Twins with moyamoya disease

Moyamoya disease is a progressive disease which involves the internal carotid arteries and its branches bilaterally. The disease is reported both in adults and in children. Moyamoya disease is frequently seen in Japanese patients having certain human leucocyte antigen (HLA) haplotypes including HLA-Aw24, Bw46 and Bw54. Twin cases are rarely reported in the literature. We hereby present the first Turkish monozygotic twins with moyamoya disease whose HLA haplotypes are A2, A9, B21, Bw22, Bw4, Bw6, Cw3, and DR2, DR4, DRw52, DRw53, Dq7. The patients with advanced disease were given nifedipine and intravenous immunoglobulin (400mg/kg/d for 5 days). During the 11 months of follow-up, the patients were attack free.     

Human Leukocyte Antigens in Childhood Idiopathic Nephrotic Syndrome

An association of human leukocyte antigens (HLA) with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS) in childhood was studied to characterize the immunogenetic background. We determined the class I antigens using the microlymphocytotoxicity test as well as class II antigens (DRB, DQB, DQA) and class III antigen (complement 4) using DNA restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) in 36 children with INS. In the current study, neither the single allele in HLA class I antigen nor the single gene frequency in the class II region was significantly increased, in contrast to the results in Caucasian INS patients in whom a genetic predisposition to the HLA system, especially to HLA B8, DR3, and DR7, has been frequently reported. Also, in our data, the frequency of deletion of complement 4 gene was not different from that of the controls. These data suggest that there is a difference in immunogenetic background between Caucasian and Japanese INS patients as far as HLA is concerned.     

Importance of the study of allergy and determination of the HLA group in the lipoid nephrosis in children. Study of 8 cases

Eight children with steroid-response nephrotic syndrome were investigated to study the relation-ship between steroid responsive syndrome, allergy and HLA-antigens. Six of them had clinical and/or biological allergic symptoms. The allergen was identified in four out of six cases (grass-pollen 2 cases, house dust 1 case, frullania 1 case). Six children had DR7 HLA-antigen, five had B12 antigen. Three of the four children with cortico-dependent nephrotic syndrome have associated B12-DR7 HLA antigens. Search of an allergen seems to be of interest in children with steroid-responsive nephrotic syndrome, since eviction of the allergen may be proposed as a complement to cortico-therapy.     

Pattern of human leukocyte antigens in Turkish children with celiac disease

BACKGROUND: Regional variations in the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) distribution patterns of celiac disease (CD) have been reported. The aim of the present study was to assess the distribution of HLA class I and class II in Turkish children with CD and to compare the findings with a control group. METHODS: Human leukocyte antigen typing was performed in 33 children with CD and in 77 healthy individuals, who served as controls, by using standard National Institutes of Health lymphocytotoxicity techniques. RESULTS: A positive association was found between HLA A2 (42 vs 19% for sick subjects compared with healthy controls, respectively), B8 (39 vs. 9% for sick subjects compared with healthy controls, respectively), CW7 (45 vs. 25% for sick subjects compared with healthy controls, respectively), DR3 (70 vs. 17% for sick subjects compared with healthy controls, respectively), DR7 (30 vs. 13% for sick subjects compared with healthy controls, respectively) and DQ2 (52 vs. 34% for sick subjects compared with healthy controls, respectively). The combinations of DR3-DQ2 (30 vs. 12% for sick subjects compared with healthy controls, respectively), DR3-DR4 (21 vs. 1% for sick subjects compared with healthy controls, respectively) and DR7-DQ2 (21 vs. 6% for sick subjects compared with healthy controls, respectively) were also found to be significantly important in children with CD. The highest relative risk (RR) was for HLA B8 in class I (RR 6.50), for DR3 (RR 11.30) in class II and for combination of DR3-DR4 (RR 20.46). The highest etiologic fraction (EF) was for the DR3 antigen (EF 0.55). CONCLUSIONS: The present study emphasizes that HLA genotypes are an important background to CD development, but some additional susceptibility factors remain to be identified.     

