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Liu X, Chan VSF, Smith KGC, Ming C, Or CS, Tsui FTW, Gao B, Cook MC, Liu P, Lau CS, Li PH. Recapitulating primary immunodeficiencies with expanded potential stem cells: Proof of concept with STAT1 gain of function. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2024; 153:1125-1139. [PMID: 38072195 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2023.11.914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Inborn errors of immunity (IEI) often lack specific disease models and personalized management. Signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)-1 gain of function (GoF) is such example of an IEI with diverse clinical phenotype with unclear pathomechanisms and unpredictable response to therapy. Limitations in obtaining fresh samples for functional testing and research further highlights the need for patient-specific ex vivo platforms. OBJECTIVE Using STAT1-GoF as an example IEI, we investigated the potential of patient-derived expanded potential stem cells (EPSC) as an ex vivo platform for disease modeling and personalized treatment. METHODS We generated EPSC derived from individual STAT1-GoF patients. STAT1 mutations were confirmed with Sanger sequencing. Functional testing including STAT1 phosphorylation/dephosphorylation and gene expression with or without Janus activating kinase inhibitors were performed. Functional tests were repeated on EPSC lines with GoF mutations repaired by CRISPR/Cas9 (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein 9) editing. RESULTS EPSC were successfully reprogrammed from STAT1-GoF patients and expressed the same pluripotent makers as controls, with distinct morphologic differences. Patient-derived EPSC recapitulated the functional abnormalities of index STAT1-GoF patients with STAT1 hyperphosphorylation and increased expression of STAT1 and its downstream genes (IRF1, APOL6, and OAS1) after IFN-γ stimulation. Addition of ruxolitinib and baricitinib inhibited STAT1 hyperactivation in STAT1-GoF EPSC in a dose-dependent manner, which was not observed with tofacitinib. Corrected STAT1 phosphorylation and downstream gene expression were observed among repaired STAT1-GoF EPSC cell lines. CONCLUSION This proof-of-concept study demonstrates the potential of our patient-derived EPSC platform to model STAT1-GoF. We propose this platform when researching, recapitulating, and repairing other IEI in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueyan Liu
- Centre for Translational Stem Cell Biology, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Vera S F Chan
- Centre for Translational Stem Cell Biology, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Kenneth G C Smith
- Centre for Translational Stem Cell Biology, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Chang Ming
- Centre for Translational Stem Cell Biology, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Chung Sze Or
- Centre for Translational Stem Cell Biology, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Faria T W Tsui
- Centre for Translational Stem Cell Biology, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Bo Gao
- Centre for Translational Stem Cell Biology, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; School of Biomedical Sciences, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Matthew C Cook
- Centre for Translational Stem Cell Biology, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Pentao Liu
- Centre for Translational Stem Cell Biology, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Chak Sing Lau
- Centre for Translational Stem Cell Biology, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Philip Hei Li
- Centre for Translational Stem Cell Biology, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
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2
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Ott N, Faletti L, Heeg M, Andreani V, Grimbacher B. JAKs and STATs from a Clinical Perspective: Loss-of-Function Mutations, Gain-of-Function Mutations, and Their Multidimensional Consequences. J Clin Immunol 2023:10.1007/s10875-023-01483-x. [PMID: 37140667 DOI: 10.1007/s10875-023-01483-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The JAK/STAT signaling pathway plays a key role in cytokine signaling and is involved in development, immunity, and tumorigenesis for nearly any cell. At first glance, the JAK/STAT signaling pathway appears to be straightforward. However, on closer examination, the factors influencing the JAK/STAT signaling activity, such as cytokine diversity, receptor profile, overlapping JAK and STAT specificity among non-redundant functions of the JAK/STAT complexes, positive regulators (e.g., cooperating transcription factors), and negative regulators (e.g., SOCS, PIAS, PTP), demonstrate the complexity of the pathway's architecture, which can be quickly disturbed by mutations. The JAK/STAT signaling pathway has been, and still is, subject of basic research and offers an enormous potential for the development of new methods of personalized medicine and thus the translation of basic molecular research into clinical practice beyond the use of JAK inhibitors. Gain-of-function and loss-of-function mutations in the three immunologically particularly relevant signal transducers STAT1, STAT3, and STAT6 as well as JAK1 and JAK3 present themselves through individual phenotypic clinical pictures. The established, traditional paradigm of loss-of-function mutations leading to immunodeficiency and gain-of-function mutation leading to autoimmunity breaks down and a more differentiated picture of disease patterns evolve. This review is intended to provide an overview of these specific syndromes from a clinical perspective and to summarize current findings on pathomechanism, symptoms, immunological features, and therapeutic options of STAT1, STAT3, STAT6, JAK1, and JAK3 loss-of-function and gain-of-function diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils Ott
