Publications by authors named "Safa Baris"

Article Synopsis
  • STAT3 gain-of-function disease causes issues like immune system overactivity and growth problems, but long-term treatment with the JAK inhibitor ruxolitinib has shown promise in symptom relief.
  • The study monitored clinical and immune responses of four patients over a year, noting significant changes in T cell populations and the normalization of blood cell profiles, which were previously dysregulated.
  • Ruxolitinib treatment not only managed symptoms but also modified harmful immune cell characteristics and reduced certain auto-reactive T-cell clones, suggesting a potential pathway to better control the disease's impact.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Secondary lymphoid organs (SLOs) provide the confined microenvironment required for stromal cells to interact with immune cells to initiate adaptive immune responses resulting in B cell differentiation. Here, we studied three patients from two families with functional hyposplenism, absence of tonsils, and complete lymph node aplasia, leading to recurrent bacterial and viral infections. We identified biallelic loss-of-function mutations in encoding the lymphotoxin beta receptor (LTβR), primarily expressed on stromal cells.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • * A study involving 22 patients post-thymectomy indicated significant long-term immunological changes, such as lymphopenia, reduced naive T cell counts, and low immunoglobulin levels, pointing to early immune aging.
  • * Despite these changes, most patients still showed positive vaccine responses, but the findings suggest a need for preserving thymic tissue during surgery and increased monitoring for immune-related complications over time.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • DOCK8 deficiency causes most cases of autosomal recessive hyper-immunoglobulin E syndrome (HIES) due to mutations that disrupt protein expression, but some patients show symptoms without identifiable mutations.
  • Researchers used Whole Exome Sequencing to discover a deep intronic DOCK8 variant in two patients that led to a significant alteration in protein structure and function.
  • The findings indicate that non-coding mutations play a crucial role in immunodeficiency disorders, suggesting the need for further investigation into these types of mutations in unexplained immune system issues.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Inborn errors of immunity (IEI) are genetic diseases leading to immune system dysfunction, with this study focusing on patients diagnosed in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU).
  • Out of 753 admissions over three years, 33 new IEI cases were identified, with a higher prevalence of immunodeficiencies with immune dysregulation and combined immunodeficiencies, often triggered by severe viral and life-threatening infections.
  • The study found a high mortality rate of 58%, emphasizing the critical need for early diagnosis, treatment, and improved screening methods for better outcomes in IEI patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • IPEX is a rare autoimmune disorder caused by FOXP3 variants, presenting diverse symptoms like early-onset diabetes, eczema, and enteropathy, creating challenges in diagnosis and management.
  • A study of 12 IPEX patients analyzed clinical features and immunological characteristics, revealing a distinction between classical and atypical cases, with atypical patients showing more allergic symptoms and severe chronic diarrhea.
  • Most patients were treated with immunosuppressants or underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, with HSCT showing the most effective long-term control of symptoms, and sirolimus providing better outcomes than other immunosuppressants.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Inborn errors of immunity (IEIs) are rare genetic disorders primarily identified in children due to their significant effects on immune system functionality. However, an increasing number of IEI cases are being diagnosed in adults, attributed to delayed presentation or advancements in diagnostic capabilities. This study explores the clinical and immunologic distinctions between IEIs diagnosed in adulthood versus childhood, shedding light on their differential presentations, the impact of diagnostic delays, and treatment outcomes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Loss of function mutations in Diaphanous related formin 1 (DIAPH1) are associated with seizures, cortical blindness, and microcephaly syndrome (SCBMS) and are recently linked to combined immunodeficiency. However, the extent of defects in T and innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) remain unexplored. Herein, we characterized the primary T, natural killer (NK) and helper ILCs of six patients carrying two novel loss of function mutation in DIAPH1 and Jurkat cells after DIAPH1 knockdown.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Immunoglobulin G replacement therapy (IgRT) is critical for treating primary immunodeficiencies (PID), and a new method called facilitated subcutaneous immunoglobulin (fSCIG) combines the benefits of intravenous and subcutaneous treatments.
  • A study was conducted with 29 PID patients to assess the efficacy, safety, and patient satisfaction of fSCIG over 12 months, finding it generally effective with some mild and local adverse reactions.
  • Results showed that while no severe reactions were reported and targeted IgG levels were achieved, patient satisfaction significantly increased over time, supporting the use of fSCIG despite some localized side effects.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Major histocompatibility complex class II deficiency, a combined immunodeficiency, results from loss of HLA class II expression on antigen-presenting cells. Currently, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation stands as the sole curative approach, although factors influencing patient outcomes remain insufficiently explored.

