Inborn errors of T cell development present a pediatric emergency in which timely curative therapy is informed by molecular diagnosis. In 11 affected patients across four consanguineous kindreds, we detected homozygosity for a single deleterious missense variant in the gene NudC domain-containing 3 () Two infants had severe combined immunodeficiency with the complete absence of T and B cells (TB SCID), whereas nine showed classical features of Omenn syndrome (OS). Restricted antigen receptor gene usage by residual T lymphocytes suggested impaired V(D)J recombination.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAim: To evaluate health-related quality of life, mental health and treatment-related stress responses in children with primary antibody deficiency and both their parents.
Methods: Children and their parents completed the standardised questionnaires Pediatric Quality of life Inventory, Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire and Impact of Event Scale. Parents also completed standardised questionnaires regarding their own mental health and quality of life.
Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) and other T cell lymphopenias can be detected during newborn screening (NBS) by measuring T cell receptor excision circles (TRECs) in dried blood spot (DBS) DNA. Second tier next generation sequencing (NGS) with an amplicon based targeted gene panel using the same DBS DNA was introduced as part of our prospective pilot research project in 2015. With parental consent, 21 000 newborns were TREC-tested in the pilot.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is characterized by immune dysregulation due to inadequate restraint of overactivated immune cells and is associated with a variable clinical spectrum having overlap with more common pathophysiologies. HLH is difficult to diagnose and can be part of inflammatory syndromes. Here, we identify a novel hematological/autoinflammatory condition (NOCARH syndrome) in four unrelated patients with superimposable features, including neonatal-onset cytopenia with dyshematopoiesis, autoinflammation, rash, and HLH.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Allergy Clin Immunol
December 2017
Background: Thymus transplantation is a promising strategy for the treatment of athymic complete DiGeorge syndrome (cDGS).
Methods: Twelve patients with cDGS underwent transplantation with allogeneic cultured thymus.
Objective: We sought to confirm and extend the results previously obtained in a single center.
Background: Four patients from three Norwegian families presented with a common skin phenotype of warts, molluscum contagiosum, and dermatitis since early childhood, and various other immunological features. Warts are a common manifestation of (HPV), but when they are overwhelming, disseminated and/or persistent, and presenting together with other immunological features, a primary immunodeficiency disease (PIDD) may be suspected.
Methods And Results: The four patients were exome sequenced as part of a larger study for detecting genetic causes of primary immunodeficiencies.
Background: Primary immunodeficiency diseases (PIDDs) are clinically and genetically heterogeneous disorders thus far associated with mutations in more than 300 genes. The clinical phenotypes derived from distinct genotypes can overlap. Genetic etiology can be a prognostic indicator of disease severity and can influence treatment decisions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rapid-onset, potentially fatal hyperinflammatory syndrome. A prompt molecular diagnosis is crucial for appropriate clinical management. Here, we validated and prospectively evaluated a targeted high-throughput sequencing approach for HLH diagnostics.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAims: Here, we investigate the pharmacology of NS383, a novel small molecule inhibitor of acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs).
Methods: ASIC inhibition by NS383 was characterized in patch-clamp electrophysiological studies. Analgesic properties were evaluated in four rat behavioral models of pain.
Human phosphoglucomutase 3 (PGM3) catalyzes the conversion of N-acetyl-glucosamine (GlcNAc)-6-phosphate into GlcNAc-1-phosphate during the synthesis of uridine diphosphate (UDP)-GlcNAc, a sugar nucleotide critical to multiple glycosylation pathways. We identified three unrelated children with recurrent infections, congenital leukopenia including neutropenia, B and T cell lymphopenia, and progression to bone marrow failure. Whole-exome sequencing demonstrated deleterious mutations in PGM3 in all three subjects, delineating their disease to be due to an unsuspected congenital disorder of glycosylation (CDG).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFElectron Spin Resonance spectroscopy (ESR) was used to measure the mobility of the spin probe TEMPO in O/W-emulsions. This allowed determination of temperature-dependent microviscosity of the liquid fraction in lipid globules. Six hydrogenated palm kernel oil (HPKO) based emulsions containing caseinate and different combinations of lactic acid ester of monoglyceride (LACTEM), unsaturated monoglycerides (GMU) or saturated monoglyceride (GMS) were studied.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFK(v)7 channel activators decrease neuronal excitability and might potentially treat neuronal hyperexcitability disorders like epilepsy and mania. Here we introduce NS15370 ((2-(3,5-difluorophenyl)-N-[6-[(4-fluorophenyl)methylamino]-2-morpholino-3-pyridyl]acetamide)hydrochloride, an in vitro high-potency chemical analogue of retigabine, without effects on GABA(A) receptors. NS15370 activates recombinant homo- and heteromeric K(v)7.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGABA-A receptor positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) mediate robust analgesia in animal models of pathological pain, in part via enhancing injury-induced loss of GABA-A-α2 and -α3 receptor function within the spinal cord. As yet, a lack of clinically suitable tool compounds has prevented this concept being tested in humans. Prior to assessing the efficacy of GABA-A receptor PAMs in a human volunteer pain model we have compared compounds capable of variously modulating GABA-A receptor function in comparable rat models of capsaicin-induced acute nocifensive flinching behaviour and secondary mechanical hypersensitivity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Purpose: Agonists selective for the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine (nACh) receptor produce anti-hyperalgesic effects in rodent models of inflammatory pain, via direct actions on spinal pain circuits and possibly via attenuated release of peripheral pro-inflammatory mediators. Increasingly, allosteric modulation of ligand-gated receptors is recognized as a potential strategy to obtain desired efficacy in the absence of the putative adverse effects associated with agonist activation.