- Institute for Immunodeficiency, Center for Chronic Immunodeficiency (CCI), Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Laura Faletti
- Institute for Immunodeficiency, Center for Chronic Immunodeficiency (CCI), Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Maximilian Heeg
- Institute for Immunodeficiency, Center for Chronic Immunodeficiency (CCI), Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Division of Biological Sciences, Department of Molecular Biology, University of California, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Virginia Andreani
- Institute for Immunodeficiency, Center for Chronic Immunodeficiency (CCI), Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Bodo Grimbacher
- Institute for Immunodeficiency, Center for Chronic Immunodeficiency (CCI), Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Clinic of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Center for Chronic Immunodeficiency (CCI), Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- DZIF - German Center for Infection Research, Satellite Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- CIBSS - Centre for Integrative Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- RESIST - Cluster of Excellence 2155 to Hanover Medical School, Satellite Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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3
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Staels F, Roosens W, Giovannozzi S, Moens L, Bogaert J, Iglesias-Herrero C, Gijsbers R, Bossuyt X, Frans G, Liston A, Humblet-Baron S, Meyts I, Van Aelst L, Schrijvers R. Case report: Myocarditis in congenital STAT1 gain-of function. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1095595. [PMID: 37020552 PMCID: PMC10067556 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1095595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Autosomal dominant Signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) gain-of-function (GOF) mutations result in an inborn error of immunity characterized by chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis, recurrent viral and bacterial infections, and diverse autoimmune manifestations. Current treatment consists of chronic antifungal therapy, antibiotics for concomitant infections, and immunosuppressive therapy in case of autoimmune diseases. More recently, treatment with Janus kinases 1 and 2 (JAK1/2) inhibitors have shown promising yet variable results. We describe a STAT1 GOF patient with an incidental finding of elevated cardiac troponins, leading to a diagnosis of a longstanding, slowly progressive idiopathic myocarditis, attributed to STAT1 GOF. Treatment with a JAK-inhibitor (baricitinib) mitigated cardiac inflammation on MRI but was unable to alter fibrosis, possibly due to the diagnostic and therapeutic delay, which finally led to fatal arrhythmia. Our case illustrates that myocarditis could be part of the heterogeneous disease spectrum of STAT1 GOF. Given the insidious presentation in our case, a low threshold for cardiac evaluation in STAT1 GOF patients seems warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederik Staels
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Allergy and Clinical Immunology Research Group, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Laboratory of Adaptive Immunology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Willem Roosens
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Allergy and Clinical Immunology Research Group, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Simone Giovannozzi
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Allergy and Clinical Immunology Research Group, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Leen Moens
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Laboratory of Inborn Errors of Immunity, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jan Bogaert
- Department of Imaging and Pathology, Translational MRI, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Cecilia Iglesias-Herrero
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Allergy and Clinical Immunology Research Group, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Rik Gijsbers
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Xavier Bossuyt
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Experimental Laboratory Immunology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Glynis Frans
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Experimental Laboratory Immunology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Adrian Liston
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Laboratory of Adaptive Immunology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory of Lymphocyte Signaling and Development, Babraham Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Stephanie Humblet-Baron
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Laboratory of Adaptive Immunology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Isabelle Meyts
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Laboratory of Inborn Errors of Immunity, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Pediatrics, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lucas Van Aelst
- Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Rik Schrijvers
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Allergy and Clinical Immunology Research Group, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- *Correspondence: Rik Schrijvers,
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4
