Congenital neutropenias (CNs) are rare heterogeneous genetic disorders, with about 25% of patients without known genetic defects. Using whole-exome sequencing, we identified a heterozygous mutation ...in the SRP54 gene, encoding the signal recognition particle (SRP) 54 GTPase protein, in 3 sporadic cases and 1 autosomal dominant family. We subsequently sequenced the SRP54 gene in 66 probands from the French CN registry. In total, we identified 23 mutated cases (16 sporadic, 7 familial) with 7 distinct germ line SRP54 mutations including a recurrent in-frame deletion (Thr117del) in 14 cases. In nearly all patients, neutropenia was chronic and profound with promyelocytic maturation arrest, occurring within the first months of life, and required long-term granulocyte colony-stimulating factor therapy with a poor response. Neutropenia was sometimes associated with a severe neurodevelopmental delay (n = 5) and/or an exocrine pancreatic insufficiency requiring enzyme supplementation (n = 3). The SRP54 protein is a key component of the ribonucleoprotein complex that mediates the co-translational targeting of secretory and membrane proteins to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). We showed that SRP54 was specifically upregulated during the in vitro granulocytic differentiation, and that SRP54 mutations or knockdown led to a drastically reduced proliferation of granulocytic cells associated with an enhanced P53-dependent apoptosis. Bone marrow examination of SRP54-mutated patients revealed a major dysgranulopoiesis and features of cellular ER stress and autophagy that were confirmed using SRP54-mutated primary cells and SRP54 knockdown cells. In conclusion, we characterized a pathological pathway, which represents the second most common cause of CN with maturation arrest in the French CN registry.
•Identification of SRP54 mutations in congenital neutropenia.•SRP54 mutations induce ER stress and autophagy associated with apoptosis.
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Treatment summaries and a personalized survivorship care plans based on internationally approved, organ-specific follow-up care recommendations are essential in preserving the health and quality of ...life for cancer survivors. Cohorts made up of survivors of childhood cancer have made significant contributions to the understanding of early mortality, somatic late complications, and psychosocial outcomes among former patients. New treatment protocols are needed to enhance survival and reduce the potential risk and severity of late effects, and working with treatment databases is crucial in doing so.
In the GOCE (Grand Ouest Cancer de l'Enfant Western Region Childhood Cancer) network, in a participative approach, we developed the LOG-after medical tool, on which health data are registered and can be extracted for analysis. Its name emphasizes the tool's goal, referring to 'logiciel' (the French word for software) that focuses on the period "after" the acute phase. This tool is hosted on a certified health data server. Several interfaces have been developed that can be used depending on the user's profile. Here we present this innovative co-constructed tool that takes national aspects into account, including the results of the feasibility/satisfaction study and its perspective.
The database contains data relating to 2558 patients, with samples from 1702 of these (66.54%) being held in a tumor bank. The average year in which treatment started was 2015 (ranging from December 1967 to November 2022: 118 patients were treated before 2012 and registered retrospectively when seen in long-term follow-up consultations or for another cancer since November 2021). A short questionnaire was distributed to healthcare professionals using the tool (physicians and research associates or technicians, n = 14), of whom 11 answered and were all satisfied. Access to the patient interface is currently open to 124 former patients. This was initially offered to 30 former patients who were over 15 years old, affected by the disease within the last 5 years, and had agreed to test it. Their opinions were collected by their doctor by e-mail, telephone, or during a consultation in an open-ended question and a non-directive interview. All patients were satisfied with the tool, with interest in testing it in the long term. Some former patients found that the tool provided them with some ease of mind; one, for instance, commented: "I feel lighter. I allow myself to forget. I know I will get a notification when the time comes."
Freely available to all users, LOG-after: (1) provides help with determining personalized survivorship care plans for follow-up; (2) builds links with general practitioners; (3) empowers the patient; and (4) enables health data to be exported for analysis. Database URL for presentation: https://youtu.be/2Ga64iausJE.
Summary
Childhood chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura (cITP) is a rare disease. In severe cases, there is no evidence for the optimal therapeutic strategy. Our aim was to describe the real‐life ...management of non‐selected children with cITP at diagnosis. Since 2004, patients less than 18 years old with cITP have been enrolled in the national prospective cohort, OBS’CEREVANCE. From 1990 to 2014, in 29 centres, 392 children were diagnosed with cITP. With a median follow‐up of six years (2·0–25), 45% did not need second‐line therapy, and 55% (n = 217) received one or more second lines, mainly splenectomy (n = 108), hydroxychloroquine (n = 61), rituximab (n = 61) or azathioprine (n = 40). The overall five‐year further second‐line treatment‐free survival was 56% 95% CI 49·5–64.1. The use of splenectomy significantly decreased over time. Hydroxychloroquine was administered to children with positive antinuclear antibodies, more frequently older and girls, and reached 55% efficacy. None of the patients died. Ten years after the initial diagnosis, 55% of the 56 followed children had achieved complete remission. Children with cITP do not need second‐line treatments in 45% of cases. Basing the treatment decision on the pathophysiological pathways is challenging, as illustrated by ITP patients with positive antinuclear antibodies treated with hydroxychloroquine.
