Disrupted N-linked glycosylation as a disease mechanism in deficiency of ADA2

Deficiency of adenosine deaminase 2 is characterized by vasculitis, early-onset strokes, immunodeficiency, and bone marrow failure. We describe a novel pathogenic mutation affecting a consensus N-linked glycosylation sequence and illustrate the essential role of glycosylation in the biology of ADA2.

A genome-wide association study identifies a novel susceptibility locus for the immunogenicity of polyethylene glycol

Conjugation of polyethylene glycol (PEG) to therapeutic molecules can improve bioavailability and therapeutic efficacy. However, some healthy individuals have pre-existing anti-PEG antibodies and certain patients develop anti-PEG antibody during treatment with PEGylated medicines, suggesting that genetics might play a role in PEG immunogenicity. Here we perform genome-wide association studies for anti-PEG IgM and IgG responses in Han Chinese with 177 and 140 individuals, defined as positive for anti-PEG IgM and IgG responses, respectively, and with 492 subjects without either anti-PEG IgM or IgG as controls. We validate the association results in the replication cohort, consisting of 211 and 192 subjects with anti-PEG IgM and anti-PEG IgG, respectively, and 596 controls. We identify the immunoglobulin heavy chain (IGH) locus to be associated with anti-PEG IgM response at genome-wide significance (P = 2.23 × 10^-22). Our findings may provide novel genetic markers for predicting the immunogenicity of PEG and efficacy of PEGylated therapeutics.Some individuals develop antibodies against the polyethylene glycol that is commonly used in therapeutic preparations. Here the authors conduct a GWAS in Han Chinese and find the IGH locus is associated with anti-PEG IgM.

Extending the Clinical Phenotype of Adenosine Deaminase 2 Deficiency

Adenosine deaminase 2 deficiency is an autoinflammatory disease, characterized by various forms of vasculitis. We describe 5 patients with adenosine deaminase 2 deficiency with various hematologic manifestations, including pure red cell aplasia, with no evidence for vasculitis.

A 24-Year Enzyme Replacement Therapy in an Adenosine-deaminase-Deficient Patient

Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) is a fatal childhood disease unless immune reconstitution is performed early in life, with either hematopoietic stem cell transplantation or gene therapy. One of its subtypes is caused by adenosine deaminase (ADA) enzyme deficiency, which leads to the accumulation of toxic metabolites that impair lymphocyte development and function. With the development of polyethylene glycol-conjugated adenosine deaminase (PEG-ADA) enzyme replacement therapy, many ADA-deficient children with SCID who could not receive a hematopoietic stem cell transplantation or gene therapy survived and had longer and healthier lives. We report a 24-year course of treatment in a patient who was diagnosed with ADA deficiency at 4 months of age. The patient was treated with PEG-ADA, which was the only therapy available for him. The patient's plasma ADA level was regularly monitored and the PEG-ADA dose adjusted accordingly. This treatment has resulted in near-normalization of lymphocyte counts, and his clinical course has been associated with only minor to moderate infections. Thus far, he has had no manifestations of autoimmune or lymphoproliferative disorders. This patient is among the longest to be maintained on PEG-ADA enzyme replacement therapy.

Impulse oscillometry identifies peripheral airway dysfunction in children with adenosine deaminase deficiency

Adenosine deaminase-deficient severe combined immunodeficiency (ADA-SCID) is characterized by impaired T-, B- and NK-cell function. Affected children, in addition to early onset of infections, manifest non-immunologic symptoms including pulmonary dysfunction likely attributable to elevated systemic adenosine levels. Lung disease assessment has primarily employed repetitive radiography and effort-dependent functional studies. Through impulse oscillometry (IOS), which is effort-independent, we prospectively obtained objective measures of lung dysfunction in 10 children with ADA-SCID. These results support the use of IOS in the identification and monitoring of lung function abnormalities in children with primary immunodeficiencies.