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Mauracher AA, Henrickson SE. Leveraging Systems Immunology to Optimize Diagnosis and Treatment of Inborn Errors of Immunity. FRONTIERS IN SYSTEMS BIOLOGY 2022; 2:910243. [PMID: 37670772 PMCID: PMC10477056 DOI: 10.3389/fsysb.2022.910243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/07/2023]
Abstract
Inborn errors of immunity (IEI) are monogenic disorders that can cause diverse symptoms, including recurrent infections, autoimmunity and malignancy. While many factors have contributed, the increased availability of next-generation sequencing has been central in the remarkable increase in identification of novel monogenic IEI over the past years. Throughout this phase of disease discovery, it has also become evident that a given gene variant does not always yield a consistent phenotype, while variants in seemingly disparate genes can lead to similar clinical presentations. Thus, it is increasingly clear that the clinical phenotype of an IEI patient is not defined by genetics alone, but is also impacted by a myriad of factors. Accordingly, we need methods to amplify our current diagnostic algorithms to better understand mechanisms underlying the variability in our patients and to optimize treatment. In this review, we will explore how systems immunology can contribute to optimizing both diagnosis and treatment of IEI patients by focusing on identifying and quantifying key dysregulated pathways. To improve mechanistic understanding in IEI we must deeply evaluate our rare IEI patients using multimodal strategies, allowing both the quantification of altered immune cell subsets and their functional evaluation. By studying representative controls and patients, we can identify causative pathways underlying immune cell dysfunction and move towards functional diagnosis. Attaining this deeper understanding of IEI will require a stepwise strategy. First, we need to broadly apply these methods to IEI patients to identify patterns of dysfunction. Next, using multimodal data analysis, we can identify key dysregulated pathways. Then, we must develop a core group of simple, effective functional tests that target those pathways to increase efficiency of initial diagnostic investigations, provide evidence for therapeutic selection and contribute to the mechanistic evaluation of genetic results. This core group of simple, effective functional tests, targeting key pathways, can then be equitably provided to our rare patients. Systems biology is thus poised to reframe IEI diagnosis and therapy, fostering research today that will provide streamlined diagnosis and treatment choices for our rare and complex patients in the future, as well as providing a better understanding of basic immunology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea A. Mauracher
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Sarah E. Henrickson
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Institute for Immunology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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5
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Kaviany S, Bartkowiak T, Dulek DE, Khan YW, Hayes MJ, Schaefer SG, Ye X, Dahunsi DO, Connelly JA, Irish JM, Rathmell JC. Systems Immunology Analyses of STAT1 Gain-of-Function Immune Phenotypes Reveal Heterogeneous Response to IL-6 and Broad Immunometabolic Roles for STAT1. Immunohorizons 2022; 6:447-464. [PMID: 35840326 PMCID: PMC9623573 DOI: 10.4049/immunohorizons.2200041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Patients with STAT1 gain-of-function (GOF) pathogenic variants have enhanced or prolonged STAT1 phosphorylation following cytokine stimulation and exhibit increased yet heterogeneous susceptibility to infections, autoimmunity, and cancer. Although disease phenotypes are diverse and other genetic factors contribute, how STAT1 GOF affects cytokine sensitivity and cell biology remains poorly defined. In this study, we analyzed the immune and immunometabolic profiles of two patients with known pathogenic heterozygous STAT1 GOF mutation variants. A systems immunology approach of peripheral blood cells from these patients revealed major changes in multiple immune cell compartments relative to healthy adult and pediatric donors. Although many phenotypes of STAT1 GOF donors were shared, including increased Th1 cells but decreased class-switched B cells and plasmacytoid dendritic cell populations, others were heterogeneous. Mechanistically, hypersensitivity for cytokine-induced STAT1 phosphorylation in memory T cell populations was particularly evident in response to IL-6 in one STAT1 GOF patient. Immune cell metabolism directly influences cell function, and the STAT1 GOF patients shared an immunometabolic phenotype of heightened glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) and carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1A (CPT1a) expression across multiple immune cell lineages. Interestingly, the metabolic phenotypes of the pediatric STAT1 GOF donors more closely resembled or exceeded those of healthy adult than healthy age-similar pediatric donors, which had low expression of these metabolic markers. These results define new features of STAT1 GOF patients, including a differential hypersensitivity for IL-6 and a shared increase in markers of metabolism in many immune cell types that suggests a role for STAT1 in metabolic regulation of immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saara Kaviany
- Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN.,Vanderbilt Human Immunology Discovery Initiative of the Vanderbilt Center for Immunobiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| | - Todd Bartkowiak
