Defining Immunodeficiency in Heterotaxy Syndrome: Pilot Study Data

The investigators aim with this study is to investigate the mechanisms of immune deficiency in patients with heterotaxy syndrome through the use of novel biomarkers and a prospective questionnaire survey documenting the burden of infectious sequelae following enrollment. It is known that patients with under-active spleens (functional asplenia or hyposplenia) secondary to other (non-cardiac) conditions such as Sickle Cell Disease or Inflammatory Bowel Disease have a characteristic paucity of a B cell sub-class known as IgM memory B cell. This specific sub-class of B cell normally matures in the spleen and in those with an improperly functioning spleen a significant deficiency of this B cell class is seen on flow cytometry.

Similarly, these same patients are noted to have increased amounts of 'junk' DNA / nuclear remnant in their red cells. This is seen on microscopy as a dark particle inside the red cell and is termed a Howell Jolly Body (normally less than 2% of red cells have these dark particles present). Part of a functioning spleen's normal task is to rid the blood of red cells that contain nuclear remnants and an under-active spleen gets behind on this task with a build-up of Howell Jolly Bodies in red cells present in the bloodstream. Flow cytometry can very quickly and accurately quantify Howell Jolly Bodies as well as IgM memory B cells from a small (~1.5cc) sample of blood. Normal IgM memory B cell ranges are known for healthy children from infancy onwards allowing interpretation of results against normative data ranges.

The investigators aim to enroll 10 patients in this pilot study who have a diagnosis of heterotaxy syndrome (both asplenia and polysplenia) and to prospectively follow them after obtaining the initial biomarker sample. The family will be contacted once every two weeks for a period of 12 weeks and asked a series of simple questions taking approximately 5 minutes on any recent infectious sequelae or symptoms. The questions will elucidate history of minor illness such as low-grade fever or cough to more significant events such as admission for in-patient antibiotic therapy of bacterial sepsis. Ultimately, with this pilot study, the investigators hope to obtain sufficient data to support funding applications for a larger, multi-center trial that will allow us to develop biomarker thresholds for future risk of sepsis.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Heterotaxy Syndrome

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 10

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Massachusetts
    • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02115
      • Boston Children's Hospital

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: No older than 10 years (Child)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Patients with a diagnosis of heterotaxy syndrome from inpatient and outpatient Cardiology settings at Boston Children's Hospital

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosis of heterotaxy syndrome, as objectively defined by visceral heterotaxy (malrotation, interrupted inferior vena cava) with either documented polysplenia or asplenia by radiological imaging.
• 0-12 years old.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Other known immunodeficiency or hyposplenic states (22q11, hypogammaglobulinemia, sickle hemoglobinopathy, liver cirrhosis or portal hypertension, organ transplantation, Fanconi syndrome, HIV or AIDS, chronic corticosteroid use, cancer, chemotherapy or other immunomodulating drug exposure, Addison's disease or pan-hypopituitarism, surgical splenectomy).
• Red blood cell transfusion within the last 90 days as the donated red blood cells may interfere with calculation of the subject's Howell Jolly Body count. Patient enrollment will be deferred until 90 days has elapsed, assuming other eligibility requirements are met.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Observational Models: Cohort
• Time Perspectives: Prospective

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Heterotaxy syndrome; Patients with a diagnosis of heterotaxy syndrome, as objectively defined by visceral heterotaxy (malrotation, interrupted inferior vena cava) with either documented polysplenia or asplenia by radiological imaging

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Howell Jolly Body quantification	At time of recruitment
IgM Memory B Cell quantification	At time of recruitment

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Results of phone questionnaire of parents documenting infectious symptoms and sequelae	Once every 2 weeks for 12 weeks following enrollment

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Boston Children's Hospital
• Collaborators: Litron Laboratories
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Terence Prendiville, MB BCh BAO, Boston Children's Hospital

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: August 1, 2013
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 1, 2014
• Study Completion (Actual): June 1, 2014

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 23, 2013
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 27, 2013
• First Posted (Estimate): August 28, 2013

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): June 27, 2014
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 26, 2014
• Last Verified: June 1, 2014

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Asplenia; Heterotaxy syndrome; Polysplenia
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathologic Processes; Heart Diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases; Lymphatic Diseases; Disease; Congenital Abnormalities; Heart Defects, Congenital; Cardiovascular Abnormalities; Abnormalities, Multiple; Splenic Diseases; Syndrome; Heterotaxy Syndrome
• Other Study ID Numbers: IRB-P00007001