Publications by authors named "Morbach H"

Objective: Pulmonary involvement in chronic nonbacterial osteomyelitis (CNO) is rare. Limited awareness results in diagnostic challenges, especially because malignancy or infection needs to be considered.

Methods: Based on a survey shared among centers participating in the Kerndokumentation Deutsches Rheumaforschungszentrum (Germany), this study investigated clinical and imaging presentations, demographic features, treatment response and outcomes of pulmonary involvement in CNO (pCNO).

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Introduction: Respiratory viral infections (RVIs) are a major global contributor to morbidity and mortality. The susceptibility and outcome of RVIs are strongly age-dependent and show considerable inter-population differences, pointing to genetically and/or environmentally driven developmental variability. The factors determining the age-dependency and shaping the age-related changes of human anti-RVI immunity after birth are still elusive.

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Background: Inborn errors of immunity (IEI), formerly referred to as primary immunodeficiencies, manifest with a wide range of symptoms such as increased susceptibility to infections, immune dysregulation, and autoinflammation. Although most cases manifest in childhood, onset during the neonatal period is rare but potentially critical.

Summary: In this review, we discuss the diverse clinical presentations of IEI and the specific challenges they pose to neonatologists.

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Background: Vaccinations represent an easily accessible, safe, and important method for preventing infections. Patients with primary immunodeficiencies (PID) are more susceptible to infections and should receive an extended spectrum of immunizations in many countries.

Methods: Between January 2019 and May 2020, vaccination certificates of 70 patients with PID from the regions of Würzburg and Hanover in Germany were evaluated.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates Antibiotic-Refractory Lyme Arthritis (ARLA), focusing on the complex T cell responses that initially target the Lyme bacteria and potentially shift to attacking the body's own proteins, but the exact mechanisms remain unclear.
  • Researchers utilized flow cytometry, T cell receptor sequencing, and single-cell RNA sequencing to analyze T helper cells from patients' inflamed joints in Europe, discovering a specific TCR-β motif linked to ARLA that was not common in North American patients.
  • The findings reveal a distinct TCR response in ARLA patients that drives the growth of pathogenic T helper cells, providing insights into the immune system's maladaptive responses and aiding future identification of key antigens involved in
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Chronic nonbacterial osteomyelitis (CNO), an autoinflammatory bone disease primarily affecting children, can cause pain, hyperostosis and fractures, affecting quality-of-life and psychomotor development. This study investigated CNO-associated variants in P2RX7, encoding for the ATP-dependent trans-membrane K channel P2X7, and their effects on NLRP3 inflammasome assembly. Whole exome sequencing in two related transgenerational CNO patients, and target sequencing of P2RX7 in a large CNO cohort (N = 190) were conducted.

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VEXAS syndrome is a recently identified autoinflammatory systemic disease caused by an acquired somatic mutation of the X-linked UBA1 gene, the key enzyme of the first step of ubiquitylation. The acronym VEXAS stands for the characteristics Vacuoles, E1 enzyme, X-linked, autoinflammatory and somatic. The disease occurs in advanced adulthood preferentially in men and is characterized by hematological, rheumatological and dermatological symptoms.

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Chronic nonbacterial osteomyelitis (CNO) is an autoinflammatory bone disease that primarily affects children and adolescents. CNO is associated with pain, bone swelling, deformity, and fractures. Its pathophysiology is characterized by increased inflammasome assembly and imbalanced expression of cytokines.

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Due to ontogenetic changes in B-cell developmental lineages, the mature B-cell compartment constitutes by functionally different B-cell subsets that emerged from prenatal, early postnatal or adult precursors. While negative selection processes operate primarily within the framework of B-cell tolerance checkpoints during B-cell development, further differentiation into distinct B-cell subsets is additionally induced by positive selection. In addition to endogenous antigens, contact with microbial antigens is also involved in this selection process, with intestinal commensals having a significant influence on the development of a large layer within the B-cell compartment.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The TREC-based newborn screening for severe combined immunodeficiencies (SCID) was implemented in Germany in August 2019, with assessments conducted every six months for 2.5 years to evaluate its effectiveness.
  • - Out of 1.9 million newborns screened, 88 cases of congenital T-cell lymphocytopenia were identified, including 25 SCID cases, and 88% were successfully genetically diagnosed.
  • - The newly established API-CID network enhances patient tracking and treatment, showing excellent short-term outcomes from hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, but ongoing assessments will be crucial for understanding long-term results.
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B cell maturation and immunoglobulin (Ig) repertoire selection are governed by expression of a functional B cell receptor (BCR). Naïve B cells co-express their BCR as IgM and IgD isotype. However, the role of the additionally expressed IgD on naïve B cells is not known.