- Vanderbilt Human Immunology Discovery Initiative of the Vanderbilt Center for Immunobiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN.,Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN; and
| | - Daniel E Dulek
- Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| | - Yasmin W Khan
- Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| | - Madeline J Hayes
- Vanderbilt Human Immunology Discovery Initiative of the Vanderbilt Center for Immunobiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN.,Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN; and
| | - Samuel G Schaefer
- Vanderbilt Human Immunology Discovery Initiative of the Vanderbilt Center for Immunobiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN.,Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| | - Xiang Ye
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| | - Debolanle O Dahunsi
- Vanderbilt Human Immunology Discovery Initiative of the Vanderbilt Center for Immunobiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN.,Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| | - James A Connelly
- Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN.,Vanderbilt Human Immunology Discovery Initiative of the Vanderbilt Center for Immunobiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
| | - Jonathan M Irish
- Vanderbilt Human Immunology Discovery Initiative of the Vanderbilt Center for Immunobiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN; .,Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN; and
| | - Jeffrey C Rathmell
- Vanderbilt Human Immunology Discovery Initiative of the Vanderbilt Center for Immunobiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN; .,Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN
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6
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Rosenberg JM, Peters JM, Hughes T, Lareau CA, Ludwig LS, Massoth LR, Austin-Tse C, Rehm HL, Bryson B, Chen YB, Regev A, Shalek AK, Fortune SM, Sykes DB. JAK inhibition in a patient with a STAT1 gain-of-function variant reveals STAT1 dysregulation as a common feature of aplastic anemia. MED (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2022; 3:42-57.e5. [PMID: 35590143 PMCID: PMC9123284 DOI: 10.1016/j.medj.2021.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Idiopathic aplastic anemia is a potentially lethal disease, characterized by T cell-mediated autoimmune attack of bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells. Standard of care therapies (stem cell transplantation or immunosuppression) are effective but associated with a risk of serious toxicities. METHODS An 18-year-old man presented with aplastic anemia in the context of a germline gain-of-function variant in STAT1. Treatment with the JAK1 inhibitor itacitinib resulted in a rapid resolution of aplastic anemia and a sustained recovery of hematopoiesis. Peripheral blood and bone marrow samples were compared before and after JAK1 inhibitor therapy. FINDINGS Following therapy, samples showed a decrease in the plasma concentration of interferon-γ, a decrease in PD1-positive exhausted CD8+ T cell population, and a decrease in an interferon responsive myeloid population. Single-cell analysis of chromatin accessibility showed decreased accessibility of STAT1 across CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, as well as CD14+ monocytes. To query whether other cases of aplastic anemia share a similar STAT1-mediated pathophysiology, we examined a cohort of 9 patients with idiopathic aplastic anemia. Bone marrow from six of nine patients also displayed abnormal STAT1 hyper-activation. CONCLUSIONS These findings raise the possibility that STAT1 hyperactivition defines a subset of idiopathic aplastic anemia patients for whom JAK inhibition may be an efficacious therapy. FUNDING Funding was provided by the Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Medicine Pathways Program and NIH T32 AI007387. A trial registration is at https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03906318.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob M. Rosenberg
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital; Boston, MA, 02114,Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard; Cambridge, MA,Harvard Medical School; Boston, MA,Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Boston, MA,Corresponding Author and Lead Contact: Jacob M. Rosenberg, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA, , 860-930-5744
| | - Joshua M. Peters
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard; Cambridge, MA,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard; Cambridge, MA
| | - Travis Hughes
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard; Cambridge, MA,Harvard Medical School; Boston, MA,Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Department of Chemistry, and Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Cambridge, MA
| | - Caleb A. Lareau
- Harvard Medical School; Boston, MA,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard; Cambridge, MA
| | - Leif S. Ludwig
- Harvard Medical School; Boston, MA,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard; Cambridge, MA
| | - Lucas R. Massoth
- Harvard Medical School; Boston, MA,Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital; Boston, MA
| | - Christina Austin-Tse
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital; Boston, MA, 02114,Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital; Boston, MA,Laboratory for Molecular Medicine, Partners Personalized Medicine; Cambridge, MA,Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital; Boston, MA
| | - Heidi L. Rehm
