Publications by authors named "Kai-Ning Cheong"

Up to 70% of patients with Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS) develop autoimmune and inflammatory manifestations. Dysregulation of interleukin 1 (IL-1) may be involved in their pathogenesis, yet there is little evidence on treatment with anti-IL-1 agents in these patients. We conducted a multicenter retrospective analysis of 9 patients with WAS treated with anti-IL-1 agents (anakinra or canakinumab).

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Our study (NCT04800133) aimed to determine the safety and immunogenicity in patients with IEIs receiving a 3-dose primary series of mRNA vaccine BNT162b2 (age 12+) or inactivated whole-virion vaccine CoronaVac (age 3+) in Hong Kong, including Omicron BA.1 neutralization, in a nonrandomized manner. Intradermal vaccination was also studied.

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To address inborn errors of immunity (IEI) which were underdiagnosed in resource-limited regions, our centre developed and offered free genetic testing for the most common IEI by Sanger sequencing (SS) since 2001. With the establishment of The Asian Primary Immunodeficiency (APID) Network in 2009, the awareness and definitive diagnosis of IEI were further improved with collaboration among centres caring for IEI patients from East and Southeast Asia. We also started to use whole exome sequencing (WES) for undiagnosed cases and further extended our collaboration with centres from South Asia and Africa.

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Background: Many syndromes are associated with exaggerated inflammation. Children with hyperinflammatory syndromes often present with vague and non-specific symptoms that pose diagnostic and management challenges. The recent literature seems biased towards referring these syndromes only to the multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) that is associated with COVID-19.

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Article Synopsis
  • Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is a genetic immune disorder leading to frequent infections, inherited in either X-linked or autosomal recessive forms, and this study explores the differences in symptoms (phenotypes) between these two forms using Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) terms.
  • Data from 90 genetically diagnosed CGD patients from Asia and Africa were analyzed to compare the onset and types of infections experienced by X-linked (XL) and autosomal recessive (AR) patients.
  • Findings revealed that XL-CGD patients tend to have earlier onset and more severe infections, with specific symptoms like perianal abscess and BCGitis being more common, highlighting the need for distinguishing features for clinical diagnosis.
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Unconditioned hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is the recommended treatment for patients with adenosine deaminase (ADA)-deficient severe combined immunodeficiency with an HLA-matched sibling donor (MSD) or family donor (MFD). Improved overall survival (OS) has been reported compared to the use of unrelated donors, and previous studies have demonstrated that adequate cellular and humoral immune recovery can be achieved even in the absence of conditioning. Detailed insight of the long-term outcome is still limited.

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Objectives: Meningitis in neonates and young infants leads to significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. This study aimed to investigate pathogens, antibiotic resistance and secular change of incidence in Hong Kong.

Methods: A retrospective search was performed on meningitis in neonates and infants aged <3 months in three Hong Kong public hospitals from 2004 to 2019.

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Background: Dermatomyositis with positive anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (anti-MDA5) antibody has a distinct phenotype associated with small hand joint arthritis, mucocutaneous ulceration, palmar papules and less muscle involvement. It is also associated with increased risk of rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease (RP-ILD) and has a high mortality rate in adults. There is evidence that cases complicated with spontaneous pneumomediastinum (PNM) have an increase in mortality.

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Article Synopsis
  • - A previously healthy Chinese boy was diagnosed with cerebral phaeohyphomycosis and found to have a deficiency in CARD9, a gene related to immune response.
  • - Initial scans misidentified the condition as a brain tumor, but further testing confirmed the fungal infection in the brain.
  • - The boy was successfully treated with specific antifungal medications and showed significant recovery after one year.
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Background And Objectives: Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and cervical screening prevent cervical cancer effectively. However, there are concerns whether vaccination leads to high-risk sexual behaviors and less intention for cervical screening. We aimed to evaluate the influence of HPV vaccination on high-risk sexual behaviors, and intention for cervical screening among young Chinese females.

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Background: Idiopathic systemic capillary leak syndrome (ISCLS) is rare, and there has been about 32 cases reported in children worldwide since this disorder was first described in 1960. Clinical guidelines on the management approach stemming from robust scientific evidence are lacking. This case report presents the first reported paediatric case of severe ISCLS with significant myocardial oedema and emphasizes this disease's impact on a child's cardiac function.

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We investigated differences in outcomes between 68 children hospitalized with macrolide-sensitive Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MSMP group) and 25 children hospitalized with macrolide-resistant M. pneumoniae pneumonia (MRMP group). In the MRMP group, 19 children received macrolides and clinical failure occurred in six of which five had pneumonia progression during therapy.

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