First name
Kathleen
Middle name
E
Last name
Sullivan

Title

Proteomic Profiling of MIS-C Patients Reveals Heterogeneity Relating to Interferon Gamma Dysregulation and Vascular Endothelial Dysfunction.

Year of Publication

2021

Number of Pages

Date Published

2021 Apr 20

ISSN Number

Abstract

<p>Multi-system Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) is a major complication of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic in pediatric patients. Weeks after an often mild or asymptomatic initial infection with SARS-CoV-2 children may present with a severe shock-like picture and marked inflammation. Children with MIS-C present with varying degrees of cardiovascular and hyperinflammatory symptoms. We performed a comprehensive analysis of the plasma proteome of more than 1400 proteins in children with SARS-CoV-2. We hypothesized that the proteome would reflect heterogeneity in hyperinflammation and vascular injury, and further identify pathogenic mediators of disease. Protein signatures demonstrated overlap between MIS-C, and the inflammatory syndromes macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) and thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA). We demonstrate that PLA2G2A is a key marker of MIS-C that associates with TMA. We found that IFNγ responses are dysregulated in MIS-C patients, and that IFNγ levels delineate clinical heterogeneity.</p>

DOI

10.1101/2021.04.13.21255439

Alternate Title

medRxiv

PMID

33907759
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Title

Diagnostic Challenges in Pediatric Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis.

Year of Publication

2021

Number of Pages

Date Published

2021 Mar 24

ISSN Number

1573-2592

Abstract

<p>Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a syndrome of severe immune dysregulation that encompasses a broad range of underlying genetic diseases and infectious triggers. Monogenic conditions, autoimmune diseases, and infections can all drive the phenotype of HLH and associated immune hyperactivation with hypercytokinemia. A diagnosis of HLH usually requires a combination of clinical and laboratory findings; there is no single sensitive and specific diagnostic test, which often leads to "diagnostic dilemmas" and delays in treatment initiation. Ferritin levels, one of the most commonly used screening tests, were collected across a large tertiary care pediatric hospital to identify the positive predictive value for HLH. Herein, we present several cases that illustrate the clinical challenges of confirming an HLH diagnosis. Additionally, we report on the utility of establishing a formal multi-disciplinary group to aid the prompt diagnosis and treatment of patients presenting with HLH-like pathophysiologies.</p>

DOI

10.1007/s10875-021-01025-3

Alternate Title

J Clin Immunol

PMID

33761058
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Title

Evidence of thrombotic microangiopathy in children with SARS-CoV-2 across the spectrum of clinical presentations.

Year of Publication

2020

Number of Pages

6051-6063

Date Published

2020 12 08

ISSN Number

2473-9537

Abstract

<p>Most children with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection have mild or minimal disease, with a small proportion developing severe disease or multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). Complement-mediated thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) has been associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection in adults but has not been studied in the pediatric population. We hypothesized that complement activation plays an important role in SARS-CoV-2 infection in children and sought to understand if TMA was present in these patients. We enrolled 50 hospitalized pediatric patients with acute SARS-CoV-2 infection (n = 21, minimal coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID-19]; n = 11, severe COVID-19) or MIS-C (n = 18). As a biomarker of complement activation and TMA, soluble C5b9 (sC5b9, normal 247 ng/mL) was measured in plasma, and elevations were found in patients with minimal disease (median, 392 ng/mL; interquartile range [IQR], 244-622 ng/mL), severe disease (median, 646 ng/mL; IQR, 203-728 ng/mL), and MIS-C (median, 630 ng/mL; IQR, 359-932 ng/mL) compared with 26 healthy control subjects (median, 57 ng/mL; IQR, 9-163 ng/mL; P &lt; .001). Higher sC5b9 levels were associated with higher serum creatinine (P = .01) but not age. Of the 19 patients for whom complete clinical criteria were available, 17 (89%) met criteria for TMA. A high proportion of tested children with SARS-CoV-2 infection had evidence of complement activation and met clinical and diagnostic criteria for TMA. Future studies are needed to determine if hospitalized children with SARS-CoV-2 should be screened for TMA, if TMA-directed management is helpful, and if there are any short- or long-term clinical consequences of complement activation and endothelial damage in children with COVID-19 or MIS-C.</p>