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital; Boston, MA, 02114,Harvard Medical School; Boston, MA,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard; Cambridge, MA,Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital; Boston, MA,Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital; Boston, MA
| | - Bryan Bryson
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard; Cambridge, MA,Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Department of Chemistry, and Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Cambridge, MA
| | - Yi-Bin Chen
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital; Boston, MA, 02114,Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center; Boston, MA
| | - Aviv Regev
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard; Cambridge, MA,Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Alex K. Shalek
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard; Cambridge, MA,Harvard Medical School; Boston, MA,Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Department of Chemistry, and Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Cambridge, MA,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard; Cambridge, MA
| | - Sarah M. Fortune
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard; Cambridge, MA,Harvard Medical School; Boston, MA,Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Boston, MA
| | - David B. Sykes
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital; Boston, MA, 02114,Center for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital; Boston, MA,Harvard Stem Cell Institute; Cambridge, MA,Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center; Boston, MA
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7
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Scott O, Dadi H, Vong L, Pasternak Y, Garkaby J, Willett Pachul J, Mandola AB, Brager R, Hostoffer R, Nahum A, Roifman CM. DNA-Binding domain mutations confer severe outcome at an early age among STAT1 gain-of-function patients. Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2022; 33:e13694. [PMID: 34738677 DOI: 10.1111/pai.13694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Revised: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND STAT1 gain-of-function (GOF) is an immune dysregulatory disorder with poorly studied genotype-phenotype correlation, impeding prognostication and early intervention. Given previous mechanistic studies, as well as anecdotal clinical reports, we sought to systematically determine whether DNA-binding domain (DBD) mutations in STAT1 result in a different phenotype than mutations in other gene domains. METHODS Negative prognostic features previously identified by the International STAT1 GOF Study Group (invasive infections, intracranial aneurysms, and malignancy), as well as other clinical features and mortality, were compared within a cohort of 30 patients with STAT1 GOF diagnosed at our center, consisting of 9 patients with DBD mutations and 21 patients with non-DBD mutations. We subsequently re-analyzed mortality data from a large, previously-published 274-patient cohort by the International STAT1 GOF Study Group. RESULTS While no differences were noted with respect to malignancy or symptomatic aneurysms, invasive /opportunistic infections were substantially more common among DBD patients, as were sinopulmonary infections, bronchiectasis, enteropathy, endocrinopathies, lymphoproliferative manifestations, and recurrent fevers/HLH. DBD patients also had a lower probability of survival and younger age of mortality compared with non-DBD patients. Our re-evaluation of the published data from the International STAT1 GOF Study Group revealed a similar finding of earlier mortality among patients harboring DBD mutations. CONCLUSION We report that STAT1 GOF patients with DBD mutations may be regarded as a unique subgroup, impacted more by early-onset profound combined immunodeficiency and with earlier mortality. These findings may impact clinical decision making with respect to early intervention, and in particular hematopoietic stem cell transplant considerations, in such patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ori Scott
- Division of Immunology and Allergy, Department of Paediatrics, Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Harjit Dadi
- Division of Immunology and Allergy, Department of Paediatrics, Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,The Canadian Centre for Primary Immunodeficiency and The Jeffrey Modell Research Laboratory for the diagnosis of Primary Immunodeficiency, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Linda Vong
- Division of Immunology and Allergy, Department of Paediatrics, Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,The Canadian Centre for Primary Immunodeficiency and The Jeffrey Modell Research Laboratory for the diagnosis of Primary Immunodeficiency, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Yehonatan Pasternak
- Division of Immunology and Allergy, Department of Paediatrics, Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jenny Garkaby
- Division of Immunology and Allergy, Department of Paediatrics, Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jessica Willett Pachul
- Division of Immunology and Allergy, Department of Paediatrics, Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Amarilla B Mandola
- Pediatrics Department A, Soroka University Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Rae Brager
- Division of Rheumatology, Immunology, and Allergy, Department of Paediatrics, McMaster Children's Hospital, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Robert Hostoffer
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Amit Nahum
- Pediatrics Department A, Soroka University Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel.,The Primary Immunodeficiency Research Laboratory, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Chaim M Roifman