Experimental Approach: We compared the anti-hyperalgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of the α7 nACh receptor agonist compound B with the positive allosteric modulator (PAM) PNU-120596 and the standard non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), diclofenac, in rats with hind paw inflammation induced by either formalin, carrageenan or complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA).
Different neurobiological mechanism(s) might contribute to evoked and non-evoked pains and to limited translational drug discovery efforts. Other variables including the pain model and sensory testing method used, dose/route/preadministration time of compound(s), lack of adverse effect profiling and level of observer experience might also contribute. With these points in mind, we tested three mechanistically distinct analgesics in rat models of algogen-induced and neuropathic pain.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAfter injury GABA(A) receptor positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) mediate robust analgesia in animals via putative restoration of post-synaptic GABA(A)-α2 and -α3 receptor function within the spinal cord. GABA can also act at GABA(A) receptors localized on primary afferent neurones to inhibit presynaptic neurotransmitter release and produce analgesia via a process called primary afferent depolarization (PAD). Some forms of injury might sufficiently enhance PAD to shift it into a net excitatory process.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPrevious observational studies suggest that vitamin C may reduce risk of colorectal cancer. Vitamin C transport is facilitated by membrane bound sodium-dependent transporters, SVCT1 (encoded by SLC23A1) and SVCT2 (encoded by SLC23A2). To investigate if common genetic variants in these two genes are associated with risk of colorectal tumor development, we conducted a case-control study of 656 Caucasian advanced distal colorectal adenoma cases and 665 Caucasian sigmoidoscopy-negative controls nested within the screening arm of the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe novel positive allosteric modulator NS11394 [3'-[5-(1-hydroxy-1-methyl-ethyl)-benzoimidazol-1-yl]-biphenyl-2-carbonitrile] possesses a functional selectivity profile at GABA(A) receptors of alpha(5) > alpha(3) > alpha(2) > alpha(1) based on oocyte electrophysiology with human GABA(A) receptors. Compared with other subtype-selective ligands, NS11394 is unique in having superior efficacy at GABA(A)-alpha(3) receptors while maintaining low efficacy at GABA(A)-alpha(1) receptors. NS11394 has an excellent pharmacokinetic profile, which correlates with pharmacodynamic endpoints (CNS receptor occupancy), yielding a high level of confidence in deriving in vivo conclusions anchored to an in vitro selectivity profile and allowing for translation to higher species.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Pharmacol Exp Ther
December 2008
Spinal administration of GABA(A) receptor modulators, such as the benzodiazepine drug diazepam, partially alleviates neuropathic hypersensitivity that manifests as spontaneous pain, allodynia, and hyperalgesia. However, benzodiazepines are hindered by sedative impairments and other side effect issues occurring mainly as a consequence of binding to GABA(A) receptors containing the alpha(1) subunit. Here, we report on the novel subtype-selective GABA(A) receptor-positive modulator NS11394 [3'-[5-(1-hydroxy-1-methyl-ethyl)-benzoimidazol-1-yl]-biphenyl-2-carbonitrile], which possesses a functional efficacy selectivity profile of alpha(5) > alpha(3) > alpha(2) > alpha(1) at GABA(A) alpha subunit-containing receptors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTramadol is an atypical analgesic with a unique dual mechanism of action. It acts on monoamine transporters to inhibit reuptake of noradrenaline (NA) and serotonin (5-HT), and consequent upon metabolism, displays potent agonist activity at micro-opioid receptors. Here, we present data for the novel compound NS7051, which was shown to have sub-micromolar affinity (Ki=0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSigns and symptoms of persistent pain are associated with neuronal hyperexcitability within nociceptive pathways. This manifests behaviourally as a decrease in the nociceptive threshold to sensory stimulation, and is closely correlated with altered affective pain processing and increased expression of anxiety-like symptoms. Anticonvulsant drugs can have marked analgesic actions in animals and humans, and some have also been reported to possess anxiolytic-like properties in animals.
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