Autoimmune cytopenia (AIC) in children may be associated with positive antinuclear antibodies (ANA) and may progress to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We evaluated the risk of progression to SLE ...of childhood-onset ANA-associated AIC. In the French national prospective OBS'CEREVANCE cohort, the long-term outcome of children with ANA-associated AIC (ANA titer ≥1/160) and a subgroup of children who developed SLE were described. ANA were positive in 355 of 1803 (20%) children with AIC. With a median follow-up of 5.8 (range, 0.1-29.6) years, 79 of 355 (22%) patients developed SLE at a median age of 14.5 (1.1-21.4) years; 20% of chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura, 19% of autoimmune hemolytic anemia, and 45% of Evans syndrome. None of the patients with ANA-negative test developed SLE. Severe manifestations of SLE were observed in 21 patients, and 2 patients died. In multivariate analysis including patients with positive ANA within the first 3 months after AIC diagnosis, age >10 years at AIC diagnosis (relative risk RR, 3.67; 95% confidence interval CI, 1.18-11.4; P = .024) and ANA titer >1/160 (RR, 5.28; 95% CI, 1.20-23.17; P = .027) were associated with the occurrence of SLE after AIC diagnosis. ANA-associated AIC is a risk factor for progression to SLE, especially in children with an initial ANA titer >1/160 and an age >10 years at AIC diagnosis. ANA screening should be recommended in children with AIC, and patients with ANA should be monitored long-term for SLE, with special attention to the transition period. This trial was registered at www.ClinicalTrials.gov as #NCT05937828.
We report a case of pulmonary mucormycosis in a patient with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The diagnosis of mucormycosis was initially based on mycological examination of a pulmonary specimen. ...However, we describe how it could have been made 2 months earlier using polymerase chain reaction assays targeting Mucorales species on serum specimens.
Background
Adult‐ and adolescent‐onset neuroblastomas are rare, with no established therapy. In addition, rare pheochromocytomas may harbor neuroblastic components. This study was designed to collect ...epidemiological, diagnostic and therapeutic data in order to better define the characteristics of malignant peripheral neuroblastic tumors (MPNT) and composite pheochromocytomas (CP) with MPNT.
Procedure
Fifty‐nine adults and adolescents (aged over 15 years) diagnosed with a peripheral or composite neuroblastic tumor, who were treated in one of 17 institutions between 2000 and 2020, were retrospectively studied.
Results
Eighteen patients with neuroblastoma (NB) or ganglioneuroblastoma (GNB) had locoregional disease, and 28 patients had metastatic stage 4 NB. Among the 13 patients with CP, 12 had locoregional disease. Fifty‐eight percent of the population were adolescents and young adults under 24 years of age. The probability of 5‐year event‐free survival (EFS) was 40% (confidence interval: 27%–53%).
Conclusions
Outcomes were better for patients with localized tumor than for patients with metastases. For patients with localized tumor, in terms of survival, surgical treatment was the best therapeutic option. Multimodal treatment with chemotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy‐based maintenance allowed long‐term survival for some patients. Adolescent‐ and adult‐onset neuroblastoma appeared to have specific characteristics associated with poorer outcomes compared to pediatric neuroblastoma. Nevertheless, complete disease control improved survival. The presence of a neuroblastic component in pheochromocytoma should be considered when making therapeutic management decisions. The development of specific tools/resources (Tumor Referral Board, Registry, biology, and trials with new agents or strategies) may help to improve outcomes for patients.
The spectrum of somatic mutations in pediatric histiocytoses and their clinical implications are not fully characterized, especially for non‐Langerhans cell histiocytosis (‐LCH) subtypes. A cohort of ...415 children with histiocytosis from the French histiocytosis registry was reviewed and analyzed for BRAFV600E. Most BRAFWT samples were analyzed by next‐generation sequencing (NGS) with a custom panel of genes for histiocytosis and myeloid neoplasia. Of 415 case samples, there were 366 LCH, 1 Erdheim‐Chester disease, 21 Rosai‐Dorfman disease (RDD), 21 juvenile xanthogranuloma (JXG, mostly with severe presentation), and 6 malignant histiocytosis (MH). BRAFV600E was the most common mutation found in LCH (50.3%, n = 184). Among 105 non‐BRAFV600E‐mutated LCH case samples, NGS revealed mutations as follows: MAP2K1 (n = 44), BRAF exon 12 deletions (n = 26), and duplications (n = 8), other BRAF V600 codon mutation (n = 4), and non‐MAP‐kinase pathway genes (n = 5). Wild‐type sequences were identified in 17.1% of samples. BRAFV600E was the only variant significantly correlated with critical presentations: organ‐risk involvement and neurodegeneration. MAP‐kinase pathway mutations were identified in seven RDD (mostly MAP2K1) and three JXG samples, but most samples were wild‐type on NGS. Finally, two MH samples had KRAS mutations, and one had a novel BRAFG469R mutation. Rarely, we identified mutations unrelated to MAP‐kinase pathway genes. In conclusion, we characterized the mutational spectrum of childhood LCH and clinical correlations of variants and subtypes. Variants responsible for JXG and RDD were not elucidated in more than half of the cases, calling for other sequencing approaches.
The posttreatment period is a key part of the management of pediatric cancer. During this time, school and psychological difficulties have been described in childhood cancer survivors (CCS) and can ...be prognostic for the success of social reintegration. This study estimated the influence of the household’s socioeconomic status (SES) on these psychosocial difficulties. This study is based on a prospective multicentric database and focused on children who received a psychosocial evaluation during their follow-up from 2013 to 2020. We retrieved data on school and psychological difficulties. Household SES was estimated by a social deprivation score. Data from1003 patients were analyzed. School difficulties were noted in 22% of CCS. A greater social deprivation was significantly associated with school difficulty. Tumor relapse, treatment with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and central nervous system (CNS) tumors remained significant risk factors. In the subgroup of CNS tumors, school difficulties were increased and associated with greater social deprivation. Psychological difficulties were not associated with the deprivation score. There is a link between SES and school difficulties in CCS. Further investigations should be carried out for children with CNS tumors, which is the population of the greatest concern.
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