- Division of Immunology and Allergy, Department of Paediatrics, Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,The Canadian Centre for Primary Immunodeficiency and The Jeffrey Modell Research Laboratory for the diagnosis of Primary Immunodeficiency, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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8
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STAT1 gain-of-function heterozygous cell models reveal diverse interferon-signature gene transcriptional responses. NPJ Genom Med 2021; 6:34. [PMID: 33990617 PMCID: PMC8121859 DOI: 10.1038/s41525-021-00196-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) gain-of-function (GOF) is an autosomal dominant immune disorder marked by wide infectious predisposition, autoimmunity, vascular disease, and malignancy. Its molecular hallmark, elevated phospho-STAT1 (pSTAT1) following interferon (IFN) stimulation, is seen consistently in all patients and may not fully account for the broad phenotypic spectrum associated with this disorder. While over 100 mutations have been implicated in STAT1 GOF, genotype-phenotype correlation remains limited, and current overexpression models may be of limited use in gene expression studies. We generated heterozygous mutants in diploid HAP1 cells using CRISPR/Cas9 base-editing, targeting the endogenous STAT1 gene. Our models recapitulated the molecular phenotype of elevated pSTAT1, and were used to characterize the expression of five IFN-stimulated genes under a number of conditions. At baseline, transcriptional polarization was evident among mutants compared with wild type, and this was maintained following prolonged serum starvation. This suggests a possible role for unphosphorylated STAT1 in the pathogenesis of STAT1 GOF. Following stimulation with IFNα or IFNγ, differential patterns of gene expression emerged among mutants, including both gain and loss of transcriptional function. This work highlights the importance of modeling heterozygous conditions, and in particular transcription factor-related disorders, in a manner which accurately reflects patient genotype and molecular signature. Furthermore, we propose a complex and multifactorial transcriptional profile associated with various STAT1 mutations, adding to global efforts in establishing STAT1 GOF genotype-phenotype correlation and enhancing our understanding of disease pathogenesis.
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Girardelli M, Valencic E, Moressa V, Margagliotta R, Tesser A, Pastore S, Spadola O, Athanasakis E, Severini GM, Taddio A, Tommasini A. Genetic and immunologic findings in children with recurrent aphthous stomatitis with systemic inflammation. Pediatr Rheumatol Online J 2021; 19:70. [PMID: 33971891 PMCID: PMC8111718 DOI: 10.1186/s12969-021-00552-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recurrent aphthous stomatitis with systemic signs of inflammation can be encountered in inflammatory bowel disease, Behçet's disease (BD), Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). In addition, it has been proposed that cases with very early onset in childhood can be underpinned by rare monogenic defects of immunity, which may require targeted treatments. Thus, subjects with early onset recurrent aphthous stomatitis receiving a clinical diagnosis of BD-like or SLE-like disease may deserve a further diagnostic workout, including immunologic and genetic investigations. OBJECTIVE To investigate how an immunologic, genetic and transcriptomics assessment of interferon inflammation may improve diagnosis and care in children with recurrent aphthous stomatitis with systemic inflammation. METHODS Subjects referred to the pediatric rheumatologist for recurrent aphthous stomatitis associated with signs of systemic inflammation from January 2015 to January 2020 were enrolled in the study and underwent analysis of peripheral lymphocyte subsets, sequencing of a 17-genes panel and measure of interferon score. RESULTS We enrolled 15 subjects (12 females, median age at disease onset 4 years). The clinical diagnosis was BD in 8, incomplete BD in 5, BD/SLE overlap in 1, SLE in 1. Pathogenic genetic variants were detected in 3 patients, respectively 2 STAT1 gain of function variants in two patients classified as BD/SLE overlap and SLE, and 1 TNFAIP3 mutation (A20 haploinsufficiency) in patients with BD. Moreover 2 likely pathogenic variants were identified in DNASE1L3 and PTPN22, both in patients with incomplete BD. Interferon score was high in the two patients with STAT1 GOF mutations, in the patient with TNFAIP3 mutation, and in 3 genetic-negative subjects. In two patients, the treatment was modified based on genetic results. CONCLUSIONS Although recurrent aphthous stomatitis associated with systemic inflammation may lead to a clinical diagnosis of BD or SLE, subjects with early disease onset in childhood deserve genetic investigation for rare monogenic disorders. A wider genetic panel may help disclosing the genetic background in the subset of children with increased interferon score, who tested negative in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Girardelli
- grid.418712.90000 0004 1760 7415Institute for Maternal and Child Health, IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy
| | - Erica Valencic
- grid.418712.90000 0004 1760 7415Institute for Maternal and Child Health, IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy
| | - Valentina Moressa
- grid.418712.90000 0004 1760 7415Institute for Maternal and Child Health, IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy
| | | | - Alessandra Tesser
- Institute for Maternal and Child Health, IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy.
