglobulinemia of infancy common variable immunodeficiency, and their pathogenesis are discussed. Combined immunodeficiency with adenosine deaminase (ADA) deficiency first led to the now accepted concept that a biochemical abnormality may result in immunodeficiency. The clinical presentation, possible biochemical abnormalities resulting in the observed immunodeficiency, relative selectivity of the defect for the immune system, and potential applications of knowledge gained from the study of ADA deficiency are presented. Acquired immunodeficiency (AIDS) has resulted in the concept that a virus is cytopathic for a specific population of T cells and that this, at least in part, results in the immunodeficiency seen in AIDS.
Circulating levels of T-cell subsets and NK cells were determined in 78 patients with primary immunodeficiencies, 35 children with recurrent respiratory infections, and healthy age-matched controls. Normal T cell and natural killer (NK) cell values were observed in individuals with immunoglobulin A (IgA) deficiency and X-linked agammaglobulinemia, while reduced OKT4/OKT8 cell ratios and low levels of 5/9+ T helper cells were found in approximately 60% of patients with common variable immunodeficiency. Infants with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) and lymphopenia had virtually no cells expressing T-cell or NK-cell surface antigens, but had normal numbers of monocytes and other types of blood cells. Infants with DiGeorge syndrome, other primary T-cell defects, or SCID with B cells had few or no circulating cells of mature T helper-suppressor phenotypes, but had normal numbers of NK cells (HNK-1+) and NK function. These results support the idea of a common stem cell precursor for T, B, and NK cells, each of which follows a separate pathway of differentiation. Profound alterations were observed in the distribution and function of T-cell subsets in ataxia-telangiectasia patients who were previously shown to have thymic dysplasia. A significant reduction in the frequencies of OKT3+ and OKT4+ cells was observed in children with frequent respiratory infections during infancy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The Spanish Registry for Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases (REDIP) was organized in 1993. One thousand sixty-nine cases of primary immunodeficiency diseases (PID) were registered in patients diagnosed between January 1980 and December 1995. PID diagnosis was made according to the World Health Organization criteria. The most frequent disorders were IgA deficiency (n = 394) and common variable immunodeficiency (n = 213), followed by severe combined immunodeficiency (n = 61), C1 inhibitor deficiency (n = 52), X-linked agammaglobulinemia (n = 49), IgG subclass deficiency (n = 48), and chronic granulomatous disease (n = 32). A comparative study between REDIP and data recently obtained from the European registry (ESID Report, 1995) revealed important differences between phagocytic disorders and complement deficiencies reported in both registries, 4.9 vs 8.7 and 6.0 vs 3.6, while percentages of predominantly antibody deficiencies and T cell and combined deficiencies concurred with those reported in the European registry, 69.3 vs 64.7 and 14.7 vs 20.2, respectively. The heterogeneous nature of the geographical distribution of cases submitted may indicate underdiagnosis of PID in some country areas; surprisingly, the interval between the onset of clinical symptoms and diagnosis was significant, even in immunodeficiency diseases, such as IgA deficiency, which are easy to diagnose.
Peripheral lymphocytes from eight patients with congenital immunodeficiency diseases were infected with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in an attempt to establish B lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCL). These patients included three boys with congenital agammaglobulinaemia, two girls with hypogammaglobulinaemia, one boy with common variable immunodeficiency, one boy with severe combined immunodeficiency with adenosine deaminase deficiency, and one boy with DiGeorge syndrome. Five of the patients bore no surface immunoglobulins (sIg) on their peripheral lymphocytes. LCL were established from seven of the eight patients. All the LCL established formed rosettes with EAC3 and had the ability to produce cytoplasmic immunoglobulins (cIg) of various classes. Culture supernatants concentrated up to 100-fold developed precipitin bands by Ouchterlony's method with antisera to human Ig in all the established LCL. These results suggested that both sIg-, cIg- and C3+ cells and sIg+, cIg- and C3+ cells might be the target cells for EBV and that sIg-, cIg- and C3+ cells might be the precursor cells of B lymphocytes.
IgA deficiency is the most common humoral defect in man and results in an increased susceptibility to respiratory tract and gastrointestinal infections. Both clinical and genetic data support a close relationship with common variable immunodeficiency, a disease which involves not only IgA and IgG production, but also, in half of the patients, IgM. It is likely that the two disorders represent an allelic condition with a variable expression of a common gene defect which is thought to be involved in the regulation of immunoglobulin class switching. It is possible that a single, autosomally inherited gene with a limited penetrance is responsible for the development of both these defects.