Major histocompatibility complex antigens and immune mechanisms in steroid-responsive nephrotic syndrome

Although the pathogenesis of steroid-responsive nephrotic syndrome (SRNS) is obscure, involvement of an immune mechanism is often suggested. Further evidence of an immune basis for this disorder is an increased frequency of specific major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens. In the first part of this study, the phenotypic frequency of HLA-A, -B, -C, -DR antigens were investigated in 30 children with SRNS and in 630 controls. In the second part, total T (CD3⁺ cells) and B lymphocytes (CD19⁺ cells) and the lymphocyte subsets (CD4⁺, CD8⁺ cells and their ratio) were studied in the same patients and in 30 healthy children. The investigations of all the patients were performed during the acute stage and 14 of 30 during remission stage. Human leukocyte antigens (HLA) were determined by standard microlymphocytotoxicity assay and lymphocytes were analyzed by flow cytometry. Human leukocyte antigens A3, DR4, DR7 and the haplotype HLA-A2/B12 showed the strongest association with SRNS. In the studies for cellular immune disorder, CD3⁺ and CD8⁺ cells were found to be decreased significantly in the acute stage before beginning steroid therapy. No significant difference in lymphocyte subsets was observed in the remission stage without steroid or immunosuppressive therapy.     

HLA in Japanese Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus

Ninety-four Japanese patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and 388 healthy randomly selected Japanese were HLA typed. Significantly increased frequencies of Bw54, Cwl, DR4, B17 (Bw58), DR3 and DRw9 were observed. Simultaneously, the frequencies of Bw52 and DR2 in the patients were found to be significantly low as compared with those in helathy Japanese controls. It was suggested that one of the susceptibility genes to IDDM, which is associated with B8, DR3 haplotypes in Caucasoids, might be associated with B17 (Bw58), DR3 haplotypes in Japanese and in Chinese. Another susceptibility gene to IDDM associated with DR4 in Caucasoids might be associated with both DR4 and DRw9 in Japanese. A very rare variant of properdin factor B allotypes (BF*FT or BF*F075) was shown to be associated significantly with Japanese IDDM and with Bw52, DRw9 haplotypes.     

Langerhans cell histiocytosis patients have HLA Cw7 and DR4 types associated with specific clinical presentations and no increased frequency in polymorphisms of the tumor necrosis factor alpha promoter

BACKGROUND: Current theory on the etiology of Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH), formerly Histiocytosis-X, is that abnormality(ies) of the immune system are responsible for dysregulation of Langerhans cells (LC) in patients' lesions. Among the known abnormalities in LCH patients are increased amounts of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and other cytokines in the lesions. PROCEDURE: We investigated the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) phenotypes of 29 patients and 37 healthy family members to determine if any haplotypes segregate with the presence or locations of the disease. The lymphocyte subsets for 22 patients and 11 family members were also determined. RESULTS: Patients with single bone, multiple bone, or multi-system LCH had different relative proportions of HLA types. Patients presenting with single bone disease had an especially high frequency of the DR4 type. In this patient group, every Caucasian patient had either Cw7 or DR4. Lymphopenia was documented in patients who had been off therapy as well as those who only had surgical curetage of their lesions. Family members also had low numbers of T lymphocytes. There were fewer mutations of the TNF-alpha promoter in patients than in the general population. CONCLUSIONS: Although there is an increased percentage of LCH patients with DR4 and/or Cw7 there was also an increased prevalence of this antigen as well as lymphopenia among unaffected family members. Additional genetic and/or environmental factors are necessary to explain this association. TNF-alpha promoter mutations are not responsible for the increased production of this cytokine.     

