Primary Immune Deficiency 1 Flashcards
- What are some clinical features of immunodeficiency?
2 major OR 1 major + recurrent minor infections in one year Unusual organisms Unusual sites Unresponsive to treatment Chronic infections Early structural damage
- List some features that may suggest primary immunodeficiency.
Family history
Young age at presentation
Failure to thrive
- Broadly speaking, what are three mechanisms of phagocyte deficiency?
Failure to produce neutrophils
Defect of phagocyte migration
Failure of oxidative killing
Cytokine deficiency
- Give three examples of failure of neutrophil production and outline their mechanism.
Reticular dysgenesis
Autosomal recessive severe SCID with no production of lymphoid or myeloid cells
Caused by failure of stem cells to differentiate along lymphoid or myeloid lineage
Kostmann syndrome
Autosomal recessive congenital neutropaenia
Cyclic neutropaenia
Autosomal dominant episodic neutropaenia
Occurs every 4-6 weeks
- Name a phagocyte deficiency caused by failure of phagocyte migration.
Leucocyte adhesion deficiency
- Describe the pathophysiology of leucocyte adhesion deficiency.
Caused by deficiency of CD18
CD18 normally combined with CD11a to produce LFA-1
LFA-1 normally binds to ICAM-1 on endothelial cells to mediate neutrophil adhesions and transmigration
A lack of CD18 means a lack of LFA-1, so neutrophils cannot enter tissues
During an infection, neutrophils will be mobilised from the bone marrow (HIGH neutrophils in the blood) but they will not be able to cross into the site of infection (NO pus formation)
- Name a phagocyte deficiency caused by failure of oxidative killing mechanisms.
Chronic granulomatous disease
- Outline the pathophysiology of chronic granulomatous disease.
Absent respiratory burst (deficiency of components of NADPH oxidase leads to inability to generate oxygen free radicals)
Excessive inflammation (persistent neutrophils and macrophage accumulation with failure to degrade antigens)
Granuloma formation
Lymphadenopathy and hepatosplenomegaly
- Describe the cytokine cycle between macrophages and T cells.
Macrophages produce IL12 which stimulates T cells, which then produce IFN-gamma
IFN-gamma acts back on the macrophages and stimulates the production of TNF-alpha and free radicals
Deficiencies in IL12, IL12R, IFN-gamma or IFN-gamma receptor can cause immunodeficiency
- What type of infection do patients with IL12/IL12R or IFN-gamma/IFN-gamma receptor deficiencies tend to present with?
Organisms that infect macrophages (usually atypical mycobacteria)
- Name and describe the colour changes of two tests used to investigate chronic granulomatous disease.
Nitroblue Tetrazolium (NBT) – yellow to blue
Dihydrorhodamine (DHR) – fluorescent
NOTE: both of these tests are looking at the ability of neutrophils to produce hydrogen peroxide and oxidative stress
- Which types of infection tend to occur in patients with phagocyte deficiency?
Recurrent skin and mouth infections
Bacteria – Staphylococcus aureus, enteric bacteria
Fungi – Candida albicans, Aspergillus fumigatus
Mycobacterial infections (particularly with IL12 deficiency)
TB, atypical mycobacteria
- For each of the following diseases, state the expected neutrophil count, leucocyte adhesion markers, NBT/DHR test and presence of pus:
a. Kostmann syndrome
b. Leukocyte adhesion deficiency
c. Chronic granulomatous disease
d. IL12/IFN-gamma deficiency
a. Kostmann syndrome Absent neutrophil count Normal leucocyte adhesion markers No neutrophils for NBT/DHR No pus b. Leukocyte adhesion deficiency High neutrophil count Absent CD18 Normal NBT/DHR No pus c. Chronic granulomatous disease Normal neutrophil count Normal leucocyte adhesion markers Abnormal NBT/DHR Pus present d. IL12/IFN-gamma deficiency Normal neutrophil count Normal leucocyte adhesion markers Normal NBT/DHR Pus present
- Outline the treatment of phagocyte deficiencies.
Aggressive management of infection (infection prophylaxis and oral/IV antibiotics when needed)
Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation
Specific treatment for chronic granulomatous disease (e.g. IFN-gamma therapy)
- What are the two different types of NK cell deficiency?
Classical NK deficiency – absence of NK cells in the peripheral blood
Functional NK deficiency – NK cells are present but function is abnormal