DOI

10.1182/bloodadvances.2020003471

Alternate Title

Blood Adv

PMID

33290544
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Title

Convalescent plasma for pediatric patients with SARS-CoV-2-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Year of Publication

2020

Number of Pages

e28693

Date Published

2020 Sep 04

ISSN Number

1545-5017

Abstract

<p>There are no proven safe and effective therapies for children who develop life-threatening complications of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Convalescent plasma (CP) has demonstrated potential benefit in adults with SARS-CoV-2, but has theoretical risks.We present the first report of CP in children with life-threatening coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), providing data on four pediatric patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome. We measured donor antibody levels and recipient antibody response prior to and following CP infusion. Infusion of CP was not associated with antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) and did not suppress endogenous antibody response. We found CP was safe and possibly efficacious. Randomized pediatric trials are needed.</p>

DOI

10.1002/pbc.28693

Alternate Title

Pediatr Blood Cancer

PMID

32885904
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Title

Human Adenovirus 7-Associated Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis-Like Illness: Clinical and Virological Characteristics in a Cluster of Five Pediatric Cases.

Year of Publication

2020

Number of Pages

Date Published

2020 Aug 31

ISSN Number

1537-6591

Abstract

<p><strong>BACKGROUND: </strong>Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a life-threatening condition of immune dysregulation. Children often suffer from primary genetic forms of HLH, which can be triggered by infection. Others suffer from secondary HLH as a complication of infection, malignancy, or rheumatologic disease. Identifying the exact cause of HLH is crucial, as definitive treatment for primary disease is hematopoietic stem cell transplant. Adenoviruses have been associated with HLH but molecular epidemiology data are lacking.</p>

<p><strong>METHODS: </strong>We describe the clinical and virologic characteristics of 5 children admitted with adenovirus infection during 2018-2019 who developed HLH or HLH-like illness. Detailed virologic studies, including virus isolation and comprehensive molecular typing were performed.</p>

<p><strong>RESULTS: </strong>All patients recovered; clinical management varied but included immunomodulating and antiviral therapies. A genetic predisposition for HLH was not identified in any patient. Adenovirus isolates were recovered from 4/5 cases; all were identified as genomic variant 7d. Adenovirus type 7 DNA was detected in the fifth case. Phylogenetic analysis of genome sequences identified two clusters - one related to strains implicated in 2016-2017 outbreaks in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, the other related to a 2009 Chinese strain.</p>

<p><strong>CONCLUSIONS: </strong>It can be challenging to determine whether HLH is the result of an infectious pathogen alone or genetic predisposition triggered by an infection. We describe 5 children from the same center presenting with an HLH-like illness after onset of adenovirus type 7 infection. None of the patients were found to have a genetic predisposition to HLH. These findings suggest that adenovirus 7 infection alone can result in HLH.</p>

DOI

10.1093/cid/ciaa1277

Alternate Title

Clin. Infect. Dis.

PMID

32866230
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Title

Acute kidney injury in children after hematopoietic cell transplantation is associated with elevated urine CXCL10 and CXCL9.

Year of Publication

2020

Number of Pages

Date Published

2020 Mar 09

ISSN Number

1523-6536

Abstract

<p><strong>BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: </strong>Acute kidney injury (AKI) is nearly universally associated with worse outcomes, especially among children after hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HCT). Our objective was to examine urinary immune biomarkers of AKI after HCT to provide insights into novel mechanisms of kidney injury in this population. Studying patients undergoing allogeneic (HCT) provides a unique opportunity to examine immune markers of AKI because the risk of AKI is high and the immune system newly develops after transplant.</p>

<p><strong>DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS: </strong>Children (&gt;2 years old) and young adults undergoing their first allogeneic HCT and enrolled in a prospective, observational cohort study at two large children's hospitals had urine collected pre-HCT and monthly for the first 4 months after HCT. Urine samples at each monthly time point were assayed for 8 immune-related biomarkers. AKI was defined as a 1.5-fold increase in the monthly serum creatinine value which was recorded ±1 day from when the research urine sample was obtained, as compared to the pre-HCT baseline. Generalized estimating equation regression analysis evaluated the association between the monthly repeated measures (urinary biomarkers and AKI).</p>

