Lucia Pacillo

Verified @virgilio.it

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Immunology
Pediatrics

21

Scopus Publications

Scopus Publications

  • Epstein–Barr virus-associated smooth muscle tumor in a female with ataxia telangiectasia: A case report
    Beatrice Rivalta, Paola Zangari, Lucia Pacillo, Emma Concetta Manno, Veronica Santilli, Gioacchino Andrea Rotulo, Nicola Cotugno, Chiara Rossetti, Silvia Vallese, Maria Giovanna Paglietti,et al.

    Wiley

  • Natural history of Ras-associated autoimmune leukoproliferative disorder: A 20-year follow-up of a NRAS-mutated patient excluding a malignant progression
    B. Rivalta, E. Attardi, C. Cifaldi, V. Rosti, L. Pacillo, H. Hajrullaj, S. Di Cesare, D. Amodio, M. Algeri, M. Luciani,et al.

    Wiley

  • Long term longitudinal follow-up of an AD-HIES cohort: the impact of early diagnosis and enrollment to IPINet centers on the natural history of Job’s syndrome
    Maria Carrabba, Rosa Maria Dellepiane, Manuela Cortesi, Lucia Augusta Baselli, Annarosa Soresina, Emilia Cirillo, Giuliana Giardino, Francesca Conti, Laura Dotta, Andrea Finocchi,et al.

    Springer Science and Business Media LLC
    AbstractJob’s syndrome, or autosomal dominant hyperimmunoglobulin E syndrome (AD-HIES, STAT3-Dominant Negative), is a rare inborn error of immunity (IEI) with multi-organ involvement and long-life post-infective damage. Longitudinal registries are of primary importance in improving our knowledge of the natural history and management of these rare disorders. This study aimed to describe the natural history of 30 Italian patients with AD-HIES recorded in the Italian network for primary immunodeficiency (IPINet) registry. This study shows the incidence of manifestations present at the time of diagnosis versus those that arose during follow up at a referral center for IEI. The mean time of diagnostic delay was 13.7 years, while the age of disease onset was < 12 months in 66.7% of patients. Respiratory complications, namely bronchiectasis and pneumatoceles, were present at diagnosis in 46.7% and 43.3% of patients, respectively. Antimicrobial prophylaxis resulted in a decrease in the incidence of pneumonia from 76.7% to 46.7%. At the time of diagnosis, skin involvement was present in 93.3% of the patients, including eczema (80.8%) and abscesses (66.7%). At the time of follow-up, under therapy, the prevalence of complications decreased: eczema and skin abscesses reduced to 63.3% and 56.7%, respectively. Antifungal prophylaxis decreased the incidence of mucocutaneous candidiasis from 70% to 56.7%. During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, seven patients developed COVID-19. Survival analyses showed that 27 out of 30 patients survived, while three patients died at ages of 28, 39, and 46 years as a consequence of lung bleeding, lymphoma, and sepsis, respectively. Analysis of a cumulative follow-up period of 278.7 patient-years showed that early diagnosis, adequate management at expertise centers for IEI, prophylactic antibiotics, and antifungal therapy improve outcomes and can positively influence the life expectancy of patients.

  • Activated phosphoinositide 3-kinase δ syndrome: Update from the ESID Registry and comparison with other autoimmune-lymphoproliferative inborn errors of immunity
    Maria Elena Maccari, Martin Wolkewitz, Charlotte Schwab, Tiziana Lorenzini, Jennifer W. Leiding, Nathalie Aladjdi, Hassan Abolhassani, Wadih Abou-Chahla, Alessandro Aiuti, Saba Azarnoush,et al.

    Elsevier BV

  • Thyroid carcinoma in two patients with ataxia-telangiectasia: Tailored diagnostic and therapeutic use of radioiodine
    Beatrice Rivalta, Carmela Giancotta, Fabrizio Leone, Francesco D'Aniello, Edoardo Vergani, Elisa Profeti, Lucia Pacillo, Esther Diana Rossi, Pietro Locantore, Alfredo Pontecorvi,et al.

