The patients, aged between 5 and 12 years, exhibited the phenotypic variability associated with TMEM173-activating mutations,2-4 with lung disease and systemic inflammation being the major features ...in patient 1 (P1) and patient 3 (P3), while in patient 2 (P2) skin involvement was most prominent (Fig 1; see Supplemental Text and Table E1 in this article's Online Repository at www.jacionline.org). Modest and incomplete downregulation of ISG was recently described in splenic B cells of mice treated with tofacitinib, a JAK1/3 inhibitor, with differential signaling effects suggesting currently poorly understood facets of IFN regulation.9 In this regard, our kinetic ex vivo experiments provide insights into the rapid dynamic changes in IFN signaling secondary to JAK1 blockade.
Background Blau syndrome (BS) and Crohn disease (CD) are both characterized by granulomatous inflammation and related to nucleotide oligomerization domain 2 (NOD2) mutations. Objective This study ...aimed to define the morphologic and immunohistochemical characteristics of granulomas in patients with NOD2 -related BS and CD. Methods Granuloma-containing biopsy specimens from 6 patients with BS and 7 pediatric patients with CD carrying NOD2 mutations or single nucleotide polymorphisms were studied for morphology, cellular composition, and cytokine expression by using hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunohistochemistry. Results Biopsy specimens from patients with BS typically showed polycyclic granulomas with large lymphocytic coronas, extensive emperipolesis of lymphocytes within multinucleated giant cells (MGCs), MGC death, and fibrinoid necrosis and fibrosis. In contrast, biopsy specimens from patients with CD showed simple granulomas with subtle/absent lymphocytic coronas, sclerosis of the surrounding tissue, and polymorphonuclear cells. Findings found to be similar in all granulomas were as follows: CD68 and HLA-DR expression by epithelioid cells, monocyte-macrophage lineage cells and MGCs, increased lymphocytic HLA-DR expression, increased CD4+ /CD8+ T-cell ratio, and CD20+ B lymphocytes evenly distributed within and around granulomas. In both patient groups prominent IFN-γ expression was found in and around granulomas, and TNF-α and IL-23 receptor expression was moderate. IL-6, IL-17, and TGF-β expression was prominent in granulomas from patients with BS but sporadic in granulomas from patients with CD. IL-10 expression was absent. Conclusion Granulomas from patients with BS and granulomas from patients with NOD2 -associated CD show distinct morphologic features and cytokine expression patterns, suggesting that the TH 17 axis might be involved in the pathogenesis of BS, whereas TH 1 is important in both patients with BS and patients with CD.
Abstract Objective RASopathies (Noonan syndrome (NS) and Noonan-related syndromes) are neurodevelopmental syndromes resulting from germline mutations in genes that participate in the rat ...sarcoma/mitogen-activated protein kinases (RAS/MAPK) pathway (PTPN11, SOS1, RAF, KRAS or NRAS, and SHOC2). Some monogenic conditions are associated with the development of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and a few reports described the association of SLE with NS. We aim to search for a relationship between RASopathy and the development of SLE. Methods We reported for the first time a case of 13-year-old boy with NS with loose anagen hair (NSLAH) resulting from mutation in SHOC2 who developed an autoimmune disorder that fulfilled four American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria for the classification of SLE (polyarthritis, pericarditis, antinuclear antibodies, and anti-DNA antibodies). The case report then prompted a literature review by a systematic search for English and French articles on the subjects of RASopathies and SLE that had English abstracts in PubMed from 1966 to 2012. Results We identified seven additional patients with RASopathy and SLE. The male-to-female ratio was 1:1 and age at onset of SLE ranged from 5 to 32 years. The most common features were polyarthritis (7/8 patients), autoimmune cytopenia (4/8 patients), and pericarditis (4/8 patients) while only one patient presented with skin involvement. Conclusion The association of two rare diseases in eight patients suggests that RASopathies may be associated with the development of SLE, which is characterized by a higher male-to-female ratio, a lower rate of skin involvement, and a higher rate of pericarditis than “classic” SLE.
Systemic-onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis is an inflammatory disease of unknown cause and is not commonly associated with kidney involvement. We describe 3 patients with systemic-onset juvenile ...idiopathic arthritis with high disease activity who developed antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated glomerulonephritis 1-6 years after the onset of systemic-onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Renal and systemic-onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis remission occurred in one patient under anti–interleukin 1 (anti–IL-1) treatment associated with immunosuppressive drugs. The other 2 patients developed end-stage renal disease, and one of those patients died. This report suggests that the diagnosis of ANCA-associated glomerulonephritis must be considered in patients with systemic-onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis with persistently active systemic disease who present with proteinuria. Furthermore, use of an anti–IL-1 agent might be an effective therapeutic option.
Pyruvate kinase (PK) deficiency is asymptomatic in heterozygotes, but it can lead in homozygous neonates to a severe neonatal hemolysis, sometimes life-threatening. We report five cases, with a 1- to ...17-month delayed diagnosis, highlighting the need to measure PK activity in neonates and parents in case of an hemolysis at birth.
Abstract Objectives We studied the clinical phenotypes and tolerance to treatments in a series of patients affected by both inflammatory joint diseases and mastocytosis. Methods This retrospective ...multicenter study was conducted on behalf of 3 networks focused on mastocytosis, pediatric, and adults’ inflammatory joint diseases. Patients who displayed both mastocytosis and inflammatory joint diseases were included. Results A total of 31 patients were included. They had spondyloarthritis (SpA) (16 patients), rheumatoid arthritis (6 patients), juvenile idiopathic arthritis (2 patients), and undifferentiated arthritis (7 patients). The median ages at diagnosis of arthritis and mastocytosis were 44 and 40.5 years, respectively. Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) were required in 22 patients, comprising mostly methotrexate (13 patients), salazopyrin (8 patients), anti-tumor-necrosis-factor agents (7 patients), and corticosteroids (9 patients). They were well tolerated. Adverse events occurred in 2/24 patients receiving non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The prevalence of SpA among the 600 patients included in the mastocytosis cohort was 2.33%, which is significantly higher than the prevalence of SpA in the French population ( p < 0.001). Conclusions This study suggests that mastocytosis is associated with a higher prevalence of SpA than expected, and that DMARDs, notably anti-TNFα agents, are well tolerated in patients with mastocytosis. Mast cells might be involved in the development of SpA.
Three children with Kawasaki disease had liver biopsies because of evidence of hepatic disease. Cholangitis or bile duct injury and proliferation were found. Similar damage to the hepatic ductular ...system may explain the hydrops of the gallbladder sometimes seen in this disease.