Diagnosis, Treatment and Long-Term Follow Up of Patients with ADA Deficiency: a Single-Center Experience

PURPOSE

We carried out a retrospective analysis of 27 patients with Adenosine Deaminase (ADA) deficiency diagnosed in a single center from 1997 to the 2013, for evaluating whether data regarding types of disease-inducing mutations, biochemical and immunological features as well as clinical outcomes of patients treated with enzyme replacement or transplantation, were comparable to those obtained in multicenter studies.

METHODS

The ADA deficiency diagnosis was performed with biochemical, immunological and molecular techniques. Ten patients treated with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and three in treatment with enzyme replacement were followed up in our center.

RESULTS

Twenty-four different mutations were identified and five were not previously reported. Identical mutations were found among patients from the same Romani ethnic group or from the same geographical region. A more rapid recovery was observed in enzyme replacement treated patients in comparison with those transplanted that, however, showed a continuous and long-lasting improvement both in terms of immune and metabolic recovery.

CONCLUSION

The data obtained in our single center are comparable with those that have been reported in multicenter surveys.

Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium (CPIC) guidelines for human leukocyte antigen B (HLA-B) genotype and allopurinol dosing: 2015 update

The Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium (CPIC) Guidelines for HLA-B*58:01 Genotype and Allopurinol Dosing was originally published in February 2013. We reviewed the recent literature and concluded that none of the evidence would change the therapeutic recommendations in the original guideline; therefore, the original publication remains clinically current. However, we have updated the Supplemental Material and included additional resources for applying CPIC guidelines into the electronic health record. Up-to-date information can be found at PharmGKB (http://www.pharmgkb.org).

Outcomes in two Japanese adenosine deaminase-deficiency patients treated by stem cell gene therapy with no cytoreductive conditioning

OBJECTIVE

We here describe treatment outcomes in two adenosine deaminase (ADA)-deficiency patients (pt) who received stem cell gene therapy (SCGT) with no cytoreductive conditioning. As this protocol has features distinct from those of other clinical trials, its results provide insights into SCGT for ADA deficiency.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Pt 1 was treated at age 4.7 years, whereas pt 2, who had previously received T-cell gene therapy, was treated at age 13 years. Bone marrow CD34(+) cells were harvested after enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) was withdrawn; following transduction of ADA cDNA by the γ-retroviral vector GCsapM-ADA, they were administered intravenously. No cytoreductive conditioning, at present considered critical for therapeutic benefit, was given before cell infusion. Hematological/immunological reconstitution kinetics, levels of systemic detoxification, gene-marking levels, and proviral insertion sites in hematopoietic cells were assessed.

RESULTS

Treatment was well tolerated, and no serious adverse events were observed. Engraftment of gene-modified repopulating cells was evidenced by the appearance and maintenance of peripheral lymphocytes expressing functional ADA. Systemic detoxification was moderately achieved, allowing temporary discontinuation of ERT for 6 and 10 years in pt 1 and pt 2, respectively. Recovery of immunity remained partial, with lymphocyte counts in pts 1 and 2, peaked at 408/mm(3) and 1248/mm(3), approximately 2 and 5 years after SCGT. Vector integration site analyses confirmed that hematopoiesis was reconstituted with a limited number of clones, some of which were shown to have myelo-lymphoid potential.

CONCLUSIONS

Outcomes in SCGT for ADA-SCID are described in the context of a unique protocol, which used neither ERT nor cytoreductive conditioning. Although proven safe, immune reconstitution was partial and temporary. Our results reiterate the importance of cytoreductive conditioning to ensure greater benefits from SCGT.

