PEDIATRICS Vol. 121 No. 4 April 2008, pp. e998-e1002 (doi:10.1542/10.1542/peds.2007-1863)
EXPERIENCE & REASON |
Immune Reconstitution and Recovery of FOXP3 (Forkhead Box P3)-Expressing T Cells After Transplantation for IPEX (Immune Dysregulation, Polyendocrinopathy, Enteropathy, X-linked) Syndrome
a Institute of Child Health
b Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, United Kingdom
c Warwick Medical School, Coventry, United Kingdom
d Lucia Perroni, Human Genetics, Galliera Hospital, Genova, Italy
ABSTRACT
Immune dysregulation, polyendocrinopathy, enteropathy, X-linked syndrome is a rare X-linked disorder that usually presents in early childhood with immune enteropathy, diabetes mellitus, and other autoimmune complications. The disease is caused by mutations in the forkhead box P3 gene, a transcription factor that is essential for the development and function of regulatory T cells. This population of cells plays an essential role in controlling immune responses and preventing autoimmunity. Immune dysregulation, polyendocrinopathy, enteropathy, X-linked syndrome is often initially treated with immunosuppressive drugs, but only allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation has offered the possibility of cure. We recently performed an unrelated donor transplant in a child with immune dysregulation, polyendocrinopathy, enteropathy, X-linked syndrome by using a reduced-intensity conditioning regimen. This transplant provided a rare opportunity to gain valuable insight into the regeneration of the immune system after transplantation. Clinical recovery was associated with the emergence of regulatory T cell populations, the majority of which expressed memory phenotype markers and raised important questions about the origin and longevity of the FOXP3+ regulatory T cell pool.
Key Words: IPEX syndrome immune dysregulation polyendocrinopathy enteropathy X-linked syndrome regulatory T cells Tregs forkhead box P3 FOXP3 reduced-intensity conditioning
Abbreviations: IPEX, immune dysregulation, polyendocrinopathy, enteropathy, X-linked FOXP3, forkhead box P3 Tregs, regulatory T cells HSCT, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation PCR, polymerase chain reaction GvHD, graft-versus-host disease PHA, phytohemagglutinin Ig, immunoglobulin TREC, T-cell receptor excision circle
Accepted Aug 30, 2007.
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