肾小球系膜区微量IgM沉积在儿童微小病变型肾病综合征中的意义

目的 探讨肾小球系膜区微量IgM 沉积在儿童微小病变型原发性肾病综合征(PNS)中的意义。方法 以临床诊断为PNS、病理诊断为微小病变(MCD)及肾组织微量IgM 沉积的106 例患儿为研究组,无免疫复合物沉积的MCD 型PNS 患儿81 例为对照组,回顾性分析两组患儿的临床特点、微量IgM 沉积对糖皮质激素及免疫抑制剂疗效的影响。患儿均口服足量泼尼松治疗,对糖皮质激素耐药者或频复发者联用免疫抑制剂治疗。结果 研究组糖皮质激素耐药率高于对照组(27.2% vs 12.3%,PPP>0.05)。研究组和对照组频复发病例联用MMF 治疗后复发频率均显著减少(P结论 MCD 型PNS 患儿肾脏的微量IgM 沉积可能是糖皮质激素耐药及频复发的重要因素;糖皮质激素耐药及频复发患儿联用MMF 治疗可能是较好的治疗方案。     

Steroid-responsive nephrotic syndrome and allergy: immunological studies.

Immunological studies were performed on 84 children with steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome as part of an investigation of the relationship between steroid-responsive nephrotic syndrome and allergy. Serum total IgE levels tended to be raised, particularly in children who had frequent relapses of nephrotic syndrome. Ten children had extremely high levels (greater than 1500 IU/ml) and several of them had neither a history of atopy nor any other identifiable cause. 25% of the children had at least one positive test for specific IgE antibody. IgE was not detected by immunofluorescence in renal biopsy tissue from 25 children, regardless of whether the child was in remission or relapse at the time of biopsy. Serum IgG and IgA levels were depressed particularly at the time of a relapse. Serum IgM tended to be raised and to remain so, even in children who had been in remission for more than a year. No clinically useful relationship was found between the frequency of HLA antigens and the occurrence or course of the syndrome, whether or not accompanied by atopy. Clinical and immunological features of atopy are more common in children with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome. This may be a causal or non-causal association. Pollen sensitivity is a rare cause of nephrotic syndrome; careful search for provocative agents may show other causes.     

Islet cell and other organ-specific autoantibodies in healthy first-degree relatives to insulin-dependent

The presence of organ-specific autoantibodies including islet cell surface, cytoplasmic and cytotoxic as well as thyroid-gastric antibodies were determined in healthy, non-diabetic, first-degree relatives to 30 insulin-dependent diabetic (IDDM) children. Thirty healthy families without family-history of diabetes mellitus served as controls. The prevalence of organ-specific autoantibodies among the healthy members in the diabetic families was increased compared to the control families (p less than 0.005). Islet cell cytoplasmic antibodies were only detected in diabetes families, since 23% (7/30) of the probands and 7% (2/31) of the siblings were positive and all others negative. Organ-specific autoantibodies were associated with HLA DR3 only in the diabetes families (p less than 0.025) while autoantibody positive members in the control families were associated with HLA B7 (p less than 0.01). This study suggests that childhood IDDM occurs in families with an increased prevalence of organ-specific autoantibodies.     

Islet Cell and Other Organ-specific Autoantibodies in Healthy First-degree Relatives to Insulin-dependent

ABSTRACT. The presence of organ-specific autoantibodies including islet cell surface, cytoplasmic and cytotoxic as well as thyroid-gastric antibodies were determined in healthy, non-diabetic, first-degree relatives to 30 insulin-dependent diabetic (IDDM) children. Thirty healthy families without family-history of diabetes mellitus served as controls. The prevalence of organ-specific autoantibodies among the healthy members in the diabetic families was increased compared to the control families ( p <0.005). Islet cell cytoplasmic antibodies were only detected in diabetes families, since 23% (7/30) of the probands and 7% (2/31) of the siblings were positive and all others negative. Organ-specific autoantibodies were associated with HLA DR3 only in the diabetes families ( p <0.025) while autoantibody positive members in the control families were associated with HLA B7 ( p <0.01). This study suggests that childhood IDDM occurs in families with an increased prevalence of organ-specific autoantibodies.     

Cyclophosphamide treatment of steroid dependent nephrotic syndrome: comparison of eight week with 12 week course. Report of Arbeitsgemeinschaft für P?diatrische Nephrologie.