Induced and pre-existing anti-polyethylene glycol antibody in a trial of every 3-week dosing of pegloticase for refractory gout, including in organ transplant recipients

Introduction

Pegloticase, a PEGylated recombinant porcine uricase, is approved for treating refractory gout at a dose of 8 mg intravenous (IV) every 2 weeks. However, during phase 1 testing, pharmacokinetics supported less frequent dosing. Also, single doses of pegloticase unexpectedly induced antibodies (Ab) that bound to polyethylene glycol (PEG). We have conducted a phase 2 trial to evaluate every 3-week dosing, and to further define the Ab response to pegloticase. Organ transplant recipients were included, as they are prone to severe gout that is difficult to manage, and because treatment to prevent graft rejection might influence the immune response to pegloticase.

Methods

Plasma uricase activity (pUox), urate concentration (pUA), and clinical response were monitored during up to 5 infusions in 30 patients, including 7 organ transplant recipients. Depending on whether pUA <6 mg/dL was achieved and maintained, patients were classified as non (NR), persistent (PR), or transient (TR) responders. Ab to pegloticase and 10 kDa mPEG were monitored by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay and specificity was further defined.

Results

We observed 17 PR, 12 TR, and 1 NR; 21 patients (16 PR, 5 TR) received all 5 infusions. Over the 15-week trial, pUA in PR averaged 1.0 ± 0.4 mg/dL; T_½ for pUox was approximately 13 days, and area under the curve after dose 5 was approximately 30% higher than after dose 1. PR showed clinical benefit and in some, tophi resolved. In 11 of 12 TR, pUox fell rapidly and hyperuricemia recurred before dose 2. In all TR and NR, loss of response to pegloticase was accompanied by Ab to PEG, which was pre-existing in half of those who had no prior exposure to pegloticase. No PR, and 1 one out of 7 organ transplant recipients, had a sustained Ab response to pegloticase.

Conclusions

Every 3-week dosing is effective and may enhance the utility of pegloticase for treating refractory gout. Ab to PEG, which were pre-existing or induced by treatment, caused rapid loss of efficacy and increased the risk of infusion reactions. Organ transplant recipients can benefit from pegloticase, and may be less prone than non-recipients to developing anti-PEG Ab. Investigation of immunosuppressive strategies to minimize anti-PEG Ab is warranted.

Trial registration

ClincalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00111657

Early-onset stroke and vasculopathy associated with mutations in ADA2

BACKGROUND

We observed a syndrome of intermittent fevers, early-onset lacunar strokes and other neurovascular manifestations, livedoid rash, hepatosplenomegaly, and systemic vasculopathy in three unrelated patients. We suspected a genetic cause because the disorder presented in early childhood.

METHODS

We performed whole-exome sequencing in the initial three patients and their unaffected parents and candidate-gene sequencing in three patients with a similar phenotype, as well as two young siblings with polyarteritis nodosa and one patient with small-vessel vasculitis. Enzyme assays, immunoblotting, immunohistochemical testing, flow cytometry, and cytokine profiling were performed on samples from the patients. To study protein function, we used morpholino-mediated knockdowns in zebrafish and short hairpin RNA knockdowns in U937 cells cultured with human dermal endothelial cells.

RESULTS

All nine patients carried recessively inherited mutations in CECR1 (cat eye syndrome chromosome region, candidate 1), encoding adenosine deaminase 2 (ADA2), that were predicted to be deleterious; these mutations were rare or absent in healthy controls. Six patients were compound heterozygous for eight CECR1 mutations, whereas the three patients with polyarteritis nodosa or small-vessel vasculitis were homozygous for the p.Gly47Arg mutation. Patients had a marked reduction in the levels of ADA2 and ADA2-specific enzyme activity in the blood. Skin, liver, and brain biopsies revealed vasculopathic changes characterized by compromised endothelial integrity, endothelial cellular activation, and inflammation. Knockdown of a zebrafish ADA2 homologue caused intracranial hemorrhages and neutropenia - phenotypes that were prevented by coinjection with nonmutated (but not with mutated) human CECR1. Monocytes from patients induced damage in cocultured endothelial-cell layers.