    Wiley

  • Immune tolerance breakdown in inborn errors of immunity: Paving the way to novel therapeutic approaches
    Giuliana Giardino, Roberta Romano, Vassilios Lougaris, Riccardo Castagnoli, Francesca Cillo, Lucia Leonardi, Francesco La Torre, Annarosa Soresina, Silvia Federici, Caterina Cancrini,et al.

    Elsevier BV

  • Human germline heterozygous gain-of-function STAT6 variants cause severe allergic disease
    Mehul Sharma, Daniel Leung, Mana Momenilandi, Lauren C.W. Jones, Lucia Pacillo, Alyssa E. James, Jill R. Murrell, Selket Delafontaine, Jesmeen Maimaris, Maryam Vaseghi-Shanjani,et al.

    Rockefeller University Press
    STAT6 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 6) is a transcription factor that plays a central role in the pathophysiology of allergic inflammation. We have identified 16 patients from 10 families spanning three continents with a profound phenotype of early-life onset allergic immune dysregulation, widespread treatment-resistant atopic dermatitis, hypereosinophilia with esosinophilic gastrointestinal disease, asthma, elevated serum IgE, IgE-mediated food allergies, and anaphylaxis. The cases were either sporadic (seven kindreds) or followed an autosomal dominant inheritance pattern (three kindreds). All patients carried monoallelic rare variants in STAT6 and functional studies established their gain-of-function (GOF) phenotype with sustained STAT6 phosphorylation, increased STAT6 target gene expression, and TH2 skewing. Precision treatment with the anti–IL-4Rα antibody, dupilumab, was highly effective improving both clinical manifestations and immunological biomarkers. This study identifies heterozygous GOF variants in STAT6 as a novel autosomal dominant allergic disorder. We anticipate that our discovery of multiple kindreds with germline STAT6 GOF variants will facilitate the recognition of more affected individuals and the full definition of this new primary atopic disorder.

  • Case report: Neonatal-onset inflammatory bowel disease due to novel compound heterozygous mutations in DUOX2
    Andrea Finocchi, Lucia Pacillo, Maria Chiriaco, Gigliola Di Matteo, Paola Francalanci, Giulia Angelino, Tamara Caldaro, Beatrice Rivalta, Maurice O’Mara, Suisheng Zhang,et al.

    Frontiers Media SA
    Very Early Onset Inflammatory Bowel Disease (VEO-IBD) is potentially associated with genetic disorders of the intestinal epithelial barrier or inborn errors of immunity (IEI). Dual oxidase 2 (DUOX2), an H2O2-producing NADPH oxidase expressed at apical enterocyte membranes, plays a crucial role in innate defense response. Biallelic DUOX2 mutations have been described only in two patients with VEO-IBD to date. We report the case of a 1-month-old female infant who presented persistent high C-reactive protein (CRP) levels from birth and anemia. Positive occult blood and very high calprotectin in the stool were detected and abdominal ultrasound showed thickened last ileal loop. Full endoscopy evaluation revealed important colon stenosis with multiple pseudo-polyploidy formations that resulted refractory to steroid therapy, requiring a partial colic resection. Histological examination of biopsy samples showed morphological features of IBD. Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) disclosed compound heterozygous variants in the DUOX2 gene: the pathogenic c.2524C>T; p.Arg842Ter and the variant of uncertain significance (VUS) c.3175C>T; p.Arg1059Cys. Molecular and functional studies showed the presence of mutant DUOX2 in the intestinal epithelium of the patient, albeit with at least 50% decreased catalytic activity. In conclusion, we describe the third patient to date with compound heterozygous variants of DUOX2, responsible for monogenic neonatal-IBD. This case expands the knowledge about Mendelian causes of VEO-IBD and DUOX2 deficiency. We suggest that DUOX2 should be part of the diagnostic evaluation of patients with suspected monogenic VEO-IBD.

  • Risk of thyroid neoplasms in patients with 22q11.2 deletion and DiGeorge-like syndromes: an insight for follow-up
    Walter Maria Sarli, Silvia Ricci, Lorenzo Lodi, Federica Cavone, Lucia Pacillo, Carmela Giancotta, Graziamaria Ubertini, Giampiero Baroncelli, Caterina Cancrini, Chiara Azzari,et al.

