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Activating Antibodies to The Calcium-sensing Receptor in Immunotherapy-induced Hypoparathyroidism.
Lupi, I, Brancatella, A, Cetani, F, Latrofa, F, Kemp, EH, Marcocci, C
The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism. 2020;(5)
Abstract
CONTEXT Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), such as programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1), programmed cell death protein-ligand 1 (PD-L1), and cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4) monoclonal antibodies, are approved for the treatment of some types of advanced cancer. Their main treatment-related side-effects are immune-related adverse events (irAEs), especially thyroid dysfunction and hypophysitis. Hypoparathyroidism, on the contrary, is an extremely rare irAE. OBJECTIVES The aim of the study was to investigate the etiology of autoimmune hypoparathyroidism in a lung cancer patient treated with pembrolizumab, an anti-PD-1. METHODS Calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) autoantibodies, their functional activity, immunoglobulin (Ig) subclasses and epitopes involved in the pathogenesis of autoimmune hypoparathyroidism were tested. RESULTS The patient developed hypocalcemia after 15 cycles of pembrolizumab. Calcium levels normalized with oral calcium carbonate and calcitriol and no remission of hypocalcemia was demonstrated during a 9-month follow-up. The patient was found to be positive for CaSR-stimulating antibodies, of IgG1 and IgG3 subclasses, that were able to recognize functional epitopes on the receptor, thus causing hypocalcemia. CONCLUSION The finding confirms that ICI therapy can trigger, among other endocrinopathies, hypoparathyroidism, which can be caused by pathogenic autoantibodies.
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2.
Case report on pathogenetic link between gluten and IgA nephropathy.
Costa, S, Currò, G, Pellegrino, S, Lucanto, MC, Tuccari, G, Ieni, A, Visalli, G, Magazzù, G, Santoro, D
BMC gastroenterology. 2018;(1):64
Abstract
BACKGROUND A relationship between IgA nephropathy (IgAN) and celiac disease (CD) has been reported. We show the pathogenetic link for the first time. CASE PRESENTATION A 39-year-old man with cystic fibrosis (CF) and CF-related diabetes started to present gross hematuria, back pain and headache. At admission, laboratory analysis showed increase in serum creatinine of 1.5 mg/dl, together with hematuria and mild proteinuria (1 g/24 h). He underwent a renal biopsy to investigate the cause of hematuria and renal failure. Biopsy was consistent with IgAN. In view of patient reported dyspepsia, an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy with duodenal biopsies was undertaken and was normal. We looked for mucosal deposits of tTG-2 in the duodenum and the renal mesangium. tTG-2 deposits were found both in the duodenum and in renal biopsies, where they topographically replicated mesangial IgA deposits. After one year on a continued gluten containing diet, the patient developed a Marsh 2 type duodenal pathology. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest a connection between CD and IgAN in terms of an immune-mediated gluten-induced pathogenesis even in the absence of villous atrophy and serum celiac autoantibodies.
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3.
Medical Nutrition Therapy Is Effective in the Management of Hypoglycemia Caused by Insulin Antibodies: A Case Report and Literature Review.
Li, R, Mao, J, Yu, K, Wang, L, Hu, M, Xu, L
Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 2016;(1):86-90
Abstract
Autoimmune antibodies, induced by exogenous insulin preparations, may result in labile glucose control and frequent hypoglycemia in some rare cases. In addition to insulin cessation, immune suppressants and/or plasmapheresis have been used as the primary remedies for these patients. Some previous studies also indicate that the condition tends to remit spontaneously after discontinuation of insulin exposure. Because of this, the clinical importance of nutritional interventions and behavioral approaches, which may play a role in ameliorating the symptoms, should also be emphasized. Herein, we report on a 64-year-old man with hypoglycemia induced by insulin antibodies (IAs), whose hypoglycemic symptoms significantly improved after the implementation of nutrition therapy. This rare case expands our knowledge of the management of hypoglycemia, and for the first time highlights the significance of nutritional and lifestyle intervention in treatment of IA-induced hypoglycemia.
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Neuropsychiatric autoimmune encephalitis without VGKC-complex, NMDAR, and GAD autoantibodies: case report and literature review.
Najjar, S, Pearlman, D, Devinsky, O, Najjar, A, Nadkarni, S, Butler, T, Zagzag, D
Cognitive and behavioral neurology : official journal of the Society for Behavioral and Cognitive Neurology. 2013;(1):36-49
Abstract
We report a patient with a seronegative autoimmune panencephalitis, adding a subtype to the emerging spectrum of seronegative autoimmune encephalitis, and we review the sparse literature on isolated psychiatric presentations of autoimmune encephalitis. (A PubMed search for "seronegative autoimmune encephalitis," "nonvasculitic autoimmune inflammatory meningoencephalitis," and related terms revealed <25 cases.) A 15-year-old girl developed an acute-onset isolated psychosis with prominent negative symptoms and intermittent encephalopathy. Despite clinical worsening, her brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans remained normal for 7 years. Serology was negative for voltage-gated potassium channel (VGKC)-complex, N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR), and glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) autoantibodies. We excluded genetic, metabolic, paraneoplastic, degenerative, and infectious etiologies. The patient's symptoms remitted fully with immune therapy, but recurred in association with widespread bihemispheric brain lesions. Brain biopsy revealed mild nonvasculitic inflammation and prominent vascular hyalinization. Immune therapy with plasma exchanges cleared the MRI abnormalities but, 10 years after onset, the patient still suffers neuropsychiatric sequelae. We conclude that autoimmune panencephalitis seronegative for VGKC-complex, NMDAR, and GAD autoantibodies is a subtype of autoimmune encephalitis that can present with pure neuropsychiatric features and a normal brain MRI. Immunologic mechanisms may account for psychiatric symptoms in a subset of patients now diagnosed with classical psychotic disorders. Delay in starting immune therapy can lead to permanent neuropsychiatric sequelae. We propose a standardized classification system for the autoimmune encephalitides, integrating earlier pathology-oriented terms with more recently defined serologic and clinical phenotypes.