Endocrine dysfunction in children with Shwachman-Diamond syndrome

Introduction: Shwachman-Diamond syndrome (SDS) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by pancreatic exocrine insufficiency, immune deficiency, bone marrow failure, and bone malformations. Systematic data concerning endocrine function in SDS are limited. We studied patients diagnosed in The Children’s Memorial Health Institute in Warsaw, Poland, to assess the prevalence of various endocrinopathies. Material and methods: In the pilot study, retrospective data were collected for 5 patients with SDS. Subsequently, patients with SDS aged 3–16 years were recruited prospectively. In total, 19 patients with mutations in the SBDS gene were studied. Data were collected on anthropometric measurements, systemic screening tests of pituitary, thyroid, adrenal, pancreatic, and gonadal function, as well as bone mineral density. Descriptive statistics were tabulated and group differences assessed. Results: Twelve patients (63%) had ≥ 1 endocrine disorder, including growth hormone dysfunction (10 patients, 53%), hypothyroidism (2 patients, 10%), congenital hypopituitarism (1 patient, 5%), and/or type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) (1 patient, 5%). The group of boys presented with a significantly lower height (–2.1 SD, p < 0.0001) and BMI (–1.0 SD, p < 0.00001). The group of girls also showed significantly lower height (–2.6 SD, p < 0.00001) and BMI (–0.7 SD, p < 0.0001). All patients had significantly lower height than their mid-parental height. Delayed bone age was found in 15 patients (84%) and osteopaenia in 12 of 15 patients (80%). Conclusions: Endocrine dysfunctions are common in SDS, especially growth hormone (GH) deficiency. Children with poor growth can benefit from an endocrinological evaluation and tests for GH deficiency. Bone mineral density measurements should be a part of a routine screening. Longitudinal studies are needed to better understand the aetiology and true prevalence of these disorders

Manifestation of severe congenital neutropenia in the oral cavity. Case report

Severe congenital neutropenia (SCN) comprises a heterogenous group of disorders characterized by a constantly low absolute neutrophil count (ANC) below 0.5 × 109/l in the peripheral blood and maturation arrest of the myelopoiesis in the bone marrow at the promyelocyte/myelocyte stage that lead to early onset of severe bacterial infections in affected patients. Clinical symptoms of congenital neutropenia include sepsis, recurrent respiratory tract infections, mouth ulceration, chronic gingivitis, bacterial skin infections, and urinary tract infections. Patients with SCN often develop periodontitis despite standard medical and dental care. We present oral symptoms in our patient afflicted with SCN due to homozygous mutations in the JAGN1 gene, based on 16 years of observation and treatment at the Paediatric Dentistry Clinic of Children’s Memorial Health Institute. In our patient, oral cavity changes typical for SCN – in the form of gingivitis and bleeding from periodontal tissues – appeared around the age of 2 and led to the premature loss of primary teeth. The patient also developed an advanced periodontal disease in the permanent dentition, resulting in the loss of 21 teeth at 15 years of age. Dental care of patients with SCN should be carried out in close cooperation with an immunologist, and dental procedures associated with the risk of bacteremia require antibiotic prophylaxis

Diagnosing Acute Cellular Rejection after Paediatric Liver Transplantation—Is There Room for Interleukin Profiles?

Background: The current gold standard to diagnose T-cell-mediated acute rejection (TCMR) requires liver histology. Using data from the ChilSFree study on immune response after paediatric liver transplantation (pLT), we aimed to assess whether soluble cytokines can serve as an alternative diagnostic tool in children suspected to have TCMR. Methods: A total of n = 53 blood samples obtained on the day of or up to 3 days before liver biopsy performed for suspected TCMR at median 18 days (range 7–427) after pLT in n = 50 children (38% female, age at pLT 1.8 (0.5–17.5) years) were analysed for circulating cytokine levels using Luminex-based Multiplex technology. Diagnostic accuracy of cytokine concentrations was assessed using a multivariable model based on elastic net regression and gradient boosting machine analysis. Results: TCMR was present in 68% of biopsies. There was strong evidence that patients with TCMR had increased levels of soluble CXCL8, CXCL9, CXCL10, IL-16, IL-18, HGF, CCL4, MIF, SCGF-β, and HGF before biopsy. There was some evidence for increased levels of sCD25, ICAM-1, IL-6, IL-3, and CCL11. Diagnostic value of both single cytokine levels and a combination of cytokines and clinical markers was poor, with AUROCs not exceeding 0.7. Conclusion: Patients with TCMR showed raised levels of cytokines and chemokines reflective of T-cell activation and chemotaxis. Despite giving insight into the mechanisms of TCMR, the diagnostic value of soluble cytokines for the confirmation of TCMR in a clinical scenario of suspected TCMR is poor

Human RIPK1 deficiency causes combined immunodeficiency and inflammatory bowel diseases

International audienc

Vaccination practices in pediatric transplantation: A survey among member centers of the European reference network <scp>TransplantChild</scp>

Background: There is considerable variation in vaccination practices between pediatric transplant centers. This study aims to evaluate active immunization attitudes and practices among ERN-TransplantChild centers and identify potential areas of improvement that could be addressed by shared evidence-based protocols. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire of attitudes and practices toward immunization of pediatric SOT and HSCT candidates and recipients was sent to a representative member of multidisciplinary teams from 27 European centers belonging to the ERN-TransplantChild. Results: A total of 28/62 SOT programs and 6/12 HSCT programs across 21 European centers participated. A quarter of centers did not have an on-site protocol for the immunizations. At the time of transplantation, pediatric candidates were fully immunized (80%-100%) in 57% and 33% of the SOT and HSCT programs. Variations in the time between vaccine administration and admission to the waiting list were reported between the centers, with 2 weeks for inactivated vaccines and variable time (2-4 weeks) for live-attenuated vaccines (LAVs). Almost all sites recommended immunization in the post-transplant period, with a time window of 4-8 months for the inactivated vaccines and 16-24 months for MMR and Varicella vaccines. Only five sites administer LAVs after transplantation, with seroconversion evaluated in 80% of cases. Conclusions: The immunization coverage of European pediatric transplant recipients is still inconsistent and far from adequate. This survey is a starting point for developing shared evidence-based immunization protocols for safe vaccination among pediatric transplant centers and generating new research studies