3 research outputs found
How to: Diagnose inborn errors of intrinsic and innate immunity to viral, bacterial, mycobacterial, and fungal infections
Background: Inborn errors of intrinsic and innate immunity constitute the focus of a growing research field that investigates the molecular mechanisms underlying susceptibility to infections previously not considered part of the spectrum of inborn errors of immunity. These so-called nonconventional inborn errors of immunity often occur as infections caused by a narrow spectrum of microorganisms in otherwise healthy subjects.Objectives: This review aimed to provide a framework for identifying and evaluating patients with viral, bacterial, mycobacterial, and fungal infection needing further assessment for inborn errors of intrinsic and innate immunity.Sources: A literature search was performed using PubMed, from inception until 1 May 2022. The search included the following keywords: "inborn errors of immunity"; "inborn errors of innate immunity"; "primary immune deficiency"; "primary immunodeficiency"; "infections"; "infectious susceptibility"; "virus"; "pyogenic bacteria"; "mycobacteria"; "fungi". All article types were considered.Content: We review the definition of what can be considered an inborn error of immunity and how the definition changed over the last similar to 25 years. We further provide criteria to rule out secondary immunodeficiencies, identify patients needing further clinical and laboratory immunological assessment, and suspect and diagnose an inborn error of intrinsic and innate immunity. These steps are proposed as part of an algorithm. (C) 2022 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.GR-F
In-Depth Immunological Typization of Children with Sickle Cell Disease: A Preliminary Insight into Its Plausible Correlation with Clinical Course and Hydroxyurea Therapy
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a condition of functional hypo-/a-splenism in which predisposition to bacterial infections is only a facet of a wide spectrum of immune-dysregulation disorders forming the clinical expression of a peculiar immunophenotype. The objective of this study was to perform an in-depth immunophenotypical characterization of SCD pediatric patients, looking for plausible correlations between immunological biomarkers, the impact of hydroxyurea (HU) treatment and clinical course. This was an observational case–control study including 43 patients. The cohort was divided into two main groups, SCD subjects (19/43) and controls (24/43), differing in the presence/absence of an SCD diagnosis. The SCD group was split up into HU+ (12/19) and HU− (7/19) subgroups, respectively receiving or not a concomitant HU treatment. The principal outcomes measured were differences in the immunophenotyping between SCD patients and controls through chi-squared tests, t-tests, and Pearson’s correlation analysis between clinical and immunological parameters. Leukocyte and neutrophil increase, T-cell depletion with prevalence of memory T-cell compartment, NK and B-naĂ¯ve subset elevation with memory and CD21low B subset reduction, and IgG expansion, significantly distinguished the SCD HU− subgroup from controls, with naĂ¯ve T cells, switched-memory B cells and IgG maintaining differences between the SCD HU+ group and controls (p-value of <0.05). The mean CD4+ central-memory T-cell% count was the single independent variable showing a positive correlation with vaso-occlusive crisis score in the SCD group (Pearson’s R = 0.039). We report preliminary data assessing plausible clinical implications of baseline and HU-related SCD immunophenotypical alterations, which need to be validated in larger samples, but potentially affecting hypo-/a-splenism immuno-chemoprophylactic recommendations