CONCLUSIONS

Loss-of-function mutations in CECR1 were associated with a spectrum of vascular and inflammatory phenotypes, ranging from early-onset recurrent stroke to systemic vasculopathy or vasculitis. (Funded by the National Institutes of Health Intramural Research Programs and others.).

Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium guidelines for human leukocyte antigen-B genotype and allopurinol dosing

Allopurinol is the most commonly used drug for the treatment of hyperuricemia and gout. However, allopurinol is also one of the most common causes of severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCARs), which include drug hypersensitivity syndrome, Stevens–Johnson syndrome, and toxic epidermal necrolysis. A variant allele of the human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B, HLA-B*58:01, associates strongly with allopurinolinduced SCAR. We have summarized the evidence from the published literature and developed peer-reviewed guidelines for allopurinol use based on HLA-B genotype.

Successful bone marrow transplantation with reduced intensity conditioning in a patient with delayed-onset adenosine deaminase deficiency

In this case report, we describe successful BMT with RIC in a patient with delayed-onset ADA deficiency. A three-yr-old Japanese boy was diagnosed with delayed-onset ADA deficiency because of recurrent bronchitis, bronchiectasia, and lymphopenia. In addition, autoimmune thyroiditis and neutropenia were present. At four yr of age, he underwent BMT with a RIC regimen, including busulfan and fludarabine, from an HLA-identical healthy sister. Engraftment after BMT was uneventful without GVHD. Decreased ADA levels in blood immediately increased following BMT, and the patient was disease-free 13 months after BMT. These results suggest that BMT with RIC may sufficiently restore immune regulation in delayed-onset ADA deficiency. A longer follow-up period is needed to confirm these observations.

Purine nucleoside phosphorylase deficiency with fatal course in two sisters

Purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) deficiency is a rare combined immunodeficiency disorder presenting with clinically recurrent infections, failure to thrive, various neurological disorders, malignancies, and autoimmune diseases. Here, we report two sisters with a fatal course of PNP deficiency due to delay in diagnosis. The first patient developed a liver abscess by Aspergillus fumigatus and the second patient developed Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex lymphadenitis and probable pulmonary tuberculosis due to disseminated BCG infection. The patients also suffered from sclerosing cholangitis. Mutation analysis of the PNP gene from both sisters revealed a homozygous mutation for a G>A at nucleotide 349 (349 G>A transition), which changes alanine 117 to theronine in exon 4 (A117T). An increased awareness of early signs, symptoms, and abnormal laboratory findings of PNP deficiency will establish the early prognosis and treatment.

Immunologic reconstitution during PEG-ADA therapy in an unusual mosaic ADA deficient patient

We report detailed genetic and immunologic studies in a patient diagnosed with adenosine deaminase (ADA) deficiency and combined immune deficiency at age 5 years. At the time of diagnosis, although all other lymphocyte subsets were depleted, circulating CD8(+) T cells with a terminally differentiated phenotype were abundant and expressed normal ADA activity due to a reversion mutation in a CD8(+) T cell or precursor. Over the first 9 months of replacement therapy with PEG-ADA, the patient steadily accumulated mature naïve CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells, as well as CD4(+)/FOXP3(+) regulatory T cells, consistent with restoration of a functional cellular immune system. While CD19(+) naïve B cells also accumulated in response to PEG-ADA therapy, a high proportion of these B cells exhibited an immature surface marker phenotype even after 9 months, and immunization with neoantigen bacteriophage varphiX174 demonstrated a markedly subnormal humoral immune response. Our observations in this single patient have important implications for gene therapy of human ADA deficiency, as they indicate that ADA expression within even a large circulating lymphocyte population may not be sufficient to support adequate immune reconstitution. They also suggest that an immature surface marker phenotype of the peripheral B cell compartment may be a useful surrogate marker for incomplete humoral immune reconstitution during enzyme replacement, and possibly other forms of hematopoietic cell therapies.