Clinical Characteristics and Genetic Analysis of Interstitial Lung Disease in Chinese Children (Genes and Interstitial Lung Disease)

Abstract BackgroundMutation in the surfactant protein C gene (SFTPC) is a cause of interstitial lung disease (ILD). Our objective was to investigate the clinical characteristics, outcome and influencing factors of ILD in Chinese children with SFTPC mutations.MethodA total of 8 Chinese children with ILD heterozygous for SFTPC mutations that were treated in our hospital from January 2014 to December 2020 were included in our study. Candidate genes responsible for surfactant dysfunction were sequenced by next-generation sequencing. The clinical and genetic data were reviewed retrospectively.ResultsThe children’s onset age was before the age of 2 years, and one case was just after birth. The most significant clinical manifestations were cough, tachypnea, hypoxemia and failure to thrive. The most common mutation was p. lle73Thr, which accounted for 87.5% (7/8) of our patients. Four patients whose onset was within 3 months, including 3 children with CMV infection, died. Conclusionp. lle73Thr mutation of SFTPC was an important and common cause of ILD in the Chinese children. The clinical manifestations of ILD associated with this mutation are not specific. The severity and outcome of the disease may be affected by factors such as onset age and viral infection.