This talk was given by Dr. Alexei Grom of Cincinnati Childrens Hospital to a group of patient families, at Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (or SJIA) Family Day on July 22nd, 2017.
2. Macrophage Activation Syndrome
• Caused by excessive activation and multiplication of
predominately two types of immune cells
• cytotoxic CD8+ T cells and
• macrophages
• Excessive activation of these cell leads to massive
inflammation that might be life-threatening
3. Normal macrophages
• a type of white blood cells that engulfs and destroys microbes and
other foreign substances in a process called phagocytosis
5. Macrophages in MAS
• Overly activated
• Start phagocytosing and destroying normal blood cells (such as red
blood cells, neutrophils and platelets)
• Destruction of these blood cells leads to a sudden drop in their
numbers and might be life-threatening
7. Normal cytotoxic T cells
• A cytotoxic T cell (also known CD8+ T-cell or killer T cell) is a T
lymphocyte (another type of white blood cells) that kills cancer cells,
and cells that are infected (particularly with viruses)
10. MAS is a cytokine storm
• Immune cells communicate with each other by sending various
“chemical signals” called cytokines
• some cytokines cause inflammation
• some cytokines reduce inflammation
• In MAS, there is excessive activation and multiplication of
macrophages and cytotoxic T cells that produce too much cytokines
that cause inflammation
12. MAS and Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis
• striking clinical similarities between MAS and
hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis
• hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis is a genetic disease
in which cytotoxic cells have decreased ability to kill cells
infected with viruses
• Mouy R, et al. J Pediatr 1996;129:750
15. Cytolytic Defects in FHLH
Cytolytic cells cause destruction of target cells by
delivering granules that contain proteins such as
perforin and granzymes
15
death
Infected Cell
Effector Cell
(NK Cell)
Granzyme B
Fusion
Priming
Munc13-4
Munc18-2
Syntaxin 11
Rab27a
Nucleus
Perforin
17. Macrophage Activation Syndrome
• Patients look very ill, run high fevers
• Laboratory abnormalities:
• Sudden drop in hemoglobin, platelet and neutrophil counts
• Very high serum ferritin
• Impaired liver function
• Increased liver enzymes (Ast, Alt)
• Decreased ability to make proteins involved in blood coagulation
(such as fibrinogen) leading to bleeding
Silverman ED, et al. J Pediatr 1983;103:872.
Hadchouel M, Prieur AM, and Griscelli C. J Pediatr 1985;106:561.
19. MAS in Pediatric Rheumatology
• Has been reported in association with almost any rheumatic disease
• By far, most common in systemic JIA
• About 80% of reported cases occurred in association with systemic JIA
• SLE, Kawasaki disease
• Prevalence of “overt MAS” in systemic JIA is ~10%
Sawney, et al. Arch Dis Child 2001;85:4210
• Evidence of subclinical MAS in a subgroup of systemic JIA patients with active systemic
disease (~30%)
Bleesing, et al. Arthritis Rheum 2007;56:965
Behrens, et al. J Rheumatol 2007:34:1133
20. Laboratory monitoring for signs of MAS
• Cell blood count
• Ferritin
• Liver enzymes
• Fibrinogen
• Soluble IL2Rα
• Soluble CD163
Hemophagocytic syndromes are characterized by an uncontrolled expansion of activated CD8 cells that secrete proinflammatory cytokines such as interferon gamma and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor.
These cytokines cause monocytes to differentiate into macrophages, which then release proinflammatory cytokines, thus causing an exaggerated, cyclical cascade.
Persistent activation of macrophages leads to massive increase in proinflammatory cytokines.
The mechanism leading to expansion of activated macrophages is not clear.
One possible hypothesis for uncontrolled expansion of T cells is a defect in cytolytic function.
Reference:
Grom AA. Macrophage activation syndrome. In: Cassidy JT, Laxer RM, Petty RE, Lindsley CB, eds. Textbook of Pediatric Rheumatology. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders Elsevier; 2011:674-681.
Hemophagocytic syndromes are characterized by an uncontrolled expansion of activated CD8 cells that secrete proinflammatory cytokines such as interferon gamma and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor.
These cytokines cause monocytes to differentiate into macrophages, which then release proinflammatory cytokines, thus causing an exaggerated, cyclical cascade.
Persistent activation of macrophages leads to massive increase in proinflammatory cytokines.
The mechanism leading to expansion of activated macrophages is not clear.
One possible hypothesis for uncontrolled expansion of T cells is a defect in cytolytic function.
Reference:
Grom AA. Macrophage activation syndrome. In: Cassidy JT, Laxer RM, Petty RE, Lindsley CB, eds. Textbook of Pediatric Rheumatology. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders Elsevier; 2011:674-681.
This figure denotes the cytolytic pathway and potential mutations that may be involved.
The activity of cytolytic cells is mediated by release of cytotoxic granules that contain proteins such as perforin and granzymes.1
On recognition of the target cells, the cytolytic cells reorganize the cytoskeleton and the microtubule (MT)-organizing center moves toward the site of contact between the cytolytic cell and the target cell, which is called the “immunologic synapse.”2
Cytolytic granules move along the MTs and degranulate at the point of contact.1,2
Perforin is a key cytolytic protein that acts by inserting itself in the membrane of the target cell and delivers content of granules to the target cell.1
References:
Ravelli A, Grom AA, Behrens EM, Cron RQ. Macrophage activation syndrome as part of systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis: diagnosis, genetics, pathophysiology and treatment. Genes Immun. 2012;13(4):289-298.
Filipovich AH. Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis and other hemophagocytic disorders. Immunol Allergy Clin North Am. 2008;28(2):293-313.
Hemophagocytic syndromes are characterized by an uncontrolled expansion of activated CD8 cells that secrete proinflammatory cytokines such as interferon gamma and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor.
These cytokines cause monocytes to differentiate into macrophages, which then release proinflammatory cytokines, thus causing an exaggerated, cyclical cascade.
Persistent activation of macrophages leads to massive increase in proinflammatory cytokines.
The mechanism leading to expansion of activated macrophages is not clear.
One possible hypothesis for uncontrolled expansion of T cells is a defect in cytolytic function.
Reference:
Grom AA. Macrophage activation syndrome. In: Cassidy JT, Laxer RM, Petty RE, Lindsley CB, eds. Textbook of Pediatric Rheumatology. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders Elsevier; 2011:674-681.