    Frontiers Media SA
    IntroductionThe chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome comprises phenotypically similar diseases characterized by abnormal development of the third and fourth branchial arches, resulting in variable combinations of congenital heart defects, dysmorphisms, hypocalcemia, palatal dysfunction, developmental or neuropsychiatric disorders, and impairment of the immune system due to thymic dysfunction. Other genetic syndromes, often called DiGeorge-like, share clinical and immunological features with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. This syndrome has been rarely associated with malignancies, mainly hematological but also hepatic, renal, and cerebral. Rarely, malignancies in the head and neck region have been described, although no aggregate of data on the development of thyroid neoplasms in patients with this clinical phenotype has been conducted so far.Materials and methodsTo characterize this possible association, a multicenter survey was made. Thus, we present a case series of five pediatric patients with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome or DiGeorge-like syndrome who were occasionally found with confirmed or highly suspected neoplasms of the thyroid gland during their follow-up. In three cases, malignancies were histologically confirmed, but their outcome was good due to an early recognition of suspicious nodules and precocious surgery.ConclusionsThis study underlines for clinicians the higher risk of neoplasms in the head and neck district for patients affected by these syndromes. It also emphasizes the importance of a prolonged clinical and ultrasound follow-up for patients with this clinical and immunological phenotype.

  • Tailored treatments in inborn errors of immunity associated with atopy (IEIs-A) with skin involvement
    Carmela Giancotta, Nicole Colantoni, Lucia Pacillo, Veronica Santilli, Donato Amodio, Emma Concetta Manno, Nicola Cotugno, Gioacchino Andrea Rotulo, Beatrice Rivalta, Andrea Finocchi,et al.

    Frontiers Media SA
    Inborn errors of immunity associated with atopy (IEIs-A) are a group of inherited monogenic disorders that occur with immune dysregulation and frequent skin involvement. Several pathways are involved in the pathogenesis of these conditions, including immune system defects, alterations of skin barrier and metabolism perturbations. Current technological improvements and the higher accessibility to genetic testing, recently allowed the identification of novel molecular pathways involved in IEIs-A, also informing on potential tailored therapeutic strategies. Compared to other systemic therapy for skin diseases, biologics have the less toxic and the best tolerated profile in the setting of immune dysregulation. Here, we review IEIs-A with skin involvement focusing on the tailored therapeutic approach according to their pathogenetic mechanism.

  • Natural history of type 1 diabetes on an immunodysregulatory background with genetic alteration in B-cell activating factor receptor: A case report
    Biagio Di Lorenzo, Lucia Pacillo, Giulia Milardi, Tatiana Jofra, Silvia Di Cesare, Jolanda Gerosa, Ilaria Marzinotto, Ettore Zapparoli, Beatrice Rivalta, Cristina Cifaldi,et al.

    Frontiers Media SA
    The immunological events leading to type 1 diabetes (T1D) are complex and heterogeneous, underscoring the necessity to study rare cases to improve our understanding. Here, we report the case of a 16-year-old patient who showed glycosuria during a regular checkup. Upon further evaluation, stage 2 T1D, autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura (AITP), and common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) were diagnosed. The patient underwent low carb diet, losing > 8 kg, and was placed on Ig replacement therapy. Anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody (Rituximab, RTX) was administered 2 years after diagnosis to treat peripheral polyneuropathy, whereas an atypical mycobacteriosis manifested 4 years after diagnosis and was managed with prolonged antibiotic treatment. In the fifth year of monitoring, the patient progressed to insulin dependency despite ZnT8A autoantibody resolution and IA-2A and GADA autoantibody decline. The patient had low T1D genetic risk score (GRS = 0.22817) and absence of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) DR3/DR4-DQ8. Genetic analysis identified the monoallelic mutation H159Y in TNFRSF13C, a gene encoding B-cell activating factor receptor (BAFFR). Significant reduced blood B-cell numbers and BAFFR levels were observed in line with a dysregulation in BAFF–BAFFR signaling. The elevated frequency of PD-1+ dysfunctional Tfh cells composed predominantly by Th1 phenotype was observed at disease onset and during follow-up. This case report describes a patient progressing to T1D on a BAFFR-mediated immunodysregulatory background, suggesting a role of BAFF–BAFFR signaling in islet-specific tolerance and T1D progression.