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Preterm infants are at particularly high risk for infectious diseases. As this vulnerability extends beyond the neonatal period into childhood and adolescence, preterm infants benefit greatly from infection-preventive measures such as immunizations. However, there is an ongoing discussion about vaccine safety and efficacy due to preterm infants' distinct immunological features.

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Hyper-IgM syndrome type 2 (HIGM2) is a B cell intrinsic primary immunodeficiency caused by mutations in AICDA encoding activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) which impair immunoglobulin class switch recombination (CSR) and somatic hypermutation (SHM). Whereas autosomal-recessive AID-deficiency (AR-AID) affects both CSR and SHM, the autosomal-dominant form (AD-AID) due to C-terminal heterozygous variants completely abolishes CSR but only partially affects SHM. AR-AID patients display enhanced germinal center (GC) reactions and autoimmune manifestations, which are not present in AD-AID, suggesting that SHM but not CSR regulates GC reactions and peripheral B cell tolerance.

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Background: Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an autoimmune disease associated with isolated thrombocytopenia, which is caused by an imbalance between platelet production and platelet destruction. Petechial and mucous membrane hemorrhages are characteristic of ITP, but life-threatening bleeding rarely occurs. Depending on the bleeding symptoms, ITP can be treated with glucocorticoids (GC), intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG), or in severe cases, platelet transfusions.

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Background: Chronic non-bacterial osteomyelitis (CNO) is an autoinflammatory bone disorder affecting children and adolescents. Previously classified as a rare disease, recent studies suggest a higher incidence of the disease. CNO may develop into the clinical presentation of chronic recurrent osteomyelitis (CRMO) with high relapse rate and multifocality.

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Objective: Antinuclear antibody (ANA)-positive juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is characterized by synovial B cell hyperactivity, but the precise role of CD4+ T cells in promoting local B cell activation is unknown. This study was undertaken to determine the phenotype and function of synovial CD4+ T cells that promote aberrant B cell activation in JIA.

Methods: Flow cytometry was performed to compare the phenotype and cytokine patterns of PD-1 CD4+ T cells in the synovial fluid (SF) of patients with JIA and T follicular helper cells in the tonsils of control individuals.

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Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) encompasses a heterogeneous group of diseases. The appearance of antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) in almost half of the patients suggests B cell dysregulation as a distinct pathomechanism in these patients. Additionally, ANAs were considered potential biomarkers encompassing a clinically homogenous subgroup of JIA patients.

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The term complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) describes a broad spectrum of health care practices that are not an integral part of the conventional health care system. Many patients worldwide use CAM on their own initiative, often in combination with their conventional medical therapy. CAM use is attractive especially to patients with primary immunodeficiency, since they suffer from frequent infections and autoimmunity.

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Purpose Of Review: To describe in detail the clinical synopsis and pathophysiology of chronic non-bacterial osteomyelitis and SAPHO syndrome.

Recent Findings: Chronic non-bacterial osteomyelitis (CNO) has been identified as a disease entity for almost 50 years. This inflammatory bone disorder is characterized by osteolytic as well as hyperostotic/osteosclerotic lesions.

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Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is the most common primary immunodeficiency in adults. It is associated with hypogammaglobulinemia, recurring infections and autoimmune phenomena. Treatment includes immunoglobulin substitution and immunosuppressants.

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Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) is currently classified into seven subgroups. Recently, antinuclear antibody (ANA) positive JIA patients were suggested to encompass a clinically homogenous new subgroup. CD4 T helper (Th) cells play an essential role in JIA pathogenesis.

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Purpose: Severe combined immunodeficiencies (SCID) are a heterogeneous group of fatal genetic disorders, in which the immune response is severely impaired. SCID can be cured if diagnosed early. We aim to determine the incidence of clinically defined SCID cases, acquire data of reported cases and evaluate their possible prediction by newborn screening, before introduction of a general screening program in Germany.

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Following publication of the original article [1], we have been notified that the authors' first names and last names are presented in wrong order. The presentation of names, thus, should be as follows.

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