Disseminated BCG-osteomyelitis in congenital immunodeficiency

BCG osteomyelitis: tips for diagnosis

OBJECTIVE

To report the clinical and imaging characteristics of BCG-osteomyelitis, and compare them with those of pyogenic osteomyelitis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Clinical and imaging findings were retrospectively evaluated in 14 children with BCG osteomyelitis, including 3 with Mendelian susceptibility to mycobacterial diseases (MSMD), and in 40 children with pyogenic osteomyelitis, using Fisher exact and Mann-Whitney U tests.

RESULTS

BCG-osteomyelitis was an indolent inflammatory disease of young children (mean age 15.5 months). Immunocompetent patients came to medical attention over months after vaccination, while patients with MSMD much earlier (the average time lapse: 13.7 vs. 5.0 months). The former manifested with a slowly progressive, painless mass with only mildly increased acute-phase reactants, while the latter started with lymphadenitis with significant inflammatory reactions and later developed osteomyelitis. These clinical scenarios contrasted with acute febrile illness in pyogenic osteomyelitis. The imaging findings were identical in both immunocompetent and MSMD groups; however, the former showed monoostotic involvement, while the latter polyostotic affliction. The typical imaging finding of BCG-osteomyelitis comprises a large intraosseous abscess with modest reactive edema commonly associated with transphyseal extension from the metaphysis to the epiphysis, contrasting with the manifestation of pyogenic osteomyelitis; size of abscess (p=0.028), pattern of abscess extension (p<0.001), and extent of surrounding edema (p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

BCG-osteomyelitis should be suspected in children under 2 years of age with insidious osteomyelitis, accompanied with characteristic imaging findings. Polyostotic BCG osteomyelitis is highly suggestive of MSMD. Awareness of the distinctive features of BCG-osteomyelitis enables the early diagnosis and timely therapeutic intervention.

Imaging characteristics of pulmonary BCG/TB infection in patients with chronic granulomatous disease

In China, tuberculosis (TB) is endemic and the Bacillus Callmette–Güerin (BCG) vaccine is administered to all the newborns, which may lead to BCG infection in patients with chronic granulomatous disease (CGD). Infection of BCG/TB in CGD patients can be fatal and pulmonary is the most affected organ. Our objective was to assess the imaging of pulmonary BCG/TB infection in CGD. We screened 169 CGD patients and identified the patients with pulmonary BCG/TB infection. BCG infection was diagnosis according to the vaccination history, local infection manifestation, acid-fast bacilli staining, specific polymerase chain reaction, and/or spoligotyping. PPD, T-SPOT and acid-fast bacilli staining were used for diagnosis of TB. Totally 58 patients were identified, including TB (n = 7), solely BCG (n = 18), BCG + bacterial (n = 20), and BCG + fungi (n = 13). The onset of BCG disease was much earlier than TB. For those patients only with BCG, lymphadenopathy was the first and most prevalent feature. The most found location was the left axilla, followed by the ipsilateral cervical areas and mediastinal or hilar area. On chest CT, ground-glass opacities, multiple nodules and pulmonary scarring were the most common findings. For TB patients, the pulmonary infections were more serious, including large masses, severe lymphadenopathy, and extensive pulmonary fibrosis. Pulmonary infection of BCG were more common than TB in CGD patients, but much less severe.

Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases and Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG)-Vaccine-Derived Complications: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine is a live attenuated bacterial vaccine derived from Mycobacterium bovis, which is mostly administered to neonates in regions where tuberculosis is endemic. Adverse reactions after BCG vaccination are rare; however, immunocompromised individuals and in particular patients with primary immunodeficiencies (PIDs) are prone to develop vaccine-derived complications.

OBJECTIVE

To systematically review demographic, clinical, immunologic, and genetic data of PIDs that present with BCG vaccine complications. Moreover, we performed a meta-analysis aiming to determine the BCG-vaccine complications rate for patients with PID.

METHODS

We conducted electronic searches on Embase, Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus (1966 to September 2018) introducing terms related to PIDs, BCG vaccination, and BCG vaccine complications. Studies with human subjects with confirmed PID, BCG vaccination history, and vaccine-associated complications (VACs) were included.

