Hyper-IgM immunodeficiency with disseminated cryptococcosis

We describe two siblings with X-linked hyper-IgM immunodeficiency. One patient developed disseminated cryptococcosis. Co-culture of this patient's T cells with normal B cells suppressed IgC and IgA production. The CD40 ligand gene of one patient was examined and contained a nonsense mutation at nucleotide 475. CD40 ligand is a membrane protein which is expressed on activated T cells and induces B-cell proliferation. These results suggest that there is a defect in T- and B-cell interactions in this immunodeficiency syndrome. It is also possible that patients with this syndrome are predisposed to cryptococcal infections.     

CHARGE association with neuroblastoma

The CHARGE association, choanal arresia or coloboma with multiple anomalies, is rare. A newborn boy with CHARGE association was referred to our hospital because of bilateral choanal atresia. Additionally, he had left renal aplasia, one of the anomalies associated with this syndrome. A right suprarenal neuroblastoma (stage IV) was diagnosed when the patient was 5 months old. At operation, great care was taken not to injure the right kidney, and resection of the primary tumor as well as radical dissection of the right renal hilar and para-aortic lymph nodes were performed without difficulty. The patient received postoperative chemotherapy with vincristine, cyclophosphamide, and adriamycin for 2 years and is alive without recurrence 5 years after the operation. No report of the CHARGE association with a malignancy has appeared in the literature. The relationship between the CHARGE association and malignant tumors is still obscure, so that further study is necessary to define it.     

T-cell immunodeficiency in CHARGE syndrome

CHARGE syndrome comprises coloboma of the eye, heart defects, choanal atresia, growth and developmental retardation, genitourinary anomalies and ear and hearing defects. The association between CHARGE syndrome and T-cell immunodeficiency is recognized, but has not been reported widely in the literature. We report four patients meeting the diagnostic criteria for CHARGE syndrome, who had moderate or severe T-cell lymphopenia complicated by infections. The patients presented in Leicester, UK, between 2000 and 2007. All patients were negative for 22q11.2 deletions by FISH analysis, but mutations in the CHD7 gene were identified in three patients in whom the analysis was performed. Our cases indicate that patients with CHARGE syndrome may have a spectrum of T-cell immune deficiency, and that this association may be more common than has previously been appreciated. We recommend that all patients diagnosed with CHARGE syndrome should have lymphocyte subsets evaluated as part of their initial investigation.
Conclusion: Thymic hypoplasia should be included in the clinical features associated with CHARGE syndrome. All patients with CHARGE syndrome should have lymphocyte subset analysis performed, to exclude T-cell immunodeficiency.     

X-linked Hyper-IgM Syndrome: A Phenotype of Crohn's Disease with Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis

X-linked hyper-immunoglobulin M (IgM) syndrome is characterized by recurrent infections, low or undetectable levels of IgG and IgA, and normal to increased serum IgM, and is also rare. It is associated with mutation in the gene encoding CD40 ligand. This study aimed to describe the first international report of hemizygous CD40LG c.542G>A mutation in a 5-year-old boy with a phenotype of Crohn's disease and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. Also, the clinical implications of this mutation and associated atypical phenotype are discussed.     

Oesophageal atresia and the CHARGE association

We report two boys with oesophageal atresia and the CHARGE association, both of whom eventually died from the effects of their cardiac anomalies. It is important to distinguish the CHARGE association from the VATER association because the former collection of anomalies conveys a much gloomier prognosis than the latter. Offprint requests to: A. Valente     

Congenital heart disease in CHARGE association

Summary This study reviews the spectrum of congenital heart disease and associated anomalies in 59 patients with the CHARGE association. We have analyzed our clinical experience in managing the cardiovascular anomalies and have reviewed outcome and risk factors for mortality. This study also highlights problems of cardiac management in children born with multiple system involvement. Twenty patients have died; actuarial survival was 78% at 1 year and 60% at 10 years. In only four of the nonsurvivors could their demise be ascribed to their underlying congenital heart disease. We found the outlook for survival was poor if more than one of the following three features were present; cyanotic cardiac lesions, bilateral posterior choanal atresia, or tracheoesophageal fistula. However, mortality was largely due not to the structural heart or choanae abnormalities, but instead reflected the underlying pharyngeal and laryngeal incoordination which resulted in aspiration of secretions. Furthermore, outcome is likely to be improved if collaboration between specialist surgical teams allows necessary procedures to be performed using the minimum of anesthetics. Examination of both the short-and long-term management of these children has stressed the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to their care. The pattern of cardiac defects was not random; lesions within the Fallot spectrum accounted for 33% of their congenital heart disease. Atrioventricular septal defects were also overrepresented. Not all cardiovascular defects could be explained by hypothesizing a neural crest etiology.     

