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CASE REPORT article

Front. Pediatr.
Sec. Pediatric Immunology
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fped.2025.1552469

Case report: Anti-interferon-γ autoantibodies in an adolescent with disseminated Talaromyces marneffei and mycobacterial co-infections

Provisionally accepted
Bingkun Li Bingkun Li Tiantian Li Tiantian Li Qihua Huang Qihua Huang Nanfang Mo Nanfang Mo Xiaojuan He Xiaojuan He Zhiwen Jiang Zhiwen Jiang Xiuying Li Xiuying Li Xiaolu Huang Xiaolu Huang Xinyu Zhang Xinyu Zhang Cunwei Cao Cunwei Cao *
  • Department of Dermatology and Venereology, First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Region, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Anti-interferon-γ autoantibodies (AIGAs) are associated with adult-onset immunodeficiency syndrome, which makes individuals susceptible to intracellular pathogen infections. However, AIGAs are rarely reported in adolescents.We report a 13-year-old Chinese boy who presented with fever, cough, and enlarged cervical lymph nodes. Blood cultures yielded Mycobacterium abscessus, and Talaromyces marneffei (TM) was cultured from pericardial effusion. Whole exome sequencing revealed no pathogenic variants. Notably, high levels of neutralizing AIGAs were detected in the patient's serum. After receiving treatment for Mycobacterium abscessus and antifungal therapy for TM, the patient showed significant improvement. However, at the 19-month follow-up, the patient developed a Mycobacterium asiaticum infection.This case highlights the importance of screening for AIGAs in pediatric patients with disseminated TM or NTM infections. Prolonged treatment and continuous follow-up remains crucial for managing pediatric patients with AIGAs.

    Keywords: Anti-interferon-γ autoantibodies, Talaromyces marneffei, Nontuberculous Mycobacteria, adolescents, Immunodeficiency syndrome

    Received: 28 Dec 2024; Accepted: 06 Feb 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Li, Li, Huang, Mo, He, Jiang, Li, Huang, Zhang and Cao. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Cunwei Cao, Department of Dermatology and Venereology, First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Region, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.