Immunoglobulin (Ig) synthesis and secretion by peripheral blood lymphocytes activated by pokeweed mitogen (PWM), and by phytohemagglutinin (PHA) was measured in normal individuals and in subjects with primary immunodeficiency. Unstimulated cultures demonstrated stable, low Ig synthesis of all major Ig classes; PWM showed a peak of Ig synthesis at day 5; PHA cultures demonstrated a late peak of ig production at day 9. Three cases of common variable immunodeficiency showed different patterns of data when the percentage of B cells in blood and Ig production in vitro were used as parameters. Two persons with immunodeficiency and thymoma showed decreased Ig production in vitro, and had suppressor cells capable of blocking Ig production by normal lymphocytes in co-cultivation experments.
The interactions between CD40 and CD40L (CD154) are critical for effective humoral immune response. CD40 signaling facilitates T lymphocyte dependent B cell proliferation and immunoglobulin isotype switch. The objective of our study was to investigate the CD40 and CD40L expression on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of children with symptomatic transient hypogammaglobulinemia (THI), common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) and selective IgA deficiency (SIgAD). Additionally we studied the production of IL-12 and IL-18 by PBMC stimulated with soluble CD40L. CD40 expression was analyzed on B cells and monocytes, CD40L on activated T lymphocytes, using flow cytometry following staining of the cells with appropriate MAb. We found that CD40 expression on B cells and CD40L on activated T cells were essentially similar in the control and patient groups, while the decreased CD40 expression on monocytes was observed in THI and SIgAD patients compared with normal subjects. The most significant decrease of CD40 expression was observed in THI (37% of positive cells) in comparison with control (81% of positive cells). IL-12, but not IL-18, release by PBMC was increased in THI and CVID, but not in SIgAD. In conclusion we suggest that the decreased expression of CD40 on monocytes of children with THI and SIgAD, but not CVID, may be involved in the pathomechanism of these immunodeficiencies.
Tables 1 and 2 highlight the enormous advances that have been made in the definition of the molecular defects underlying primary immunodeficiencies in the past decade. The identification of SAP as the gene defective in XLP now completes the molecular bases of all the recognised X linked syndromes. Of the autosomally inherited syndromes, only the genes for DiGeorge syndrome, hyper-IgE, and perhaps most importantly, common variable immunodeficiency remain to be elucidated. The major clinical benefits of this information have primarily been in offering more accurate and rapid molecular diagnoses. The ability to make a molecular diagnosis also increases the options for earlier definitive treatments such as bone marrow transplantation and somatic gene therapy. Finally, as illustrated by the studies on the functions of WASP and the gamma c/JAK-3 pathway, identification of the gene defect is the first step to understanding the molecular pathogenesis of the immunological abnormalities.
The function of B cells and highly purified T-cell subpopulations was studied in patients with various primary humoral immunodeficiencies. In the presence of normal T4+ cells B cells of the patients with X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA) were not capable either for IgM or IgG synthesis, whereas B cells of the patient with hyper-IgM syndrome and three of eight patients with common variable immunodeficiency (CVI) could produce normal amounts of IgM, but not IgG. All patients with XLA and the patient with hyper-IgM syndrome exhibited normal helper function by T4+ cells for both IgG and IgM synthesis of normal B cells. The function of CVI T4+ cells was variable. When the function of the patients' T8+ cells was tested against normal B cells, one CVI patient had overactive suppression capacity; in other patients the suppressor cell activity was normal. The findings indicate considerable heterogenicity in the function of lymphocyte subpopulations of the CVI patients.
OBJECTIVE: Chronic respiratory tract infections are a common problem in patients with severe humoral immunodeficiency despite intravenous immunoglobulin therapy (IVIG), often presenting as rhinosinusitis. METHODS: Because it is unclear whether IVIG is a good substitute at the mucosal surface, we analyzed immunoglobulin levels and inflammatory cytokines (ECP, IL-8, and TNF-alpha) in nasal secretions of 13 patients with common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) and in 10 patients with IgA deficiency. RESULTS: In patients with CVID, median IgG and IgM levels did not differ significantly from controls, whereas inflammatory cytokines were markedly elevated, reflecting persistent inflammation at the mucosal site. In contrast, patients with IgA deficiency showed significantly raised IgG and IgM levels, whereas ECP and TNF-alpha were only slightly increased. CONCLUSION: Low levels of SIgA might be compensated locally at the mucosal site by high levels of IgM and IgG. Our findings implicate that adequate IVIG is not sufficient to prevent chronic inflammation of the sinuses in patients with severe humoral immunodeficiency.
