Autoantibodies against type I IFNs in patients with life-threatening COVID-19

Interindividual clinical variability in the course of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is vast. We report that at least 101 of 987 patients with life-threatening coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia had neutralizing immunoglobulin G (IgG) autoantibodies (auto-Abs) against interferon-w (IFN-w) (13 patients), against the 13 types of IFN-a (36), or against both (52) at the onset of critical disease; a few also had auto-Abs against the other three type I IFNs. The auto-Abs neutralize the ability of the corresponding type I IFNs to block SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro. These auto-Abs were not found in 663 individuals with asymptomatic or mild SARS-CoV-2 infection and were present in only 4 of 1227 healthy individuals. Patients with auto-Abs were aged 25 to 87 years and 95 of the 101 were men. A B cell autoimmune phenocopy of inborn errors of type I IFN immunity accounts for life-threatening COVID-19 pneumonia in at least 2.6% of women and 12.5% of men

A NEW SYNDROME PRESENTING WITH DYSMORPHIC FACIES, OCULOCUTANEOUS ALBINISM, GLAUCOMA, CRYPTORCHIDISM AND MENTAL RETARDATION

A new syndrome presenting with dysmorphic facies, oculocutaneous albinism, glaucoma, cryptorchidism and mental retardation: We report a case with a new syndrome that presents with glaucoma, cryptorchidism, oculocutaneous albinism, ataxia, hypotonia, autistic behaviour besides various major and minor craniofacial dysmorphic, skeletal, and neuroimaging findings, and suggest that this case represents a new syndrome not reported previously

Vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms in breast cancer

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among women around the world and its incidence is annually increasing. The vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene is a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, which is expressed in breast tissue and known to modulate the rate of cell proliferation. Association between the VDR gene polymorphisms and cancer development has been suggested by several studies. However, the relationship between VDR polymorphisms and breast cancer is controversial and has not been confirmed by all studies. The purpose of this study was to investigate the genotype frequencies and association of the VDR Bsm I and Taq I polymorphisms with breast cancer in Turkish patients. In this study, 78 patients with breast cancer and 27 healthy individuals were. enrolled. The prevalence of the VDR Taq I and Bsm I alleles and the genotype frequencies in patients with breast cancer was similar to that in the normal population. Our data indicate that no significant differences exist between the patients and control subjects

SUDDEN VISION LOSS IN A MUCOPOLYSACCHARIDOSIS I PATIENT RECEIVING ENZYME REPLACEMENT THERAPY

Sudden vision loss in a mucopolysaccharidosis I patient receiving enzyme replacement therapy: A 25-year-old female was referred for short stature and joint deformities. Except for previous corneal transplantation, her medical history was unremarkable. Initial physical examination revealed the presence of a coarse facies. short neck, kyphosis, restricted joint movements and deformities, and cardiac murmur besides a normal intellect. Urine glycosaminoglycan levels were high, and blood enzyme assay indicated significantly low alpha-L-iduronidase levels. Mucopolysaccharidosis I (MPS I) was diagnosed and prompted the onset of enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), which significantly improved articular complaints, while cardiac pathology remained stable. At the eighteenth month of ERT, sudden vision loss developed. She spontaneously recovered her vision in a month. MPS I is a progressive disease, in which tissue accummulation of heparan and dermatan sulphate result from defective activity or lack of alpha-L-iduronidase. ERT in MPS I usually presents favourable outcomes or at least stabilization of symptoms. This present case qualities as the first report of a NIPS I patient developing sudden vision loss under ERT. We suggest that further research studies are warranted for defining the efficiency and possible limitations of ERT