In a prospective study (Cytotoxic Drug Study II), 18 children with steroid dependent nephrotic syndrome and steroid toxicity were treated with cyclophosphamide (2 mg/kg body weight/day) for 12 weeks in combination with reducing doses of prednisone (group A). This group was compared retrospectively with 18 children with steroid dependent nephrotic syndrome, studied as part of the Cytotoxic Drug Study I, and who had received cyclophosphamide for eight weeks (group B). There were no differences between the groups in age at the onset of the nephrotic syndrome, age at entry into the study, and duration of the nephrotic syndrome before entry into the study. The number of relapses during the six months before the treatment was the same in both groups. Two years after treatment 12 of 18 children treated with cyclophosphamide for 12 weeks were still in remission. By contrast, only four of of 18 children treated with cyclophosphamide for eight weeks were still in remission. The cumulative rates of sustained remissions were significantly higher (67% and 22%, respectively) in group A. All relapses were observed within 400 days of stopping cytotoxic treatment. No severe side effects of cyclophosphamide occurred up to two years after treatment had been stopped. We conclude that for children with steroid dependent nephrotic syndrome and steroid toxicity cyclophosphamide treatment should be prolonged to 12 weeks to increase the likelihood of a prolonged remission.     

Progression to type 1 diabetes and autoantibody positivity in relation to HLA-risk genotypes in children participating in the ABIS study

Background:  Autoantibodies against beta-cell antigens together with human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-risk genotypes are used as predictive markers for type 1 diabetes (T1D). In this study, we have investigated the role of HLA-risk and -protective genotypes for development of beta-cell autoantibodies and progression to T1D in healthy children.
Methods:  T1D-related HLA genotypes and autoantibodies against glutamic acid decarboxylase [glutamic acid decarboxylase antibodies (GADA)] and islet antigen-2 (IA-2A) were studied at 1, 2.5 and 5 yr of age in unselected healthy children and children with T1D participating in the All Babies In Southeast Sweden (ABIS) study.
Results:  GADA or IA-2A positivity at 5 yr of age was associated with DR4-DQ8 haplotype and DR3-DQ2/DR4-DQ8 genotype. By the age of 6–7 yr, we identified 32 children with T1D among the 17 055 participants in the ABIS study. Eight of 2329 (0.3%) non-diabetic children had permanent autoantibodies, and 143 of 2329 (6%) children had transient autoantibodies. HLA-risk genotypes associated with T1D, whereas protective genotypes were seldom found in children with T1D. Children with permanent autoantibodies had more often risk-associated DR4-DQ8 haplotype than autoantibody-negative children. No associations with HLA-risk or -protective genotypes were found for transient autoantibodies.
Conclusions:  The strong relation between HLA-risk alleles and T1D once again confirmed that HLA-risk genotypes play an important role for development of T1D. However, HLA genotypes seem not to explain induction of autoantibodies, especially transient autoantibodies, in the general population, emphasizing the role of environmental factors in the initiation of autoimmunity. It seems that HLA-risk genotypes are responsible for maturation of the permanent autoantibody response.     

HLA-DQB1 allele associates with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome in Japanese children

HLA-DQA1 and -DQB1 genes were investigated in 30 Japanese children with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS) using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method. Compared with control children, there was a significant increase in the HLA-DQA1 *0501, DQB1 *0301 and DQB1 *0601 alleles, whereas the frequency of DQB1 *0501 showed a significant decrease in the patients. The increase of DQA1 *0501 can be explained as being a result of a linkage disequilibrium with DQB1 *0301. The previous result demonstrating a positive association of DRw6 and DRw8 with INS is also assumed to be attributable to a linkage disequilibrium with DQB1 *0301 and 0601. A total of 83% of patients compared with 37% of controls possessed DQB1 *0301 and/or DQB1 *0601 allele (P < 0.001, RR = 8.6). Only these alleles have alanine at residue 13 and tyrosine at residue 26 in the hypervariable region in the β1 domain of DQB1 gene. These findings suggest that the unique amino acid residues in the DQB1 gene may contribute to disease susceptibility in Japanese children with INS.     