Immunological reconstitution by allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in a child with the X-linked hyper-IgM syndrome

A successful transplantation of sibling marrow in a patient with the X-linked hyper-IgM syndrome is reported. Engraftment of HLA-identical marrow cells was obtained, although complicated by grade I acute graft-versus-host disease. Expression of the CD40 ligand (CD40L, CD154) by activated T-cells from the recipient remained at low levels until 10 months after the transplantation, but then normalized. The patient is now fully competent in immune function without any episodes of severe infection 24 months later. Conclusion Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation is a reasonable therapeutic option for X-linked hyper-IgM syndrome if HLA-matched family donors are available. Whether dysregulation of CD40L expression causes post-transplant immunological abnormalities remains to be clarified. Received: 25 May 1998 / Accepted in revised form: 17 July 1998     

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia in CHARGE syndrome

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) has been rarely described in CHARGE syndrome. We report a patient affected by CHARGE syndrome presenting with a right-sided Bochdalek-type diaphragmatic hernia, and collect the pertinent literature. Furthermore, we review the embryogenesis of the diaphragm and the pathogenesis of CDH to highlight if this malformation could be explained by a developmental anomaly of CHARGE. On the basis of our study, we suggest that patients affected by CDH, facial asymmetry and cardiovascular or urogenital malformations, should be actively screened for CHARGE syndrome findings.     

Esophageal atresia and tracheo-esophageal fistula associated with coarctation of the aorta,CHARGE association,and DiGeorge syndrome: a case report and literature review

CHARGE association and DiGeorge syndrome (DGS) rarely occur together and only eight cases have been reported in the English literature. Two were associated with esophageal atresia (EA) and severe congenital heart anomalies. We report a third case of EA with tracheoesophageal fistula (EA-TEF) associated with coarctation of the aorta (CoA), CHARGE association, and DGS. The challenge for management in this complicated case is the background DGS which influences surgical outcome because of Ca++ imbalance and immune deficiency that can be life-threatening and require bone marrow transplantation.     

拷贝数变异致高IgM综合征1例并文献复习

目的 探讨拷贝数变异致高IgM综合征的临床特征、免疫学特点及基因测序情况。方法 对1例拷贝数变异致高IgM综合征患儿的临床、实验室及遗传资料进行分析,并检索拷贝数变异所致高IgM综合征的相关文献。结果 患儿男,生后反复感染,伴黄疸及门静脉海绵样变性,血IgG及IgA下降,血中性粒细胞减少。父母非近亲结婚,无阳性家族史。高通量测序常规生物信息分析未发现致病突变,拷贝数变异分析示CD40LG基因大片段缺失,DNA样本CD40LG基因1-5号外显子PCR无扩增,cDNA扩增无产物。流式细胞术检测淋巴细胞CD40L蛋白表达缺如。文献检索结果显示,高IgM综合征以点突变最为多见,CD40LG、AICDA基因存在拷贝数变异报道。结论 拷贝数变异与点突变所致的高IgM综合征临床表现、免疫学指标无明显差异。对临床可疑高IgM综合征但二代测序未发现致病突变的病例需进行拷贝数变异分析。     

CHARGE综合征2例报告并文献复习

目的探讨CHARGE综合征的临床特征及诊断。方法回顾分析2例确诊因CHD7基因变异导致CHARGE综合征患儿的临床资料,并以"CHARGE综合征、CHD7基因"为关键词,检索PubMed、HGMD、中国知网及万方数据库1998年1月-2018年6月收录的文献进行复习。结果 2例男性患儿分别为4月余、8岁2个月。均表现为生长发育缓慢,伴有听力障碍、动脉导管未闭;例1伴有视力障碍,例2伴睾丸隐匿。基因检测例1为CHD7基因第29外显子c.5883CT(p.Arg1945*)杂合无义变异,例2为CHD7基因第12外显子c.2966GA(p.C989Y)杂合变异。例1患儿CHD7位点突变导致编码的CHD7蛋白截短而致病;例2患儿CHD7位点变异,除本身可能导致的错义突变致病外,也可能导致SRp55蛋白结合的ESE(TGCATT)位点消失,影响pre-mRNA剪接的准确率,进而影响CHD7蛋白的功能。共检索到CHD7基因相关CHARGE综合征文献107篇,涉及到1 021例患者。HGMD收录的CHD7基因突变数据共计817个。结论 CHARGE综合征表现多样、涉及多系统,CHD7基因检测有助于诊断。     