RESULTS

A total of 46 PIDs associated with BCG-VAC were identified. Severe combined immunodeficiency was the most common (466 cases) and also showed the highest BCG-related mortality. Most BCG infection cases in patients with PID were reported from Iran (n = 219 [18.8%]). The overall frequency of BCG-VAC in the included 1691 PID cases was 41.5% (95% CI, 29.9-53.2; I² = 98.3%), based on the results of the random-effect method used in this meta-analysis. Patients with Mendelian susceptibility to mycobacterial diseases had the highest frequency of BCG-VACs with a pooled frequency of 90.6% (95% CI, 79.7-1.0; I² = 81.1%).

CONCLUSIONS

Several PID entities are susceptible to BCG-VACs. Systemic neonatal PID screening programs may help to prevent a substantial amount of BCG vaccination complications.

Vaccination of the immunocompromised child

The development of vaccination is a major achievement in modern medicine. However, children treated with immunosuppression may not at all, or only in part, receive routine immunization due to uncertainty of its risks and effect. There is a substantial lack of pediatric studies concerning the efficacy and safety of vaccination in this patient group. Experience from similar adult groups and children with HIV infection can be used as a model for other disease categories. With increasing knowledge of the immunologic basis of vaccination and how immunosuppressive drugs interfere with the immune system, improved vaccines could be tailored, and adequate, individualized guidelines issued.

Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) complications associated with primary immunodeficiency diseases

Primary immunodeficiency diseases (PIDs) are a group of inherited disorders, characterized by defects of the immune system predisposing individuals to variety of manifestations, including recurrent infections and unusual vaccine complications. There are a number of PIDs prone to Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) complications. This review presents an update on our understanding about the BCGosis-susceptible PIDs, including severe combined immunodeficiency, chronic granulomatous disease, and Mendelian susceptibility to mycobacterial diseases.

Mycobacterial infections in primary immunodeficiency patients

Primary immunodeficiencies (PID) are a diverse group of hereditary diseases leading to the impaired immune response that creates high susceptibility to mycobacterium infection. High susceptibility to mycobacterial infections of patients suffering from defects of phagocytosis and combined immunodeficiencies can be explained by predominant participation of macrophages and T lymphocytes in the specific immune response. Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Bacille Calmette-Guerin, and non-tuberculosis mycobacterium (NTM) may cause a severe disease in patients with PIDs. We report here our results of the clinical features of mycobacterium infection presentations in 36 patients with various PIDs.

Host genetic factors and mycobacterial infections: lessons from single gene disorders affecting innate and adaptive immunity

This review summarizes the association of increased susceptibility to mycobacterial disease in patients with genetic defects affecting innate and adaptive immunity. The optimum function of CD4 T-cell and macrophage function is critically important for immunity against mycobacteria. Antibody, complement and neutrophil function is not required for effective anti-mycobacterial immunity.

Epstein-Barr virus associated with primary CNS lymphoma and disseminated BCG infection in a child with AIDS

BACKGROUND

AIDS patients are at increased risk of developing concurrent infections with viral, parasitic, fungal or mycobacterial organisms. They can present constitutional symptoms of fever and weight loss, either due to infections or an underlying lymphoma which may coexist.

CASE REPORT

A child with HIV-AIDS and mild encephalopathy is reported, who during the course of a confirmed disseminated mycobacterial disease developed neurological impairment. Post-mortem examination revealed disseminated BCG infection and Epstein-Barr associated primary CNS lymphoma. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) presence was assessed by LMP-1 protein labelling by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridisation (ISH) for Epstein-Barr virus-encoded RNAs (EBERs) in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded sections.

CONCLUSIONS

BCG vaccination among HIV-1 infected children leads to the risk of disseminated BCG infection. BCG immunization programmes should be reconsidered for children at risk of HIV infection, because the risk of delayed complications is independent of the immunological status at the time of the vaccination. Only isolated cases of primary CNS lymphoma occurring in HIV-infected children have been reported, and a striking association with EBV infection has been demonstrated.

