Partial interferon-gamma receptor signaling chain deficiency in a patient with bacille Calmette-Guérin and Mycobacterium abscessus infection

J Infect Dis. 2000 Jan;181(1):379-84. doi: 10.1086/315197.

Abstract

Complete deficiency of either of the two human interferon (IFN)-gamma receptor components, the ligand-binding IFN-gammaR1 chain and the signaling IFN-gammaR2 chain, is invariably associated with early-onset infection caused by bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccines and/or environmental nontuberculous mycobacteria, poor granuloma formation, and a fatal outcome in childhood. Partial IFN-gammaR1 deficiency is associated with a milder histopathologic and clinical phenotype. Cells from a 20-year-old healthy person with a history of curable infections due to bacille Calmette-Guérin and Mycobacterium abscessus and mature granulomas in childhood were investigated. There was a homozygous nucleotide substitution in IFNGR2, causing an amino acid substitution in the extracellular region of the encoded receptor. Cell surface IFN-gammaR2 were detected by flow cytometry. Cellular responses to IFN-gamma were impaired but not abolished. Transfection with the wild-type IFNGR2 gene restored full responsiveness to IFN-gamma. This is the first demonstration of partial IFN-gammaR2 deficiency in humans.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • BCG Vaccine / adverse effects*
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism
  • Female
  • Genotype
  • HLA-DR Antigens / metabolism
  • Homozygote
  • Humans
  • Interferon gamma Receptor
  • Mycobacterium Infections / immunology*
  • Mycobacterium bovis / immunology
  • Mycobacterium bovis / pathogenicity
  • Pedigree
  • Phenotype
  • Point Mutation
  • Receptors, Interferon / genetics*
  • Receptors, Interferon / metabolism*
  • STAT1 Transcription Factor
  • Signal Transduction
  • Trans-Activators / metabolism

Substances

  • BCG Vaccine
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • HLA-DR Antigens
  • Receptors, Interferon
  • STAT1 Transcription Factor
  • STAT1 protein, human
  • Trans-Activators