The CARD-BCL10-MALT1 (CBM) complex is critical for the proper assembly of human immune responses. The clinical and immunological consequences of deficiencies in some of its components such as CARD9, CARD11, and MALT1 have been elucidated in detail. However, the scarcity of BCL10 deficient patients has prevented gaining detailed knowledge about this genetic disease. Only two patients with BCL10 deficiency have been reported to date. Here we provide an in-depth description of an additional patient with autosomal recessive complete BCL10 deficiency caused by a nonsense mutation that leads to a loss of expression (K63X). Using mass cytometry coupled with unsupervised clustering and machine learning computational methods, we obtained a thorough characterization of the consequences of BCL10 deficiency in different populations of leukocytes. We showed that in addition to the near absence of memory B and T cells previously reported, this patient displays a reduction in NK, γδT, Tregs, and TFH cells. The patient had recurrent respiratory infections since early childhood, and showed a family history of lethal severe infectious diseases. Fortunately, hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) cured her. Overall, this report highlights the importance of early genetic diagnosis for the management of BCL10 deficient patients and HSCT as the recommended treatment to cure this disease.
Gain-of-function (GOF) mutations in STIM1 are responsible for tubular aggregate myopathy and Stormorken syndrome (TAM/STRMK), a clinically overlapping multisystemic disease characterised by muscle weakness, miosis, thrombocytopaenia, hyposplenism, ichthyosis, dyslexia, and short stature. Several mutations have been reported as responsible for the disease. Herein, we describe a patient with TAM/STRMK due to a novel L303P STIM1 mutation, who not only presented clinical manifestations characteristic of TAM/STRMK but also manifested immunological involvement with respiratory infections since childhood, with chronic cough and chronic bronchiectasis. Despite the seemingly normal main immunological parameters, immune cells revealed GOF in calcium signalling compared with healthy donors. The calcium flux dysregulation in the immune cells could be responsible for our patient’s immune involvement. The patient’s mother carried the mutation but did not exhibit TAM/STRMK, manifesting an incomplete penetrance of the mutation. More cases and evidence are necessary to clarify the dual role of STIM1 in immune system dysregulation and myopathy.
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