  • Targeted treatment of autoimmune cytopenias in primary immunodeficiencies
    Lucia Pacillo, Giuliana Giardino, Donato Amodio, Carmela Giancotta, Beatrice Rivalta, Gioacchino Andrea Rotulo, Emma Concetta Manno, Cristina Cifaldi, Giuseppe Palumbo, Claudio Pignata,et al.

    Frontiers Media SA
    Primary Immunodeficiencies (PID) are a group of rare congenital disorders of the immune system. Autoimmune cytopenia (AIC) represents the most common autoimmune manifestation in PID patients. Treatment of AIC in PID patients can be really challenging, since they are often chronic, relapsing and refractory to first line therapies, thus requiring a broad variety of alternative therapeutic options. Moreover, immunosuppression should be fine balanced considering the increased susceptibility to infections in these patients. Specific therapeutic guidelines for AIC in PID patients are lacking. Treatment choice should be guided by the underlying disease. The study of the pathogenic mechanisms involved in the genesis of AIC in PID and our growing ability to define the molecular underpinnings of immune dysregulation has paved the way for the development of novel targeted treatments. Ideally, targeted therapy is directed against an overexpressed or overactive gene product or substitutes a defective protein, restoring the impaired pathway. Actually, the molecular diagnosis or a specific drug is not always available. However, defining the category of PID or the immunological phenotype can help to choose a semi-targeted therapy directed towards the suspected pathogenic mechanism. In this review we overview all the therapeutic interventions available for AIC in PID patients, according to different immunologic targets. In particular, we focus on T and/or B cells targeting therapies. To support decision making in the future, prospective studies to define treatment response and predicting/stratifying biomarkers for patients with AIC and PID are needed.

  • SARS-CoV-2 infection and treatment in a cohort of patients with inborn errors of immunity
    Francesca Conti, Lucia Pacillo, Donato Amodio, Beatrice Rivalta, Mattia Moratti, Caterina Campoli, Daniele Zama, Ilaria Corsini, Carmela Giancotta, Stefania Bernardi,et al.

    Wiley
    of the of these did not observe substantial differences in terms of infection clearance (2 days spared) and symptom recovery (1 day spared) between untreated patients p - value 0.86); ob-served a faster mean time clearance in patients who had received at least 2 vaccination doses respect to the rest of our IEI cohort (17 versus 24 days).

  • Radiosensitivity in patients affected by ARPC1B deficiency: a new disease trait?
    Maria Chiriaco, Giorgiana Madalina Ursu, Donato Amodio, Nicola Cotugno, Stefano Volpi, Francesco Berardinelli, Simone Pizzi, Cristina Cifaldi, Matteo Zoccolillo, Ignazia Prigione,et al.

    Frontiers Media SA
    Actin-related protein 2/3 complex subunit 1B (ARPC1B) deficiency is a recently described inborn error of immunity (IEI) presenting with combined immunodeficiency and characterized by recurrent infections and thrombocytopenia. Manifestations of immune dysregulation, including colitis, vasculitis, and severe dermatitis, associated with eosinophilia, hyper-IgA, and hyper-IgE are also described in ARPC1B-deficient patients. To date, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation seems to be the only curative option for patients. ARPC1B is part of the actin-related protein 2/3 complex (Arp2/3) and cooperates with the Wiskott–Aldrich syndrome protein (WASp) in the regulation of the actin cytoskeleton remodeling and in driving double-strand break clustering for homology-directed repair. In this study, we aimed to investigate radiosensitivity (RS) in ARPC1B-deficient patients to assess whether it can be considered an additional disease trait. First, we performed trio-based next-generation-sequencing studies to obtain the ARPC1B molecular diagnosis in our index case characterized by increased RS, and then we confirmed, using three different methods, an increment of radiosensitivity in all enrolled ARPC1B-deficient patients. In particular, higher levels of chromatid-type aberrations and γH2AX foci, with an increased number of cells arrested in the G2/M-phase of the cell cycle, were found in patients’ cells after ionizing radiation exposition and radiomimetic bleomycin treatment. Overall, our data suggest increased radiosensitivity as an additional trait in ARPC1B deficiency and support the necessity to investigate this feature in ARPC1B patients as well as in other IEI with cytoskeleton defects to address specific clinical follow-up and optimize therapeutic interventions.

