Clinical Description
Hepatic veno-occlusive disease with immunodeficiency (VODI) is a primary immunodeficiency associated with terminal hepatic lobular vascular occlusion and hepatic lobule zone 3 fibrosis. Infants typically present prior to age six months with tachypnea, poor weight gain, interstitial pneumonitis, jaundice, ascites, hypogammaglobulinemia, and thrombocytopenia. Some individuals develop neurologic sequelae (cerebral infarction, leukodystrophy). The following description of the phenotypic features associated with this condition is based on published case series [Roscioli et al 2006, Cliffe et al 2012, Wang et al 2012, Ganaiem et al 2013, Marquardsen et al 2017] supported by additional reports [M Wong, personal communication].
Table 2.
Hepatic Veno-Occlusive Disease with Immunodeficiency: Frequency of Select Features
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Feature | % of Persons w/Feature | Comments |
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Immunologic
| Panhypogammaglobulinemia | 100% | |
Normal T & B cell numbers | 95%-100% | Normal TRECs (relevant to newborn screening) |
P jirovecii infection | 60% | |
CMV infection | 10%-20% | |
Mucocutaneous candidiasis | 10%-20% | |
Immune dysregulation | 10%-20% | Hemolytic uremic syndrome, interstitial lung disease, hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis |
Liver
| Hepatomegaly | 60% | Frequency of feature at presentation |
Hepatic failure | 20% |
Thrombocytopenia | 50% |
Anemia | 40% |
Neurologic
| Cerebral infarction | 10% | |
Leukodystrophy | 10% | |
Other neurologic features | 10% | Calcification on brain imaging, microcephaly, developmental delay, SIADH |
CMV = cytomegalovirus; SIADH = syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion; TREC = T cell receptor excision circle
Immunodeficiency is characterized by severe hypogammaglobulinemia, clinical evidence of T-cell immunodeficiency with normal numbers of circulating T and B cells, absent lymph node germinal centers, and absent tissue plasma cells [Roscioli et al 2006, Cliffe et al 2012, Wang et al 2012, Ganaiem et al 2013, Marquardsen et al 2017]. Bacterial and opportunistic infections including Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonitis (PJP), mucocutaneous candidiasis, and enteroviral or cytomegalovirus infections occur. Presentation to medical care at about age two to six months is typically acute, with respiratory symptoms (often from PJP) and abdominal distention, followed by rapid clinical deterioration. There is, however, often a preexisting history of feeding difficulties and diarrhea, with associated weight loss and poor growth in the previous month(s). Oral candidiasis (thrush) may be present. Early recognition and treatment of PJP with high-dose cotrimoxazole and steroids and cytomegalovirus with ganciclovir are essential. Other viruses may persist due to impaired clearance, causing ongoing complications such as chronic diarrhea.
Hepatic veno-occlusive disease (hVOD). Children with VODI present ab initio either with hepatomegaly (83% with a history of preceding infection) or hepatic failure (53% with a history of preceding infection). Asymptomatic increase in liver transaminases, thrombocytopenia, and anemia is commonly detected in both scenarios. Affected infants with hepatic failure typically present with jaundice, ascites, and hepatosplenomegaly, with subsequent rapid clinical deterioration and evidence of functional deficits such as bleeding from coagulopathy and encephalopathy, sometimes necessitating liver transplantation. The results of liver transplantation in this setting are poor, with few children surviving [Wozniak et al 2011, Cliffe et al 2012]. The mortality rate of hVOD overall is high. Even if successful, liver transplant does not cure the immunodeficiency.
In individuals with less severe disease, treatment of the precipitating infection, commencement of long-term immunoglobulin replacement therapy (intravenous immunoglobulin [IVIG] or subcutaneous immunoglobulin [SCIG]), continuation of prophylactic cotrimoxazole, and other supportive measures may result in stabilization of liver function, and the liver gradually heals by nodular regeneration. Associated hepatosplenomegaly, anemia, and thrombocytopenia also resolve. Affected individuals may continue to have compromised liver function. Although maintenance immunoglobulin replacement therapy and cotrimoxazole prophylaxis significantly reduces the risk, recurrence of hVOD can occur, especially precipitated by infection or other metabolic stress.
The hepatic injury in VODI is identical clinically and histologically to hVOD (also known as sinusoidal obstruction syndrome) following high-dose myeloablative conditioning therapy in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) [Roscioli et al 2006]. Early initiation of defibrotide, an anti-inflammatory, antithrombotic drug that restores endothelial thrombotic-fibrinolytic balance, has been demonstrated to improve survival in post-HSCT-associated sinusoidal obstruction syndrome [Richardson et al 2017], for which it is now approved therapy [Carreras 2015]. The duration of treatment is usually 21 days. Similarly, early initiation of defibrotide has been associated with rapid response in VODI-associated liver disease [M Wong, personal observation]. In addition, based on clinical trial data suggesting a protective effect in high-risk individuals undergoing HSCT [Corbacioglu et al 2012], prophylactic defibrotide is increasingly being used in the peri-transplant period in children with VODI [M Wong, personal observation].
