Publications by authors named "Hye Sun Kuehn"

Cutaneous squamous-cell carcinoma (SCC) is primarily caused by oncogenesis mediated by ultraviolet radiation, and β-human papillomavirus (β-HPV) is believed to be a mere facilitator that is dispensable for the maintenance of cutaneous SCC. Here, we describe a woman with benign and malignant HPV-related diseases that include a recurrent, unresectable, invasive cutaneous SCC with β-HPV19 genomic integration in the context of germline pathogenic mutations in , an adapter required for T-cell receptor (TCR) signal transduction. Restoration of the integrity of TCR signaling by allogeneic hematopoietic-cell transplantation led to the resolution of all HPV-related diseases, thereby revealing a direct role of β-HPV in skin carcinogenesis in hosts with defective adaptive T-cell responses.

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IKAROS, encoded by IKZF1, is a six zinc-finger (ZF) transcription factor integral to lymphocyte development and function. IKZF1 mutations affecting DNA-binding (ZF1-4) and dimerization (ZF5-6) have been extensively reported and result in human disease. Herein, we investigated IKZF1 mutations affecting protein stability.

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Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) is a well-recognized complication in people with HIV (PWH) starting antiretroviral therapy (ART), but data on IRIS in hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) recipients are limited. To address this gap, we conducted a narrative review of the literature on IRIS in HCT recipients, including 21 studies encompassing 53 patients. The majority of reported patients had inborn errors of immunity (IEI) and developed IRIS associated with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG)-infection from prior vaccination ("BCG-IRIS").

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Background: Heterozygous immunoproteasome 20 S subunit beta 10 (PSMB10) mutations can cause severe combined immunodeficiency and Omenn syndrome. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in these patients is associated with severe complications and poor immune reconstitution, often resulting in death.

Objective: We sought to perform immunologic and molecular characterization of an infant with a PSMB10 heterozygous variant.

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Article Synopsis
  • PI4KA-related disorder is marked by a variety of neurological and gastrointestinal issues, including spasticity, developmental challenges, and recurrent infections, with specific attention given to the impact on B-cell function and immunodeficiency in some patients. * -
  • The study involved analyzing 13 patients with PI4KA variants, revealing common traits such as B-cell deficiency and hypogammaglobulinemia, alongside significant changes in B-cell subsets and functioning due to metabolic disruptions. * -
  • Findings indicate that mutations in PI4KA lead to disturbances in lipid production and metabolic pathways in B cells, fostering mitochondrial dysfunction and abnormal immune responses, suggesting a critical role of PI4KA in B-cell differentiation and health. *
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Heterozygous germline variants in human encoding for IKAROS define an inborn error of immunity with immunodeficiency, immune dysregulation and risk of malignancy with a broad phenotypic spectrum. Growing evidence of underlying pathophysiological genotype-phenotype correlations helps to improve our understanding of IKAROS-associated diseases. We describe 6 patients from 4 kindreds with two novel variants leading to haploinsufficiency from 3 centers in Germany.

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  • Autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type 1 (APS-1) is a severe genetic disorder resulting from AIRE deficiency, leading to self-reactive T cells causing autoimmune damage in various organs.
  • The study investigated the role of interferon-γ in APS-1 by analyzing patient samples and conducting experiments with mice, finding that high levels of interferon-γ correlate with disease activity.
  • Treatment with the JAK inhibitor ruxolitinib significantly reduced interferon-γ levels and improved symptoms in APS-1 patients, suggesting that targeting this pathway may be a viable therapeutic approach.
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Common variable immune deficiency (CVID) is a heterogenous group of disorders characterized by varying degrees of hypogammaglobulinemia, recurrent infections, and autoimmunity. Currently, pathogenic variants are identified in approximately 20-30% of CVID cases. Here we report a 3-generation family with autosomal dominant Common Variable Immunodeficiency (CVID) diagnosed in 9 affected individuals.

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  • The linear ubiquitin assembly complex (LUBAC), made up of HOIP, HOIL-1, and SHARPIN, is crucial for immune responses, with deficiencies leading to severe issues like immunodeficiency and autoinflammation.
  • Two individuals with SHARPIN deficiency exhibited autoinflammatory symptoms but did not have the expected skin problems seen in other cases, and their cells showed reduced immune responses.
  • Treatment with anti-TNF therapies successfully resolved the autoinflammatory symptoms in one case, highlighting LUBAC's important role in managing immune cell death and maintaining immune balance in humans.
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IKAROS, encoded by IKZF1, is a tumor suppressor and a key hematopoietic transcription factor responsible for lymphoid and myeloid differentiation. IKZF1 mutations result in inborn errors of immunity presenting with increased susceptibility to infections, immune dysregulation, and malignancies. In particular, patients carrying IKZF1 gain-of-function (GOF) mutations mostly exhibit symptoms of immune dysregulation and polyclonal plasma cell proliferation.

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  • * In a study of 9 individuals from 3 families, two variants of AIOLOS (Q402* and E82K) were found to cause haploinsufficiency through different mechanisms, affecting the protein’s DNA binding and stability.
  • * Patients with AIOLOS haploinsufficiency experienced symptoms like reduced immune response, recurrent infections, and autoimmunity, highlighting the broader implications of AIOLOS mutations on health.
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Patients with autoimmune polyendocrinopathy syndrome type 1 (APS-1) caused by autosomal recessive AIRE deficiency produce autoantibodies that neutralize type I interferons (IFNs), conferring a predisposition to life-threatening COVID-19 pneumonia. Here we report that patients with autosomal recessive NIK or RELB deficiency, or a specific type of autosomal-dominant NF-κB2 deficiency, also have neutralizing autoantibodies against type I IFNs and are at higher risk of getting life-threatening COVID-19 pneumonia. In patients with autosomal-dominant NF-κB2 deficiency, these autoantibodies are found only in individuals who are heterozygous for variants associated with both transcription (p52 activity) loss of function (LOF) due to impaired p100 processing to generate p52, and regulatory (IκBδ activity) gain of function (GOF) due to the accumulation of unprocessed p100, therefore increasing the inhibitory activity of IκBδ (hereafter, p52/IκBδ).