  • Follicular helper T cell signature of replicative exhaustion, apoptosis, and senescence in common variable immunodeficiency
    Giulia Milardi, Biagio Di Lorenzo, Jolanda Gerosa, Federica Barzaghi, Gigliola Di Matteo, Maryam Omrani, Tatiana Jofra, Ivan Merelli, Matteo Barcella, Matteo Filippini,et al.

    Wiley
    Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is the most frequent primary antibody deficiency whereby follicular helper T (Tfh) cells fail to establish productive responses with B cells in germinal centers. Here, we analyzed the frequency, phenotype, transcriptome and function of circulating Tfh (cTfh) cells in CVID patients displaying autoimmunity as an additional phenotype. A group of patients showed a high frequency of cTfh1 cells and a prominent expression of PD-1 and ICOS, as well as a cTfh mRNA signature consistent with highly activated, but exhausted, senescent and apoptotic cells. Plasmatic CXCL13 levels were elevated in this group and positively correlated with cTfh1 cell frequency and PD-1 levels. Monoallelic variants in RTEL1, a telomere length- and DNA repair-related gene, were identified in four patients belonging to this group. Their blood lymphocytes showed shortened telomeres, while their cTfh were more prone to apoptosis. These data point toward a novel pathogenetic mechanism in CVID, whereby alterations in DNA repair and telomere elongation might predispose to antibody deficiency. A Th1, highly activated but exhausted and apoptotic cTfh phenotype was associated with this form of CVID. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  • Case Report: Successful Treatment With Monoclonal Antibodies in One APDS Patient With Prolonged SARS-CoV-2 Infection Not Responsive to Previous Lines of Treatment
    Beatrice Rivalta, Donato Amodio, Carmela Giancotta, Veronica Santilli, Lucia Pacillo, Paola Zangari, Nicola Cotugno, Emma Concetta Manno, Andrea Finocchi, Stefania Bernardi,et al.

    Frontiers Media SA
    We described the case of a patient affected by activated PI3K-kinase delta syndrome (APDS) and a long-lasting and pauci-symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, treated with multiple therapeutic agents including remdesivir and SARS-CoV-2-neutralizing monoclonal antibodies. We detected the clearance of the virus 105 days from the first positive swab and 7 days after monoclonal antibody administration. At genotyping, the SARS-CoV-2 virus resulted as wild type on all samples tested. This case shows the monoclonal antibodies’ good tolerability and efficacy in reducing viral shedding in long-lasting infections refractory to other treatments.

  • In Search for the Missing Link in APECED-Like Conditions: Analysis of the AIRE Gene in a Series of 48 Patients
    Alessandra Fierabracci, Eugenia Belcastro, Elena Carbone, Olivia Pagliarosi, Alessia Palma, Lucia Pacillo, Carmela Giancotta, Paola Zangari, Andrea Finocchi, Caterina Cancrini,et al.

    MDPI AG
    Autoimmune diseases are a heterogeneous group of disorders of the immune system. They can cluster in the same individual, revealing various preferential associations for polyendocrine autoimmune syndromes. Clinical observation, together with advances in genetics and the understanding of pathophysiological processes, has further highlighted that autoimmunity can be associated with immunodeficiency; autoimmunity may even be the first primary immunodeficiency manifestation. Analysis of susceptibility genes for the development of these complex phenotypes is a fundamental issue. In this manuscript, we revised the clinical and immunologic features and the presence of AIRE gene variations in a cohort of 48 patients affected by high polyautoimmunity complexity, i.e., APECED-like conditions, also including patients affected by primary immunodeficiency. Our results evidenced a significant association of the S278R polymorphism of the AIRE gene with APECED-like conditions, including both patients affected by autoimmunity and immunodeficiency and patients with polyautoimmunity compared to healthy controls. A trend of association was also observed with the IVS9+6 G>A polymorphism. The results of this genetic analysis emphasize the need to look for additional genetic determinants playing in concert with AIRE polymorphisms. This will help to improve the diagnostic workup and ensure a precision medicine approach to targeted therapies in APECED-like patients.

