Chronic granulomatosis disease with meningitis and multiple brain abscesses

Two distinct clinical progressions of P67phox-deficient CGD, both commencing with cervical lymphadenitis

We present two rare cases of p67phox-deficient chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) caused by compound heterozygous mutations in the NCF2 gene. They developed cervical lymphadenitis as the initial manifestation of CGD but had distinct clinical progressions. Patient 1 presented with aspergillous meningitis, an extremely rare manifestation of neurological involvement in CGD, which has not been reported before. Patient 2 presented with non-infectious inflammatory lymphadenitis is also very rare and has not been reported previously. These cases emphasize the importance of considering p67phox-deficient CGD in children with late-onset invasive fungal infections and non-infectious inflammatory lesions. Additionally, we also reviewed previous reports of Chinese patients with P67phox-Deficient CGD. Our objective is to raise awareness about the clinical, diagnostic, and genetic characteristics of P67phox-deficient CGD in China, to reduce misdiagnosis and improve the management and prognosis of the disease.

NADPH Oxidase Deficiency: A Multisystem Approach

The immune system is a complex system able to recognize a wide variety of host agents, through different biological processes. For example, controlled changes in the redox state are able to start different pathways in immune cells and are involved in the killing of microbes. The generation and release of ROS in the form of an “oxidative burst” represent the pivotal mechanism by which phagocytic cells are able to destroy pathogens. On the other hand, impaired oxidative balance is also implicated in the pathogenesis of inflammatory complications, which may affect the function of many body systems. NADPH oxidase (NOX) plays a pivotal role in the production of ROS, and the defect of its different subunits leads to the development of chronic granulomatous disease (CGD). The defect of the different NOX subunits in CGD affects different organs. In this context, this review will be focused on the description of the effect of NOX2 deficiency in different body systems. Moreover, we will also focus our attention on the novel insight in the pathogenesis of immunodeficiency and inflammation-related manifestations and on the protective role of NOX2 deficiency against the development of atherosclerosis.