Listeria Meningitis as an Indication of Undiagnosed Primary Immune Deficiency, Activated Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase...

Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram-positive bacillus that causes severe infections mainly in newborns, pregnant women, immunocompromised individuals, and elderly. In this report, we present a case of immune dysregulation that presented with invasive Listeria infection despite the absence of these risk factors.

A previously healthy 5-year-old girl developed L. monocytogenes meningitis, which is unusual given her age and lack of typical risk factors. The patient initially presented with fever, diarrhea and altered mental status, unresponsive to empiric antibiotic treatment. Besides clinical diagnosis of meningitis, laboratory tests revealed pleocytosis and positive polymerase chain reaction test for L. monocytogenes in cerebrospinal fluid. Despite initial improvement, the patient developed proteinuria and hypertension and was later diagnosed with focal class 3 lupus nephritis following a renal biopsy. Given the atypical nature of her L. monocytogenes infection, persistent organomegaly, and lupus nephritis, further immunological evaluation was conducted. Genetic testing revealed a de-novo gain-of-function mutation in the PIK3CD gene, confirming the diagnosis of Activated Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase Delta Syndrome 1 (APDS1), a rare primary immunodeficiency characterized by lymphoproliferation and autoimmunity. The patient was started on immunoglobulin replacement therapy and prophylactic trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. No recurrence of severe infection occurred during 2 years of follow-up.

This case underscores the importance of considering underlying immune dysregulations in pediatric patients with atypical presentation of Listeria infections.