  • Clinical, Immunological, and Molecular Variability of RAG Deficiency: A Retrospective Analysis of 22 RAG Patients
    Cristina Cifaldi, Beatrice Rivalta, Donato Amodio, Algeri Mattia, Lucia Pacillo, Silvia Di Cesare, Maria Chiriaco, Giorgiana Madalina Ursu, Nicola Cotugno, Carmela Giancotta,et al.

    Springer Science and Business Media LLC
    Abstract Purpose We described clinical, immunological, and molecular characterization within a cohort of 22 RAG patients focused on the possible correlation between clinical and genetic data. Methods Immunological and genetic features were investigated by multiparametric flow cytometry and by Sanger or next generation sequencing (NGS) as appropriate. Results Patients represented a broad spectrum of RAG deficiencies: SCID, OS, LS/AS, and CID. Three novel mutations in RAG1 gene and one in RAG2 were reported. The primary symptom at presentation was infections (81.8%). Infections and autoimmunity occurred together in the majority of cases (63.6%). Fifteen out of 22 (68.2%) patients presented autoimmune or inflammatory manifestations. Five patients experienced severe autoimmune cytopenia refractory to different lines of therapy. Total lymphocytes count was reduced or almost lacking in SCID group and higher in OS patients. B lymphocytes were variably detected in LS/AS and CID groups. Eighteen patients underwent HSCT permitting definitive control of autoimmune/hyperinflammatory manifestations in twelve of them (80%). Conclusion We reinforce the notion that different clinical phenotype can be found in patients with identical mutations even within the same family. Infections may influence genotype–phenotype correlation and function as trigger for immune dysregulation or autoimmune manifestations. Severe and early autoimmune refractory cytopenia is frequent and could be the first symptom of onset. Prompt recognition of RAG deficiency in patients with early onset of autoimmune/hyperinflammatory manifestations could contribute to the choice of a timely and specific treatment preventing the onset of other complications.

  • Humoral and Cellular Response Following Vaccination With the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine in Patients Affected by Primary Immunodeficiencies
    Donato Amodio, Alessandra Ruggiero, Mayla Sgrulletti, Chiara Pighi, Nicola Cotugno, Chiara Medri, Elena Morrocchi, Luna Colagrossi, Cristina Russo, Salvatore Zaffina,et al.

    Frontiers Media SA
    Mass SARS-Cov-2 vaccination campaign represents the only strategy to defeat the global pandemic we are facing. Immunocompromised patients represent a vulnerable population at high risk of developing severe COVID-19 and thus should be prioritized in the vaccination programs and in the study of the vaccine efficacy. Nevertheless, most data on efficacy and safety of the available vaccines derive from trials conducted on healthy individuals; hence, studies on immunogenicity of SARS-CoV2 vaccines in such populations are deeply needed. Here, we perform an observational longitudinal study analyzing the humoral and cellular response following the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine in a cohort of patients affected by inborn errors of immunity (IEI) compared to healthy controls (HC). We show that both IEI and HC groups experienced a significant increase in anti-SARS-CoV-2 Abs 1 week after the second scheduled dose as well as an overall statistically significant expansion of the Ag-specific CD4+CD40L+ T cells in both HC and IEI. Five IEI patients did not develop any specific CD4+CD40L+ T cellular response, with one of these patients unable to also mount any humoral response. These data raise immunologic concerns about using Ab response as a sole metric of protective immunity following vaccination for SARS-CoV-2. Taken together, these findings suggest that evaluation of vaccine-induced immunity in this subpopulation should also include quantification of Ag-specific T cells.