Intermittent versus long-term tapering prednisolone for initial therapy in children with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome

Forty-six children with steroid-responsive nephrotic syndrome were randomly allocated to receive two different prednisolone regimens for initial therapy. Twenty-nine children (group 1) received an intermittent regimen (60 mg/m2/day for 4 weeks, followed by 40/mg/m2/day on 3 days a week for 4 weeks); 17 children (group 2) had a long-term regimen (60 mg/m2/day for 4 weeks, followed by the same dose on alternate days for 4 weeks and the doses tapered by 10 mg/m2, given on alternate days every 4 weeks for 5 months). There was no difference between the two groups in the regimen used to treat relapses, steroid responsiveness, number of patients with relapses, and frequency of toxic reactions to steroids. However, the number of patients with a relapse within 6 months after initial therapy and the number of those with frequent relapses or steroid dependence were significantly higher in group 1 than in group 2 (P less than 0.05 for both). The data indicate that the long-term tapering regimen appears to be both safe and preferable to the intermittent regimen for initial therapy in children with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome.     

Serum immunoglobulin G, M and IgG:IgM ratio as predictors for outcome of childhood nephrotic syndrome

Background  Nephrotic syndrome is an immune mediated disorder of the kidney associated with T cell dysfunction and secondary disturbance of B cell with changes in levels of immunoglobulin and IgG:IgM ratio. These changes in immunoglobulin levels can be used as a proxy marker to understand the clinical variety and prognosis of nephrotic syndrome. Methods  We studied 43 children with nephrotic syndrome during January 2003 to January 2005 in the Pediatric Nephrology Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Blood samples were collected from the 43 patients, and serum levels of IgG, IgM and IgG:IgM were measured by liquid phase immunoprecipitation assay. Another 20 healthy children attending the laboratory for blood grouping and hepatitis B screening test were enrolled as controls. Results  In the 43 children with nephrotic syndrome, 24 had steroid sensitive nephrotic syndrome (SSNS) and 19 steroid resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS). Compared with healthy children, the IgG level was low, IgM level was high, and IgG:IgM ratio was low (P<0.05). The serum IgG level and IgG:IgM ratio were significantly lower in children with SRNS and in children with frequent relapse (FRNS) combined with steroid dependent nephrotic syndrome (SDNS) than in those with infrequent relapse nephrotic syndrome (IFRNS) (P<0.05, respectively). Conclusions  Management of different nephrotic syndromes is based on the levels of immunoglobulins along with clinical and biochemical parameters. The decrease of IgG level as a predictive marker for unfavorable prognosis of nephrotic syndrome in children needs further evaluation in larger scale studies.     

Nature of the reaction of the immunocompetent cells in children with nephrotic syndrome and in their parents with different HLA phenotypes]

The purpose of the study was to analyze the character of the expression of the blood lymphocyte epitopes SD4, SD8 (EBLE SD4, SD8) in a series of the loading in-vitro tests in children suffering from the nephrotic syndrome, with different HLA haplotypes. Nine children with the hormone-sensitive nephrotic syndrome (HSNS) and hormone-resistant nephrotic syndrome (HRNS) and 11 parents were examined. Before and after the in-vitro loading with medicamentous agents EBLE SD4, SD8 were determined by flow cytofluorometry, while HLA antigens were tested by the standard micro-lymphocytotoxic method. The studies allowed revealing differences in the responses of EBLE SD8 to the in-vitro loading in children with the HRNS and HSNS. The character of EBLE SD4, SD8 in a child with the NS and its parents may attest to the involvement of those antigens in the pathogenetic component of the given disease.     