Neurologic manifestations. Overall, 30% of children with VODI had neurologic involvement; none of the individuals were reported to have veno-occlusive disease of the brain [Roscioli et al 2006, Cliffe et al 2012]. Four individuals had extensive cerebral necrosis on postmortem examination. A striking finding is the presence of cerebrospinal leukodystrophy in three individuals (20%) with VODI. One affected female remained well on IVIG and cotrimoxazole prophylaxis until age 18 years, when she suddenly developed paraparesis and urinary retention associated with cerebral lesions. No infective cause or evidence of veno-occlusive disease was found on extensive investigation. There was partial response to high-dose IVIG and steroid therapy, suggesting an inflammatory etiology [M Wong, personal observation].
It is unclear whether other neurologic features in single reports are complications of VODI or coincidental findings. These include syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH) during the presenting illness, microcephaly, nonspecific calcified central nervous system (CNS) lesions on imaging, developmental delay, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Prognosis. VODI is associated with 100% mortality in the first year of life if unrecognized and untreated with IVIG or SCIG replacement and Pneumocystis jirovecii prophylaxis, and 90% mortality overall by the mid-teenage years despite initial response to immunoglobulin replacement therapy, cotrimoxazole prophylaxis, and early treatment of infections [Roscioli et al 2006, Cliffe et al 2012]. There may be an ongoing risk for neurologic inflammatory complications. The oldest known individual with VODI is now age 30 years. She remains paraplegic after an unexplained episode of CNS inflammation at age 18 years, but is otherwise stable on IVIG and cotrimoxazole prophylaxis.
Milder phenotypes associated with missense pathogenic variants have been reported [Wang et al 2012, Delmonte et al 2020]. One of these children presented older than age one year with bacterial rather than opportunistic infections and developed liver disease with nodular regenerative hyperplasia but no hVOD while on IVIG [Delmonte et al 2020]. The other presented at age five months with PJP and hVOD but recovered rapidly after treatment of PJP and the first dose of IVIG and was well at the time of reporting (age 3 years) on IVIG and cotrimoxazole prophylaxis [Wang et al 2012]. This child, however, had a sib who died at age three months from hepatic failure of undetermined etiology, presumably VODI. Both individuals had normal SP110 mRNA but impaired/absent protein expression.
The poor long-term prognosis and the fact that SP110 is primarily expressed in leukocytes has led to consideration of HSCT as a potential cure, preventing further recurrences of hVOD and other manifestations of immune dysregulation such as CMS inflammation as well as removing the need for immunoglobulin replacement therapy and cotrimoxazole prophylaxis.
There are limited clinical reports of outcomes following HSCT for VODI. The first published report of HSCT for VODI described five individuals from one extended family (out of a total of 14 affected family members) who had matched related donor transplants [Ganaiem et al 2013]. All five individuals received conditioning with fludarabine and serotherapy (4 received antithymocyte globulin, 1 received alemtuzumab) and an alkylating agent (cyclophosphamide, busulfan, or treosulfan). The two individuals who also received thiotepa, another alkylating agent, died following engraftment with hVOD and multiorgan failure. Two of the other three were alive and well and the third was alive with epilepsy and severe ADHD at the time of reporting, between 11 months and 6.5 years post transplant. The results suggest that the additional thiotepa increased the risk of hVOD.
One child presented at age four months with probable herpetic hepatitis that initially responded clinically to acyclovir, but then developed florid hVOD following a transfusion. She responded well to defibrotide, IVIG, and prophylactic cotrimoxazole. She was neurologically normal, but asymptomatic bilateral subdural hematomas were found on routine pre-transplant MRI despite a normal head ultrasound a week prior when coagulation studies and platelets had already normalized. At age six months she underwent an unrelated cord blood transplant with alemtuzumab, fludarabine, treosulfan, and antithymocyte globulin conditioning. Defibrotide was prophylactically continued until two months post transplant. She remained well and neurologically normal at age ten years. Her MRI scan at age two years showed no anatomic abnormality [M Wong, personal obervation].
Another infant presented at age four months with PJP and CMV infections, hVOD, and hypogammaglobinemia. At age five months, after control of pneumonitis and hVOD, he received a haploidentical paternal (CMV positive) HSCT after depletion of α/β TCR and CD19+ cells. He received conditioning with fludarabine, treosulfan, and antithymocyte globulin. Defibrotide was given as hVOD prophylaxis. Two months post transplant he was well and had engrafted without graft-vs-host disease or recurrence of hVOD but with moderate CMV hepatitis. Defibrotide was able to be discontinued at Day 60. Seventy days following HSCT he developed seizures secondary to CMV reactivation with CNS involvement, leading to his death [T Cole, J Smart, & T Soosay Raj, personal communication].
This child's sib was diagnosed soon after birth and underwent HSCT with alemtuzumab, fludarabine, treosulfan, and antithymocyte globulin conditioning and defibrotide prophylaxis at age nine weeks. He was alive and well at last review, age six years.
A further infant, whose brother died in infancy from hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) and had biallelic SP110 pathogenic variants, presented at age three months with a six-week history of recurrent viral infections, diarrhea, and poor weight gain. She rapidly deteriorated with fever, respiratory distress, oxygen requirement, and hepatomegaly followed by ascites and liver dysfunction. PJP was confirmed and treated with high-dose cotrimoxazole and steroids, while IVIG and defibrotide were commenced with rapid clinical response. She is awaiting transplant with alemtuzumab, fludarabine, treosulfan, and antithymocyte globulin conditioning and defibrotide prophylaxis, likely to occur by age six months.