  • Case Report: EBV Chronic Infection and Lymphoproliferation in Four APDS Patients: The Challenge of Proper Characterization, Therapy, and Follow-Up
    Beatrice Rivalta, Donato Amodio, Cinzia Milito, Maria Chiriaco, Silvia Di Cesare, Carmela Giancotta, Francesca Conti, Veronica Santilli, Lucia Pacillo, Cristina Cifaldi,et al.

    Frontiers Media SA
    Activated PI3K-kinase Delta Syndrome (APDS) is an autosomal-dominant primary immunodeficiency (PID) caused by the constitutive activation of the PI3Kδ kinase. The consequent hyperactivation of the PI3K-Akt-mTOR pathway leads to an impaired T- and B-cells differentiation and function, causing progressive lymphopenia, hypogammaglobulinemia and hyper IgM. Patients with APDS show recurrent sinopulmonary and chronic herpes virus infections, immune dysregulation manifestations, including cytopenia, arthritis, inflammatory enteropathy, and a predisposition to persistent non-neoplastic splenomegaly/lymphoproliferation and lymphoma. The recurrence of the lymphoproliferative disorder and the difficulties in the proper definition of malignancy on histological examination represents the main challenge in the clinical management of APDS patients, since a prompt and correct diagnosis is needed to avoid major complications. Targeted therapies with PI3Kδ-Akt-mTOR pathway pharmacologic inhibitors (i.e., Rapamycin, Theophylline, PI3K inhibitors) represent a good therapeutic strategy. They can also be used as bridge therapies when HSCT is required in order to control refractory symptoms. Indeed, treated patients showed a good tolerance, improved immunologic phenotype and reduced incidence/severity of immune dysregulation manifestations. Here, we describe our experience in the management of four patients, one male affected with APDS1 (P1) and the other three, a male and two females, with APDS2 (P2, P3, P4) presenting with chronic EBV replication, recurrent episodes of immune dysregulation manifestations and lymphomas. These cases highlighted the importance of a tailored and close follow-up, including serial endoscopic and lymph nodes biopsies control to detect a prompt and correct diagnosis and offer the best therapeutic strategy.

  • Urogenital Abnormalities in Adenosine Deaminase Deficiency
    Roberta Pajno, Lucia Pacillo, Salvatore Recupero, Maria P. Cicalese, Francesca Ferrua, Federica Barzaghi, Silvia Ricci, Antonio Marzollo, Silvia Pecorelli, Chiara Azzari,et al.

    Springer Science and Business Media LLC
    Abstract Background Improved survival in ADA-SCID patients is revealing new aspects of the systemic disorder. Although increasing numbers of reports describe the systemic manifestations of adenosine deaminase deficiency, currently there are no studies in the literature evaluating genital development and pubertal progress in these patients. Methods We collected retrospective data on urogenital system and pubertal development of 86 ADA-SCID patients followed in the period 2000–2017 at the Great Ormond Street Hospital (UK) and 5 centers in Italy. In particular, we recorded clinical history and visits, and routine blood tests and ultrasound scans were performed as part of patients’ follow-up. Results and Discussion We found a higher frequency of congenital and acquired undescended testes compared with healthy children (congenital, 22% in our sample, 0.5–4% described in healthy children; acquired, 16% in our sample, 1–3% in healthy children), mostly requiring orchidopexy. No urogenital abnormalities were noted in females. Spontaneous pubertal development occurred in the majority of female and male patients with a few cases of precocious or delayed puberty; no patient presented high FSH values. Neither ADA-SCID nor treatment performed (PEG-ADA, BMT, or GT) affected pubertal development or gonadic function. Conclusion In summary, this report describes a high prevalence of cryptorchidism in a cohort of male ADA-SCID patients which could represent an additional systemic manifestation of ADA-SCID. Considering the impact urogenital and pubertal abnormalities can have on patients’ quality of life, we feel it is essential to include urogenital evaluation in ADA-SCID patients to detect any abnormalities, initiate early treatment, and prevent long-term complications.