Interleukin-2-inducible T-cell kinase (ITK) deficiency - clinical and molecular aspects

J Clin Immunol. 2014 Nov;34(8):892-9. doi: 10.1007/s10875-014-0110-8. Epub 2014 Oct 24.

Abstract

In patients with underlying immunodeficiency, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) may lead to severe immune dysregulation manifesting as fatal mononucleosis, lymphoma, lymphoproliferative disease (LPD), lymphomatoid granulomatosis, hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) and dysgammaglobulinemia. Several newly discovered primary immunodeficiencies (STK4, CD27, MAGT1, CORO1A) have been described in recent years; our group and collaborators were able to reveal the pathogenicity of mutations in the Interleukin-2-inducible T-cell Kinase (ITK) in a cohort of nine patients with most patients presenting with massive EBV B-cell lymphoproliferation. This review summarizes the clinical and immunological findings in these patients. Moreover, we describe the functional consequences of the mutations and draw comparisons with the extensively investigated function of ITK in vitro and in the murine model.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Age of Onset
  • Animals
  • B-Lymphocytes / enzymology
  • B-Lymphocytes / pathology
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Humans
  • Interleukin-2 / metabolism*
  • Lymphoproliferative Disorders / enzymology*
  • Lymphoproliferative Disorders / genetics
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / deficiency*
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / genetics*
  • T-Lymphocytes / enzymology*
  • T-Lymphocytes / pathology

Substances

  • Interleukin-2
  • Protein-Tyrosine Kinases