Life-threatening influenza and impaired interferon amplification in human IRF7 deficiency

Michael J. Ciancanelli, Sarah X.L. Huang, Priya Luthra, Hannah Garner, Yuval Itan, Stefano Volpi, Fabien G. Lafaille, Céline Trouillet, Mirco Schmolke, Randy A. Albrecht, Elisabeth Israelsson, Hye Kyung Lim, Melina Casadio, Tamar Hermesh, Lazaro Lorenzo, Lawrence W. Leung, Vincent Pedergnana, Bertrand Boisson, Satoshi Okada, Capucine PicardBenedicte Ringuier, Françoise Troussier, Damien Chaussabel, Laurent Abel, Isabelle Pellier, Luigi D. Notarangelo, Adolfo García-Sastre, Christopher F. Basler, Frédéric Geissmann, Shen Ying Zhang, Hans Willem Snoeck, Jean Laurent Casanova

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

373 Scopus citations

Abstract

Severe influenza disease strikes otherwise healthy children and remains unexplained.We report compound heterozygous null mutations in IRF7, which encodes the transcription factor interferon regulatory factor 7, in an otherwise healthy child who suffered life-threatening influenza during primary infection. In response to influenza virus, the patient's leukocytes and plasmacytoid dendritic cells produced very little type I and III interferons (IFNs). Moreover, the patient's dermal fibroblasts and induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived pulmonary epithelial cells produced reduced amounts of type I IFN and displayed increased influenza virus replication.These findings suggest that IRF7-dependent amplification of type I and III IFNs is required for protection against primary infection by influenza virus in humans. They also show that severe influenza may result from single-gene inborn errors of immunity.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)448-453
Number of pages6
JournalScience
Volume348
Issue number6233
DOIs
StatePublished - 24 Apr 2015

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