Inflammatory bowel disease and T cell lymphopenia in G6PC3 deficiency.

Purpose: G6PC3 deficiency presents as a complex and heterogeneous syndrome that classically associates severe congenital neutropenia with cardiac and urogenital developmental defects. Here we investigate the findings of T cell lymphopenia and inflammatory bowel disease in a child with G6PC3 deficiency due to compound heterozygous mutations in intron 3 (c.IVS3-1 G>A) and exon 6 (c.G778G/C; p.Gly260/Arg).

Methods: Histological examination was conducted on all biopsy specimens. Immunophenotyping and lymphocyte proliferation assays were performed. Immunoglobulin levels and vaccine responses were measured.

Results: The patient showed persistent global T cell lymphopenia, with only 8 to 13 % of thymic naive CD31(+)CD45RA(+) cells among CD4 T cells (normal range 27-60 %). Proliferation assays and vaccine responses were within normal limits. The gastrointestinal inflammatory lesions were very closely related to those of glycogen storage disease type 1b, with a Crohn's-like appearance but without granuloma or increased cryptic abscesses. The gastrointestinal disease responded to infliximab therapy. These findings were associated with a polyclonal hypergammaglobuliemia G.

Conclusion: G6PC3 deficiency may present with inflammatory bowel disease and T cell lymphopenia. The diagnosis should thus be considered in a patient with chronic congenital neutropenia and gastrointestinal symptoms. Patients with confirmed disease should also undergo T cell phenotyping to rule out cellular immunodeficiency.