Nutritional status is a valuable factor, which has an impact on immunological response [14]. The relationship between nutritional status and the immune system has been a topic of study for much of the 20th century [15]. With no doubt malnutrition is considered as one of the most common causes of impaired immunity worldwide [16]. As nutritional status has its influence on susceptibility to infections, so may immune system disorders have an influence on nutritional status [17]. Many original papers have proven higher frequency of malnutrition and anthropometric values abnormalities in some of diseases from the PID spectrum [18–20]. Because of heterogeneity of this group, results of each study should be analyzed with inclusion of certain disease characteristics.
Improper nutritional status has been seen in the patients with common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) [18,19]. Additionally, analyzed anthropometric parameters have indicated higher frequency of malnutrition in these patients’ population, comparing to general population. It has been noticed that patients with CVID’ had higher susceptibility to infections, persistent, prolongating diarrhea and absorption disorders, which may result in malnutrition of this group, hence causing higher risk of disease complications [18]. A study conducted on Iranian children suffering from humoral immunity disorders, including CVID (52.5% of participants) and X-linked agammaglobulinemia (27.5% of participants) underweight was detected (BMI <5 percentile) among 21.1% children, with no relevant differences between sexes [19]. Authors noticed that frequency of malnutrition of children with humoral immunity disorders is almost 4 times higher than in the healthy children population, based on data from Center for Disease Control (CDC) of year 2000. Moreover, in this study height and weight relative to age were also improper: 57.5% of patients had too small weight for their age (based on Z-score <–1) and 63.2% were too short for their age. In a study conducted by Muscaritoli et al., anthropometric measurements allowed to find out that 23% of adults with CVID had BMI <18,5 and a higher susceptibility to protein-energetic malnutrition [18]. Other studies point to common intestinal villae atrophy occurrence in patients with CVID, which is correlated with anaemia, malnutrition and lower CD4+ lymphocytes count among these patients [20]. Three patients with CVID took part in our study. Their weight, height and BMI during hospitalization remained normal (–2<Z-score<+2; 3<centile<97). All of them had immunoglobulin replacement therapy. Four patients with main classes immunoglobulin deficiency (other than CVID) in our study had improper nutritional status according to their BMI (Z-score <–2SD and/or underweight assessed by centile charts).
1 patient with chronic granulomatous disease took part in our study. During hospitalization his weight, height and BMI remained normal. (–2<Z-score<+2). Cole et al. study compared patients with the disease after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and without this treatment [21]. Among the assessed parameters were anthropometric ones (height, weight, BMI), which were applied to growth standards developed by WHO. Height and nutritional status disorders were mainly found in the patients without transplantation group. 20% of this group were too short, compared to age (z-score <–2) and 16.67% had too low BMI relative to age. Weight z-score <–2SD in children without transplantation was found at 22% of patients. Pretransplantation and posttransplantation weights and heights were available for 14 children who had undergone HSCT with at least 1 year of posttransplantation follow-up. 21% (n = 3) of these children had height-for-age z scores <−2, which was deemed low for age before HSCT. One child continued to have low height for his/her age after HSCT. No child had low BMI for their age before or after HSCT. There was a significant improvement in height for age but no significant difference in BMI for age when comparing pretransplantation and posttransplantation data. Too small group of people under study (n = 1) didn’t allow for any clear conclusions about nutritional status of them.
A special group of patients with PID are the ones of chromosomal instability group (ataxia-telangiectasia (AT) and Nijmegen breakage syndrome (NBS). Apart from genetically lowered capability to DNA reparation, these two syndromes are also connected by higher tendency to immune system disorders. Because of the rarity of ataxia-telangiectasia, there are few available sources evaluating physical growth and nutritional status of this disease. In Ehlayel et al. study on 13 patients with AT, 38% were too short, based on the height standard deviation score (HtSDS) <–2SD. However, their midparental height standard deviation score was −1.3 ± 1.1 and 31% had a HtSDS <−2. Patients’ HtSDS was correlated significantly with their mid-parental height standard deviation score (p < 0,001). Patients’ BMI was low in 31% of them (BMI SD <−2) [22]. In our study 8 patients with AT took part. At 37.5% (n = 3) BMI <–1 was noticed, at 25% (n = 2) BMI <–2SD. A small number of patients affected with disease, as well as high frequency of nutritional status irregularities within the group implies the necessity to conduct further in-depth researches on anthropometric parameters of patients being under constant care of each health centre. Stewart E et al., reported 101 patients specifically on their progressive growth failure and even recommended early proactive consideration of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) from age 8 years onwards to prevent it [23]. In our study there were no patient with PEG.
Nijmegen breakage syndrome seems to occur worldwide, but with a distinctly higher prevalence among Central European and Eastern European populations [24,25]. The long-term study of over 70 patients with NBS conducted by Chrzanowska et al. showed retardation in their somatic growth practically since birth [26]. The mean birth anthropometric parameters, including weight, length, head and chest circumferences were significantly lower than in healthy population. Infants of both genders showed a growth deficit until the age of 2 or 3 when some gain of height and weight, but not occipitofrontal circumference was observed. In later stages of childhood and adolescence, differences in the growth pattern between girls and boys became apparent: the growth spurt in boys was poor and was absent in girls. The mean height in over half of the adult girls and boys with NBS was within lower normal ranges. Among 4 patients with Nijmegen breakage syndrome in our study (aged 1,5–11y.), one had BMI <–1SD, second one <–2SD. According to Polish centile charts, nutritional status of these 2 patients was determined as underweight. These irregularities affected girls (n = 2), boys were within norm. Both females were also born with birth weight under 2500g, while boys >2500g. In case of that disease, growth retardation, as well as microcephaly are in its symptoms spectrum. Differences between sexes and small numbers of current publications about growth and physical development of children with Nijmegen breakage syndrome suggest the need for further studies of this topic.
Evaluation of physical growth presented in our study on heterogenous group of diseases, which are primary immunodeficiency disorders, shows higher percentage of children with PID improperly developed, compared to the control group. Almost every 5th patient with PID had weight and height <3 centile, moreover 23% over the age of 3 were underweight. It is worth to mention that improper nutritional status involves not only specific syndromes like Nijmegen breakage syndrome or ataxia-telangiectasia but also predominantly antibody deficiencies. We wanted to pay attention to higher risk of malnutrition in all PID patients, not only in particular conditions where patients are known to have growth retardation primary or secondary to their disease.
In Adimaz et al. study 11.2% of children with PID were retarded in their height and physical development and in the study on Egyptian children interrupted physical development and growth were detected among 28% of patients diagnosed with PID [27,28]. In our study higher percentage of malnourished children in Ig+therapy group can be explained by complexity of diseases’ syndromes, often exceeding over immune system, which may also limit patients’ development in a significant way (Nijmegen breakage syndrome, ataxia-telangiectasia). We believe the topic needs further studies on group of children with immunoglobulin substitution. It’s worth to mention that in many children with PID or RRTI higher percentage of low birth weight and height is detected. This interesting finding requires further studies as well.
The study was performed as Students Research Circle’s activity. Main limitations of the study were relatively short time-span and lack of data about gestational age of patients.