A 24-Year Enzyme Replacement Therapy in an Adenosine-deaminase-Deficient Patient

Abstract

Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) is a fatal childhood disease unless immune reconstitution is performed early in life, with either hematopoietic stem cell transplantation or gene therapy. One of its subtypes is caused by adenosine deaminase (ADA) enzyme deficiency, which leads to the accumulation of toxic metabolites that impair lymphocyte development and function. With the development of polyethylene glycol–conjugated adenosine deaminase (PEG-ADA) enzyme replacement therapy, many ADA-deficient children with SCID who could not receive a hematopoietic stem cell transplantation or gene therapy survived and had longer and healthier lives. We report a 24-year course of treatment in a patient who was diagnosed with ADA deficiency at 4 months of age. The patient was treated with PEG-ADA, which was the only therapy available for him. The patient’s plasma ADA level was regularly monitored and the PEG-ADA dose adjusted accordingly. This treatment has resulted in near-normalization of lymphocyte counts, and his clinical course has been associated with only minor to moderate infections. Thus far, he has had no manifestations of autoimmune or lymphoproliferative disorders. This patient is among the longest to be maintained on PEG-ADA enzyme replacement therapy.