Objectives: To elucidate the clinical, immunologic, and genetic profiles associated with MHC-II deficiency and identify prognostic indicators that affect survival rates.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • * A study conducted whole-exome sequencing (WES) on 303 IEI patients in Türkiye, achieving likely genetic diagnoses for 41.1% and discovering 52 novel variants, as well as new potential IEI genes in six patients.
  • * The findings emphasize the importance of cross-cohort outcomes in IEI research and aim to enhance collaboration between clinical and scientific communities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Artemis deficiency is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by a combined immunodeficiency with increased cellular radiosensitivity. In this review, the clinical and genetic characteristics of 15 patients with DCLRE1C variants are presented.

Methods: The demographic, clinical, immunologic, and genetic characteristics of patients with confirmed DCLRE1C variants diagnosed between 2013 and 2023 were collected retrospectively.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Ataxia telangiectasia (AT) is a genetic multisystemic disorder affecting the nervous system. Data on neurocognitive functioning in AT are limited and focused on patients at various stages of disease. Because of the genetic nature of the disorder, parents of patients may also display subtle neurological problems.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: Deficiency of stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1) results in combined immunodeficiency accompanied by extra-immunological findings like enamel defects and myopathy. We here studied a patient with a STIM1 loss-of-function mutation who presented with severe lymphoproliferation. We sought to explore the efficacy of the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin in controlling disease manifestations and reversing aberrant T-cell subsets and functions, which has never been used previously in this disorder.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • CD55 deficiency with hyperactivation of complement, angiopathic thrombosis, and protein-losing enteropathy (CHAPLE) is a rare genetic disorder that affects the intestines and causes serious complications due to excessive complement system activity.
  • The study evaluated the safety and efficacy of pozelimab, an antibody that blocks a specific part of this system, in ten patients diagnosed with CHAPLE across three countries: Thailand, Türkiye, and the USA.
  • Results focused on the proportion of patients whose serum albumin normalized and showed clinical improvement after 24 weeks of treatment, with assessments conducted to monitor any worsening of inactive symptoms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Dedicator of cytokinesis 8 (DOCK8)-deficient patients have severe eczema, elevated IgE, and eosinophilia, features of atopic dermatitis (AD).

Objective: We sought to understand the mechanisms of eczema in DOCK8 deficiency.

Methods: Skin biopsy samples were characterized by histology, immunofluorescence microscopy, and gene expression.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Researchers aim to extend human healthspans by keeping cells functional and non-senescent, as aging appears to be genetically regulated in model organisms.
  • A new human genetic disease linked to GIMAP5 deficiency leads to cell senescence, liver and immune dysfunction, and early death, highlighting GIMAP5's importance in longevity.
  • GIMAP5 helps regulate the accumulation of harmful long-chain ceramides by interacting with a protein kinase (CK2), and targeting CK2 can restore function in GIMAP5-deficient cells, showing its role in maintaining immune health and longevity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: Immunodeficiency with centromeric instability and facial anomalies (ICF) syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive combined immunodeficiency. The detailed immune responses are not explored widely. We investigated known and novel immune alterations in lymphocyte subpopulations and their association with clinical symptoms in a well-defined ICF cohort.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) provide successful control of the coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The safety and immunogenicity studies are encouraging in patients with inborn errors of immunity (IEI); however, data about mortality outcomes and severe disease after vaccination still need to be fully addressed. Therefore, we aimed to determine the clinical and immunological outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with IEI who have received vaccination.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF