1.Clinical phenotype and genotype analysis of neuroinflammation, autoinflammation, splenomegaly and anemia syndrome caused by IRAK4 gene variant
Siming PENG ; Sunbixin YUAN ; Zhixing SUN ; Yu ZHANG ; Wei WANG ; Hongmei SONG
Chinese Journal of Pediatrics 2025;63(6):655-659
Objective:To summarize the clinical and genetic features of neuroinflammation, autoinflammation, splenomegaly and anemia (NASA) syndrome and investigate the pathogenic mechanism.Methods:The clinical data of 2 patients diagnosed with NASA syndrome at Department of Pediatrics, Peking Union Medical College Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Variants were identified by gene panel sequencing and confirmed by Sanger sequencing. The function of IRAK4 gene variants was studied in vitro.Results:Among the 2 patients, case 1 was an 8-year-old girl and case 2 was a 10-year-old boy. Both patients presented in early childhood with anemia and hepatosplenomegaly. Case 1 was also experienced recurrent seizures. Laboratory examinations showed elevated inflammatory markers and neuroimaging revealed bilateral basal ganglia calcification. In case 2, anemia and inflammation markers were well controlled after treatment with tocilizumab, while case 1 succumbed to recurrent seizures. Genetic tests verified compound heterozygous variants in IRAK4 gene: case 1 carries a nonsense variant c.592G>T (p.G198X) and a missense variant c.248A>C (p.D83A), which were respectively from the parents; case 2 carries a c.831+3A>G variant and a frameshift variant c.540delT (p.F180Lfs*26), and the former was inherited from the father and the latter from the mother. The reverse transcription and Sanger sequencing results confirmed that c.831+3A>G variant led to exon 7 skipping. In vitro studies indicated that c.592G>T, c.540delT and c.831+3A>G variants resulted in truncated interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase-4 (IRAK4) protein while c.248A>C do not cause changes in IRAK4 protein expression level and protein length.Conclusions:NASA syndrome should be considered in children with early-onset anemia, hepatosplenomegaly, recurrent seizures, elevated inflammatory markers and intracranial calcification. IRAK4 gene variants may lead to impaired anti-inflammatory function of IRAK4 protein, contributing to the autoinflammatory phenotype.
2.Penicillamine-induced skin striae atrophicae in Wilson's disease:A report of 3 cases
Sunbixin YUAN ; Zhenjie ZHANG ; Zhengqing QIU
Basic & Clinical Medicine 2025;45(6):811-815
Objective To analyze the clinical characteristics of 3 patients with Wilson's disease who suffered from skin striae atrophicae after treatment with penicillamine,and to conduct literature review to extensively profile ad-verse events of penicillamine-induced skin changes.Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 3 patients with Wilson's disease who developed skin striae atrophicae after administration of peni-cillamine in the Department of Pediatrics of Peking Union Medical College Hospital from August 2013 to August 2024,and a literature review was performed.Results Three patients with Wilson's disease all developed skin striae atrophicae after taking penicillamine.Among them,2 patients reduced or stopped using penicillamine short-ly after the appearance of striae atrophicae,and their striae atrophicae improved significantly.After taking penicil-lamine again,their skin changes remained stable.A literature research showed that 48 patients with Wilson's disease experienced penicillamine induced skin changes,and no similar reports of striae atrophicae were found.The reported skin changes included elastosis perforans serpiginosa,skin laxity or wrinkled skin,pseudo-pseudox-anthoma elasticum,increased skin fragility,pigmentation and so on.Among them,24 patients reduced or stopped penicillamine,and 18 patients(75%)had improved or maintained stable skin changes.Conclusions Penicillamine can cause various skin changes in patients with Wilson's disease,including striae atrophicae,which can be improved after reducing or discontinuing taking penicillamine.And skin striae atrophicae can main-tain stable even if they taking penicillamine again.
3.Clinical phenotype and genotype analysis of neuroinflammation, autoinflammation, splenomegaly and anemia syndrome caused by IRAK4 gene variant
Siming PENG ; Sunbixin YUAN ; Zhixing SUN ; Yu ZHANG ; Wei WANG ; Hongmei SONG
Chinese Journal of Pediatrics 2025;63(6):655-659
Objective:To summarize the clinical and genetic features of neuroinflammation, autoinflammation, splenomegaly and anemia (NASA) syndrome and investigate the pathogenic mechanism.Methods:The clinical data of 2 patients diagnosed with NASA syndrome at Department of Pediatrics, Peking Union Medical College Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Variants were identified by gene panel sequencing and confirmed by Sanger sequencing. The function of IRAK4 gene variants was studied in vitro.Results:Among the 2 patients, case 1 was an 8-year-old girl and case 2 was a 10-year-old boy. Both patients presented in early childhood with anemia and hepatosplenomegaly. Case 1 was also experienced recurrent seizures. Laboratory examinations showed elevated inflammatory markers and neuroimaging revealed bilateral basal ganglia calcification. In case 2, anemia and inflammation markers were well controlled after treatment with tocilizumab, while case 1 succumbed to recurrent seizures. Genetic tests verified compound heterozygous variants in IRAK4 gene: case 1 carries a nonsense variant c.592G>T (p.G198X) and a missense variant c.248A>C (p.D83A), which were respectively from the parents; case 2 carries a c.831+3A>G variant and a frameshift variant c.540delT (p.F180Lfs*26), and the former was inherited from the father and the latter from the mother. The reverse transcription and Sanger sequencing results confirmed that c.831+3A>G variant led to exon 7 skipping. In vitro studies indicated that c.592G>T, c.540delT and c.831+3A>G variants resulted in truncated interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase-4 (IRAK4) protein while c.248A>C do not cause changes in IRAK4 protein expression level and protein length.Conclusions:NASA syndrome should be considered in children with early-onset anemia, hepatosplenomegaly, recurrent seizures, elevated inflammatory markers and intracranial calcification. IRAK4 gene variants may lead to impaired anti-inflammatory function of IRAK4 protein, contributing to the autoinflammatory phenotype.

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