Epstein-Barr virus has been used as a B cell mitogen to explore the parallels between the B cells found in patients with hypogammaglobulinemia and the immature B cells in fetal tissues. Peripheral blood lymphocytes from 29 cases of late onset hypogammaglobulinemia (common variable immunodeficiency) and from 10 cases of X-linked hypogammaglobulinemia were depleted of T lymphocytes and stimulated with virus in vitro. Immunoglobulin production was measured over a 4-week culture period using inhibition radioimmunoassays for IgM, IgG, IgA and IgD. The results were compared with those seen with fetal liver cells, cord blood lymphocytes and adult lymphocytes. Virus-stimulated cells from fetal sources produced small amounts of IgG and IgA relative to IgM, the ratio of IgM to IgG in the second week being in all cases greater than 10. Similar patterns were seen in 25/29 cases of late onset hypogammaglobulinemia, and in the eight cases of X-linked hypogammaglobulinemia that responded in vitro. In contrast, the ratio of IgM to IgG was always less than 8 in cultures of normal adult peripheral blood or bone marrow lymphocytes, and also in cultures from four cases of hypogammaglobulinemia known independently to have abnormal circulating suppressor cells. Eight cases of selective IgA deficiency showed reduced IgA production; six of these showed a normal ratio of IgM to IgG production. Thus, the B lymphocytes which circulate in many patients with hypogammaglobulinemia are functionally immature.
Primary immune deficiencies (PIDs) are characterized by functional and/or quantitative abnormalities of one or more immune system components. Several bone and joint abnormalities can occur in patients with PID, with arthritis being the most common. Joint manifestations, of which arthritis is the most common, occur chiefly in humoral PIDs (agammaglobulinemia, common variable immunodeficiency, hyper-IgM syndromes, and IgA deficiency) and occasionally in other PIDs (chronic granulomatous disease and Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome). Monoarthritis or oligoarthritis is the usual pattern, although polyarthritis may occur, occasionally with nodules suggesting rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis in patients with PID is usually infectious in nature, the most common causative organism being Mycoplasma, followed by Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, and Haemophilus. These bacteria can induce not only synovial infections, but also aseptic arthritogenic inflammatory responses. Arthritis having no demonstrable relation to chronic infection has been reported also and ascribed to dysimmunity-driven mechanisms that exhibit a number of specific features. Bone lesions are far less common and usually due to infections complicating humoral PID. Distinctive bone manifestations occur in a number of rare PIDs (e.g., hyper-IgE syndrome and Di George syndrome) and in syndromes characterized by spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia. Familiarity with PID syndromes both enhances the diagnostic capabilities of physicians and provides insight into the pathophysiology of bone and joint abnormalities associated with immune dysfunction. In children and occasionally in adults, a combination of bone and/or joint manifestations and hypogammaglobulinemia may indicate PID. When there is no evidence of lymphoproliferative disease, infection, or iatrogenic complications, investigations for PID should be obtained. PID-related arthritis is a unique model for studying the pathogenesis of presumably postinfectious arthritis and of inflammatory joint diseases including rheumatoid arthritis.
The molecular mechanisms of the primary immunodeficiencies have been further explored and provide insights into the regulation of the immune response and its role in autoimmune disease, infection, and malignancy. The critical role of CD40-CD40 ligand-mediated effects in T cell-dependent B cell activation, shown through the study of patients with common variable immunodeficiency and hyper IgM syndrome, suggests a potential narrow target for immunomodulatory therapy. A mouse model for chronic granulomatous disease has been developed and promises to be a source of future information. Optimal cost-effective therapy for primary immunodeficiencies continues to be defined, with the results of a large series of patients treated with subcutaneous immunoglobulin infusions reported. Further experience with polyethylene glycol adenosine deaminase and interleukin-2 conjugates is discussed.
A 2 1/2-year-old boy presented with recurrent respiratory tract infections, generalized lymphadenopathy and hepatosplenomegaly. Immunologic evaluation revealed a deficiency of humoral immunity. Repeated lymph node biopsies during a 10-year follow-up constantly showed excessive follicular hyperplasia with huge germinal centers consisting of germinoblasts, but lacking plasma cells. The disease can be interpreted as a subtype of the common variable immunodeficiency in which the commutation of germinoblasts to plasma cells in the evolution of B cells is blocked.