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  • The article discusses the discovery of germline biallelic null mutations in the ARPC5 gene, affecting the Arp2/3 actin nucleator complex, in two patients with severe recurrent infections, early-onset autoimmunity, and other health issues.
  • The mutations lead to compromised functions across multiple cell types, but restoring protein expression in vitro can rescue the complex's conformation and functions.
  • The study reveals that IL-6 signaling is uniquely affected, with important distinctions between classical and trans-signaling pathways, suggesting potential therapeutic targets for treatment.
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Background: TCF3 is a transcription factor contributing to early lymphocyte differentiation. Germline monoallelic dominant negative and biallelic loss-of-function (LOF) null TCF3 mutations cause a fully penetrant severe immunodeficiency. We identified 8 individuals from 7 unrelated families with monoallelic LOF TCF3 variants presenting with immunodeficiency with incomplete clinical penetrance.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Researchers discovered a recurrent mutation in the IRF4 gene, identified as p.T95R, linked to an autosomal dominant combined immunodeficiency (CID) in seven patients from six different families, leading to severe vulnerability to opportunistic infections and low antibody levels.
  • - The mutation caused significant defects in the maturation of B cells and alterations in T cell populations, resulting in impaired immune responses, as demonstrated in both human patients and a knock-in mouse model with similar symptoms.
  • - The altered IRF4 protein exhibited unusual behaviors, including stronger DNA binding but reduced activity on typical target genes, while also activating noncanonical genes, showcasing a complex interaction that disrupts normal immune function and leads to disease.
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IKAROS/IKZF1 plays a pivotal role in lymphocyte differentiation and development. Germline mutations in IKZF1, which have been shown to be associated with primary immunodeficiency, can be classified through four different mechanisms of action depending on the protein expression and its functional defects: haploinsufficiency, dimerization defective, dominant negative, and gain of function. These different mechanisms are associated with variable degrees of susceptibility to infectious diseases, autoimmune disorders, allergic diseases, and malignancies.

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Purpose: Biallelic loss-of-function variants in IKBKB cause severe combined immunodeficiency. We describe a case of autoimmunity and autoinflammation in a male infant with a heterozygous gain-of-function (GOF) IKBKB variant.

Methods: Case report and review of the literature.

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  • The study aimed to identify the molecular causes behind a family experiencing Behçet's-like mucocutaneous ulcers and immune issues.
  • Whole genome sequencing and immunological evaluations revealed a new variant in the RELA gene that disrupts a crucial protein, contributing to the observed immune dysregulation.
  • The findings indicate that this RELA variant not only causes similar symptoms to previously reported cases but also expands the understanding of related conditions, aiding in faster diagnosis and treatment for patients with this genetic deficiency.
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IKZF1/IKAROS is a key transcription factor of lymphocyte development expressed throughout hematopoiesis. Heterozygous germline haploinsufficient () and dominant-negative () variants in humans cause B cell immune deficiency and combined immunodeficiency. Here, we identified previously unidentified heterozygous variants (R183C/H) located in the DNA binding domain in eight individuals with inflammatory, autoimmune, allergic symptoms, and abnormal plasma cell (PC) proliferation.

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Helios, encoded by IKZF2, is a member of the Ikaros family of transcription factors with pivotal roles in T-follicular helper, NK- and T-regulatory cell physiology. Somatic IKZF2 mutations are frequently found in lymphoid malignancies. Although germline mutations in IKZF1 and IKZF3 encoding Ikaros and Aiolos have recently been identified in patients with phenotypically similar immunodeficiency syndromes, the effect of germline mutations in IKZF2 on human hematopoiesis and immunity remains enigmatic.

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Helios, a member of the Ikaros family of transcription factors, is predominantly expressed in developing thymocytes, activated T cells, and regulatory T cells (T). Studies in mice have emphasized its role in maintenance of T immunosuppressive functions by stabilizing Foxp3 expression and silencing the locus. However, its contribution to human immune homeostasis and the precise mechanisms by which Helios regulates other T cell subsets remain unresolved.

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Background: CARD9 deficiency is an autosomal recessive primary immunodeficiency underlying increased susceptibility to fungal infection primarily presenting as invasive CNS Candida and/or cutaneous/invasive dermatophyte infections. More recently, a rare heterozygous dominant negative CARD9 variant c.1434 + 1G > C was reported to be protective from inflammatory bowel disease.

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Background: Deficiency of adenosine deaminase 2 (DADA2) is a recessively inherited autoinflammatory disorder caused by a loss of functional ADA2 protein. TNF inhibition (TNFi) has proven to be highly effective in treating inflammatory manifestations.

Objective: We sought to explore the pathophysiology and the underlying mechanisms of TNF-inhibitor response in these patients.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Patients with the AIOLOS p.N160S mutation showed issues with immune responses, including abnormal B cell development and impaired T cell differentiation, leading to increased susceptibility to infections and potential cancer.
  • * Research indicated that the mutant AIOLOS protein impaired DNA binding and disrupted normal cellular functions, confirming its critical role in T and B cell development and the link between this mutation and immunological disorders.
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