Unrelated partially matched lymphocyte infusions in a patient with complete DiGeorge/CHARGE syndrome

We present an infant with cDGS overlapping with CHARGE syndrome, who suffered from T-cell deficiency treated with screened healthy DLI from an unrelated donor (8/10 match). The first dose of DLI (1.1 x 10(6) CD3+/kg) was administered at the age of six months, the second one (0.9 x 10(6) CD3+/kg) 36 days later. No conditioning was employed, GvHD prophylaxis consisting of CsA was used only during the second infusion. Since day+10 after the first DLI, split chimerism showing T-cell engraftment has been documented. Proliferative response to PHA was detected on day+145. The treatment was complicated by severe acute GvHD (grade II-III) after the first DLI and prolonged chronic liver cholestatic GvHD developing after the second DLI. Vigorous EBV proliferation four wk after the second DLI was accompanied by peripheral expansion of CD8+ donor cells. The patient, 26-months old, is clinically well and has slowly started to gain his developmental milestones. We believe that infusions of small doses of DLI from an unrelated donor represent a potentially helpful therapeutic option in patients with cDGS/CHARGE phenotype.     

Vestibular anomalies in CHARGE syndrome: investigations on and consequences for postural development

Recently, vestibular anomalies have been described as a frequent feature in children with coloboma-heart-atresia-retarded-genital-ear (CHARGE) syndrome. They are likely to play an important role in the psychomotor retardation affecting these children. In order to test this hypothesis, we prospectively performed complete vestibular investigations in a series of 17 CHARGE syndrome patients including inner ear CT scan and functional vestibular evaluation of both canal and otolith functions. These results were correlated with the postural anomalies observed during the children's development and showed that vestibular dysfunction is a constant feature in CHARGE syndrome and has very good sensitivity for confirming the diagnosis. Anomalies of semicircular canals were frequently found (94%), easily detectable on CT scan and associated with no response on canal function evaluation. They were considered as partly responsible for the retardation of postural stages. Vestibular functional tests were consistently abnormal but allowed detection of residual otolith function in most patients (94%). All children of this series had an atypical pattern of postural behaviour that we consider to be related to their vestibular anomalies. Residual otolith function seems to have a positive influence for postural development. Conclusion Vestibular investigations are valuable for diagnosis, developmental assessment, and adaptation of specific rehabilitation programmes in CHARGE syndrome patients. Received: 26 August 1999 / Accepted: 5 January 2000     

Congenital rubella syndrome, hyper-IgM syndrome and autoimmunity in an 18-year-old girl

Congenital rubella syndrome can be associated with disgammaglobulinaemia and autoimmune phenomena in adult and paediatric population. The aim of this article is to present the association between a congenital rubella syndrome with hypogammaglobulinaemia and hyper IgM diagnosed at the age of 8 months and autoimmune manifestations in an 18-year-old girl. A medical chart review of this patient since admission at our institution at 8 months of age was carried out. During infancy she presented the classical manifestations of a rubella syndrome (sensorineural deafness and brain calcifications in basal ganglia) with respiratory and gastrointestinal infections. She was also diagnosed of localised scleroderma and thyroiditis. She has been on intravenous immunoglobulin since diagnosis, with rapid normalisation of IgG and IgM levels, decreased incidence of infectious processes, but with persistent autoimmune phenomena. At 18 years of age she was admitted because of a thyroid mass. Fine needle aspiration biopsy was not conclusive and thyroidectomy was performed. Pathology studies showed no malignancy. She is now on replacement therapy with thyroid hormones. Our aim is to emphasise the importance of the association between autoimmune phenomena in patients with immunodeficiencies, even secondary to some infections, and the increased frequency of malignancies owing to the persistent immunologic defect in this syndrome.     