<p><strong>RESULTS: </strong>A total of 176 patients were included from two pediatric centers. Thirty-six subjects from one center were analyzed as a discovery cohort and the remaining 140 subjects from the second center were analyzed as a validation cohort. AKI rates were 18-35% depending on the monthly time point after HCT. Urine CXCL10 and CXCL9 concentrations were significantly higher among children who developed AKI compared with children who did not (p&lt;0.01) in both cohorts. In order to gain a better understanding of the cellular source for these biomarkers in the urine, we also analyzed in vitro expression of CXCL10 and CXCL9 in kidney cell lines after stimulation with interferon-gamma and interferon-alpha. HEK293-epithelial kidney cells demonstrated interferon-induced expression of CXCL10 and CXCL9, suggesting a potential mechanism driving the key finding.</p>

<p><strong>CONCLUSIONS: </strong>CXCL10 and CXCL9 are associated with AKI after HCT and are therefore promising biomarkers to guide improved diagnostic and treatment strategies for AKI in this high-risk population.</p>

DOI

10.1016/j.bbmt.2020.02.024

Alternate Title

Biol. Blood Marrow Transplant.

PMID

32165324
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Title

Genomic Circuitry Underlying Immunological Response to Pediatric Acute Respiratory Infection.

Year of Publication

2018

Number of Pages

411-426

Date Published

2018 Jan 09

ISSN Number

2211-1247

Abstract

<p>Acute respiratory tract viral infections (ARTIs) cause significant morbidity and mortality. CD8 T&nbsp;cells are fundamental to host responses, but transcriptional alterations underlying anti-viral mechanisms and links to clinical characteristics remain unclear. CD8 T&nbsp;cell transcriptional circuitry in acutely ill pediatric patients with influenza-like illness was distinct for&nbsp;different viral pathogens. Although changes included expected upregulation of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs), transcriptional downregulation was prominent upon exposure to innate immune signals in early IFV infection. Network analysis linked changes to severity of infection, asthma, sex, and age. An influenza pediatric signature (IPS) distinguished acute influenza from other ARTIs and outperformed other influenza prediction gene lists. The IPS allowed a deeper investigation of the connection between transcriptional alterations and clinical characteristics of acute illness, including age-based differences in circuits connecting the STAT1/2 pathway to ISGs. A CD8 T&nbsp;cell-focused systems immunology approach in pediatrics identified age-based alterations in ARTI host response pathways.</p>

DOI

10.1016/j.celrep.2017.12.043

Alternate Title

Cell Rep

PMID

29320737
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Title

Gene expression profiling to predict viridans group streptococcal and invasive fungal infection in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia: a brief report from the Children's Oncology Group.

Year of Publication

2014

Number of Pages

167-9

Date Published

2014

ISSN Number

1421-9662

DOI

10.1159/000353758

Alternate Title

Acta Haematol.

PMID

24217778
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Title

A prospective study of chemotherapy immunologic effects and predictors of humoral influenza vaccine responses in a pediatric oncology cohort.

Year of Publication

2013

Number of Pages

1158-67

Date Published

2013 Nov

ISSN Number

1750-2659

Abstract

<p><strong>BACKGROUND: </strong>Pediatric oncology patients represent a cohort of individuals uniquely at risk of complications from influenza, yet less likely to respond to the vaccine. It is not yet clear how to best protect this vulnerable population.</p>

<p><strong>METHODS: </strong>We performed a prospective analysis of 177 pediatric oncology patients to define the predictors of influenza vaccine responses. Each variable was examined over three time points and a repeated measure analysis was performed.</p>

<p><strong>RESULTS: </strong>Patients with ALL vaccinated during induction phase had superior influenza vaccine responses than those subjects vaccinated during post-induction or maintenance phases (P=0·0237). Higher aggregate HAI titer responses were associated with a higher baseline B-cell count (P=0·0240), and higher CD4 and CD8 influenza-specific T-cell responses, suggesting prior antigen exposure is a significant contributor. The solid tumor cohort had equivalent responses during all time frames of chemotherapy.</p>

<p><strong>DISCUSSION: </strong>The optimal protection from influenza of pediatric patients on chemotherapy should include vaccination, but it is clear that not all patients produce high titers of antibodies after vaccination. This study identified biomarkers that could be used to individualize vaccine approaches. Immunologic predictors might have a role in targeting resources, as B-cell counts predicted of vaccine responses among the patients with ALL.</p>

DOI

10.1111/irv.12058

Alternate Title

Influenza Other Respir Viruses

PMID

23199016
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