小儿肾病综合征肾脏病理与脂质紊乱的关系

目的：研究小儿肾病综合征(NS)肾脏病理与脂质紊乱的关系,为临床上正确选择合适的病例进行降脂治疗提供依据。方法：行肾穿刺活检术检查NS患儿病理类型。用免疫比浊法测定了45例非微小病变型(NMCD)患儿、10例微小病变型(MCD)患儿及80例健康儿童血脂、脂蛋白、载脂蛋白3个水平共7个脂质代谢指标。结果：临床表现为难治性肾病的NMCD患儿在激素正规治疗2月后仍有明显脂质紊乱,血胆固醇(TC),三酰甘油(TG),高密度脂蛋白胆固醇(HDL-C),低密度脂蛋白胆固醇(LDL-C),载脂蛋白AI(ApoAI),载脂蛋白B(ApoB),脂蛋白(a)［LP(a)］与对照组比较分别为(6.54±4.33) mmol/L vs (3.94±0.67) mmol/L,(3.45±2.56) mmol/L vs (0.91±0.32) mmol/L,(1.62±0.79) mmol/L vs (1.31±0.32) mmol/L,(2.69±0.87) mmol/L vs (2.15±0.58) mmol/L,(1.51±0.54) g/L vs (1.30±0.58) g/L,(1.45±0.54) g/L vs (0.67±0.16) g/L,(360.6±179.4) g/L vs (162.5±128.5) g/L,(除ApoAI P<0.05外,余均<0.01),差异有显著性意义。而MCD患儿的脂质紊乱均恢复正常。结论：NMCD患儿脂质紊乱持续的时间较长,有更易发生进行性肾脏损害,动脉粥样硬化及冠心病的可能。此类患儿应早用降脂药物治疗。     

Human leucocyte class I and II antigens in coeliac disease: a study in an Austrian paediatric population

Regional variations in the human leucocyte antigen (HLA) distribution patterns of coeliac disease (CD) have been reported. This study focuses on phenotype frequencies of a cohort of Austrian paediatric CD patients in comparison with those recorded in the literature. HLA class I and II typing was performed in 136 CD patients and 667 healthy controls from the general population of the same geographical area. The HLA phenotypes of our controls agreed with those published for Caucasians. In our patients the relative risks (RR) were 6.43 for DR3 and 2.52 for DR7, the aetiologic fractions being 0.58 respectively 0.24. The highest RR (7.78) was found for DR3/DR7 heterozygotes. The RR for DR5 was increased in heterozygosities, either with DR3 (3.34) or DR7 (5.53), yet not for DR5 alone. Of our patients, 10% were lacking both DR3 and DR7 as well as B8, 82% of them were positive for DQw3. In these DR3 and DR7 negative patients, DR4 and DR5 were significantly more frequent than in the others. DR5 was also significantly more common in these patients compared to controls lacking the same antigens, whereas this did not hold true for DR4. Prospective studies are required to determine any link between these HLA heterogeneities and long-term progression of the disease.     

IL-4可变串联重复序列区基因多态性在小儿激素敏感性肾病综合征复发中的意义

目的探讨IL-4基因VNTR区的基因多态性与小儿激素敏感性肾病综合征复发的关系。方法选择激素敏感性肾病综合征患儿55例,按发病后1年疾病复发情况分为频复发组28例和非频复发组27例(40例有肾活检资料)。对照组115例,选自健康献血员。采用聚合酶链式反应(PCR)及PCR产物测序方法,检测患儿与对照组IL-4基因VNTR区的基因型别。对48例患儿于发病初(频复发组23例,非频复发组25例)检测其血清IgE水平。结果(1)激素敏感性肾病综合征患儿和对照组IL-4基因VNTR区的基因型的分布差异无统计学意义(P>0·05)。(2)频复发组B1B1分布频率(96·4%)明显高于非频复发组(66·7%)(P<0·05)。(3)发病初期血清中IgE水平:频复发组为(1·98±0·23)g/L,非频复发组为(1·05±0·19)g/L(P<0·05)。B1B1组IgE水平为(1·68±0·18)g/L,B1B2和B2B2组为(0·81±0·21)g/L(P<0·05)。结论激素敏感性肾病综合征患儿携带IL-4VNTR区的B1B1基因型者,容易表现为频复发。