Peripheral blood and marrow findings in disseminated bacille Calmette-Guerin infection

The authors describe an unusual case of a disseminated bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) infection in a 3-month-old girl who presented with a huge hepatosplenomegaly, fever, and pancytopenia. Clinically, an infantile kala-azar or lymphoma/leukemia was suspected. However, after thorough clinical and paraclinical investigations, the case was diagnosed as a disseminated BCG infection. The child died 2 weeks after starting antituberculosis treatment. Autopsy revealed diffuse histiocytic infiltration in the liver, spleen, and mesenteric lymph nodes, which were loaded with acid-fast bacilli. Three interesting findings were noticed in this case: circulating monocytes in the peripheral blood were loaded with ghost acid-fast bacilli; bone marrow smears revealed numerous Gaucher cell-like macrophages loaded with negative images of Mycobacterium tuberculi; and there was extensive marrow necrosis. These findings have not been previously reported in the literature.

Genetic dissection of immunity to mycobacteria: the human model

Humans are exposed to a variety of environmental mycobacteria (EM), and most children are inoculated with live Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine. In addition, most of the world's population is occasionally exposed to human-borne mycobacterial species, which are less abundant but more virulent. Although rarely pathogenic, mildly virulent mycobacteria, including BCG and most EM, may cause a variety of clinical diseases. Mycobacterium tuberculosis, M. leprae, and EM M. ulcerans are more virulent, causing tuberculosis, leprosy, and Buruli ulcer, respectively. Remarkably, only a minority of individuals develop clinical disease, even if infected with virulent mycobacteria. The interindividual variability of clinical outcome is thought to result in part from variability in the human genes that control host defense. In this well-defined microbiological and clinical context, the principles of mouse immunology and the methods of human genetics can be combined to facilitate the genetic dissection of immunity to mycobacteria. The natural infections are unique to the human model, not being found in any of the animal models of experimental infection. We review current genetic knowledge concerning the simple and complex inheritance of predisposition to mycobacterial diseases in humans. Rare patients with Mendelian disorders have been found to be vulnerable to BCG, a few EM, and M. tuberculosis. Most cases of presumed Mendelian susceptibility to these and other mycobacterial species remain unexplained. In the general population leprosy and tuberculosis have been shown to be associated with certain human genetic polymorphisms and linked to certain chromosomal regions. The causal vulnerability genes themselves have yet to be identified and their pathogenic alleles immunologically validated. The studies carried out to date have been fruitful, initiating the genetic dissection of protective immunity against a variety of mycobacterial species in natural conditions of infection. The human model has potential uses beyond the study of mycobacterial infections and may well become a model of choice for the investigation of immunity to infectious agents.

Mycobacterial diseases in primary immunodeficiencies

Primary immunodeficiency diseases comprise over 100 conditions, each associated with a variety of viral, bacterial, fungal and protozoan infections. M. tuberculosis and less virulent mycobacteria, such as bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccines and environmental non-tuberculous mycobacteria, may cause severe disease in patients with primary immunodeficiency diseases. However, no previous review has dealt with the issue of which primary immunodeficiency diseases predispose affected individuals to mycobacterial disease. This information is very useful, not only increasing our understanding of human immunity to mycobacteria, but also for the diagnostic investigation of patients with mycobacteriosis. We review here the medical literature on cases of mycobacterial disease in patients with primary immunodeficiency diseases.

Imaging of osteomyelitis in children

Imaging approach to osteomyelitis in children should aim toward a timely and accurate diagnosis in view of the need for prompt therapy to prevent sequelae. One must take advantage of the specific value of each imaging modality and adopt a strategy that works best for a given child in a given institution.

Disseminated BCG infection in a patient with severe combined immunodeficiency

Disseminated mycobacterial infection after bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccination is a very rare disorder, occurring mostly in patients with immunologic deficiency. We report a case of disseminated BCG infection in a 16-month-old girl with severe combined immunodeficiency. Plain radiographs showed multiple osteolytic lesions in the femora, tibiae, humerus, and phalanges. Abdominal sonography and CT scanning revealed multiple nodules in the spleen, and portocaval lymphadenopathy.