Role of rare cases in deciphering the mechanisms of congenital anomalies: CHARGE syndrome research

In this review, our work on CHARGE syndrome will be used to exemplify the role of rare cases in birth defects research. The analysis of 29 cases with mutations of CHD7, the causative gene for CHARGE syndrome, clarified the relative importance of the cardinal features, including facial nerve palsy and facial asymmetry. Concurrently, in situ hybridization using chick embryos studies were performed to delineate the expression pattern of Chd7. The Chd7-positive regions in the chick embryos and the anatomical defects commonly seen in patients with CHARGE syndrome were well correlated: expression in the optic placode corresponded with defects such as coloboma, neural tube with mental retardation, and otic placode with ear abnormalities. The correlation between expression in the branchial arches and nasal placode with the clinical symptoms of CHARGE syndrome, however, became apparent when we encountered two unique CHARGE syndrome patients: one with a DiGeorge syndrome phenotype and the other with a Kallman syndrome phenotype. A unifying hypothesis that could explain both the DiGeorge syndrome phenotype and the Kallman syndrome phenotype in patients with CHARGE syndrome may be that the mutation in CHD7 is likely to exert its effect in the common branch of the two pathways of neural crest cells. As exemplified in CHARGE syndrome research, rare cases play a critical role in deciphering the mechanisms of human development. Close collaboration among animal researchers, epidemiologists and clinicians hopefully will enhance and maximize the scientific value of rare cases.     

Necrotizing toxoplasmic encephalitis in a child with the X-linked hyper-IgM syndrome

We report on a 9-year-old boy with the hyper-IgM syndrome who presented with rapid impairment of consciousness. The brain CT scan showed multiple round lucencies, and the brain histology revealed necrotizing toxoplasmic encephalitis. This patient, whose CD40/CD40 ligand system was impaired, indicates the importance of this system for defence against toxoplasmic infection. Conclusion Although disseminated toxoplasmosis is a rare complication of the hyper-IgM syndrome, it must be included in the differential diagnosis of infections. Received: 31 July 1997 / Accepted in revised form: 9 February 1998     

Establishment of immunity against Epstein‐Barr virus infection in a patient with CHARGE/complete DiGeorge syndrome after peripheral blood lymphocyte transfusion

CHARGE syndrome is a rare congenital malformation syndrome which may share symptoms with DiGeorge syndrome. Complete DiGeorge syndrome (cDGS) is a severe form of DiGeorge syndrome, characterized by a CD3+ T‐cell count of <50/mm³ due to athymia, and is fatal without immunologic intervention. We performed peripheral blood lymphocyte transfusion (PBLT) from an HLA‐identical sibling without pretransplant conditioning in a CHARGE/cDGS patient with a novel CHD7 splice site mutation. Cyclosporine and short‐term methotrexate were used for graft versus host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis, and neither acute nor chronic GVHD was observed. After PBLT, T‐cell proliferative response to phytohemagglutinin and concanavalin A recovered, and intractable diarrhea improved. EBV infection, evidenced by a gradual increase in the viral genome copy number to a maximum of 2861 copies/μgDNA on day 42 after PBLT, resolved spontaneously. HLA A2402 restricted, EBV‐specific CTLs were detected from peripheral blood on day 148, and EBV seroconversion was observed on day 181. Thus, EBV‐specific immunity was successfully established by PBLT. Our results indicate that PBLT is a simple and effective therapy to reconstitute immune systems in CHARGE/DiGeorge syndrome.     

Humoral immune responses and CD27+ B cells in children with DiGeorge syndrome (22q11.2 deletion syndrome)

The spectrum of T-cell abnormalities in 22q11.2 syndrome is quite broad, ranging from profound and life threatening to non-existent defects. Humoral abnormalities have been described in some of these patients, although no data are currently available on their phenotypical and functional B cell subsets. The purpose of this study was to investigate humoral immune function in a cohort of 13 children with DiGeorge syndrome by immunophenotyping B and by analysing their functionality in vivo. Humoral immunity was assessed by serum immunoglobulin evaluation, IgG subclasses determination, and testing of specific antibody titers to recall antigens. B cells were analyzed by flow cytometry and the relevant percentage of membrane surface expression of CD27, IgM, IgD was evaluated. In our cohort, one of 13 children (7.7%) had a complete IgA deficiency, four of 13 (30.7%) had minor immunoglobulin abnormalities, and five (38%) had an impaired production of specific antibodies. Five of 13 children (38%) had recurrent infections. Interestingly, peripheral CD27+ B cells were reduced in our patients as compared with age-matched healthy controls, and this decrement was statistically significant for IgM+ IgD+ CD27+ B cells. Immunoglobulin abnormalities were associated with the occurrence of recurrent infections. We conclude that a significant proportion of patients with DiGeorge syndrome have defective humoral immunity, which may represent an additional pathogenic mechanism underlying the increased susceptibility to infections. Whether the decreased CD27+ B-cell subset might be one of the defects that contribute to impaired humoral immunity, and to susceptibility to infection remains to be elucidated.