| | - Serena Pastore
- grid.418712.90000 0004 1760 7415Institute for Maternal and Child Health, IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy
| | - Ottavia Spadola
- grid.5133.40000 0001 1941 4308University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Emmanouil Athanasakis
- grid.418712.90000 0004 1760 7415Institute for Maternal and Child Health, IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy
| | - Giovanni Maria Severini
- grid.418712.90000 0004 1760 7415Institute for Maternal and Child Health, IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy
| | - Andrea Taddio
- grid.418712.90000 0004 1760 7415Institute for Maternal and Child Health, IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy ,grid.5133.40000 0001 1941 4308University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Alberto Tommasini
- grid.418712.90000 0004 1760 7415Institute for Maternal and Child Health, IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy ,grid.5133.40000 0001 1941 4308University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
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Giovannozzi S, Demeulemeester J, Schrijvers R, Gijsbers R. Transcriptional Profiling of STAT1 Gain-of-Function Reveals Common and Mutation-Specific Fingerprints. Front Immunol 2021; 12:632997. [PMID: 33679782 PMCID: PMC7925617 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.632997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
STAT1 gain-of-function (GOF) is a primary immunodeficiency typically characterized by chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis (CMC), recurrent respiratory infections, and autoimmunity. Less commonly, also immunodysregulation polyendocrinopathy enteropathy X-linked (IPEX)-like syndromes with CMC, and combined immunodeficiency without CMC have been described. Recently, our group and others have shown that different mutation-specific mechanisms underlie STAT1 GOF in vitro, including faster nuclear accumulation (R274W), and reduced mobility (R321, N574I) to near immobility in the nucleus (T419R) upon IFNγ stimulation. In this work, we evaluated the transcriptomic fingerprint of the aforementioned STAT1 GOF mutants (R274W, R321S, T419R, and N574I) relative to STAT1 wild-type upon IFNγ stimulation in an otherwise isogenic cell model. The majority of genes up-regulated in wild-type STAT1 cells were significantly more up-regulated in cells expressing GOF mutants, except for T419R. In addition to the common interferon regulated genes (IRG), STAT1 GOF mutants up-regulated an additional set of genes, that were in part shared with other GOF mutants or mutation-specific. Overall, R274W and R321S transcriptomes clustered with STAT1 WT, while T419R and N574I had a more distinct fingerprint. We observed reduced frequency of canonical IFNγ activation site (GAS) sequences in promoters of genes up-regulated by all the STAT1 GOF mutants, suggesting loss of DNA binding specificity for the canonical GAS consensus. Interestingly, the T419R mutation, expected to directly increase the affinity for DNA, showed the most pronounced effects on the transcriptome. T419R STAT1 dysregulated more non-IRG than the other GOF mutants and fewer GAS or degenerate GAS promotor sequences could be found in the promoter regions of these genes. In conclusion, our work confirms hyperactivation of common sets of IFNγ-induced genes in STAT1 GOF with additional dysregulation of mutation-specific genes, in line with the earlier observed mutation-specific mechanisms. Binding to more degenerate GAS sequences is proposed as a mechanism toward transcriptional dysregulation in R274W, R321S, and N574I. For T419R, an increased interaction with the DNA is suggested to result in a broader and less GAS-specific response. Our work indicates that multiple routes leading to STAT1 GOF are associated with common and private transcriptomic fingerprints, which may contribute to the phenotypic variation observed in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Giovannozzi
- Allergy and Clinical Immunology Research Group, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Laboratory for Viral Vector Technology and Gene Therapy, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jonas Demeulemeester
- Laboratories for Computational Biology and Reproductive Genomics, Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Cancer Genomics Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rik Schrijvers
- Allergy and Clinical Immunology Research Group, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Rik Gijsbers
- Laboratory for Viral Vector Technology and Gene Therapy, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Leuven Viral Vector Core, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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