Increased percentages of tumor necrosis factor-alpha+/interferon-gamma+ T [corrected] lymphocytes and calprotectin+/tumor necrosis factor-alpha+ monocytes in patients with acute Kawasaki disease

A Multicenter Study of Intravenous Immunoglobulin Non-response in Kawasaki Disease

To investigate the relationship between the risk factors associated with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) non-response and the incidence of coronary artery lesions (CAL) in patients with Kawasaki disease (KD). A retrospective study was performed on clinical records of 1953 KD patients who were admitted to hospitals in Shanghai, China, between 1998 and 2007. Related clinical and laboratory findings were studied using univariate and multivariate statistical analyses. Of the 1953 KD patients, 133 (6.8 %) were unresponsive to IVIG therapy, and 356 (18.6 %) developed CAL. The incidence of CAL in the non-responsive IVIG group was significantly different from that in the responsive IVIG group (31.3 vs. 17.6 %). The incidence of IVIG non-response was significantly lower in the patients who received sufficient doses of IVIG than in the patients who received insufficient doses (5.2 vs. 18.1 %). A logistic regression analysis of 1295 patients who received sufficient IVIG doses indicated that cervical lymph node enlargement, CAL, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) ≥75 mm/h, and platelet count (PLT) ≥530 × 10(9)/L were independent risk factors of IVIG non-response. IVIG non-responders are prone to develop CAL. Initiation of therapy with sufficient IVIG doses at the early stage of the disease is crucial for preventing IVIG non-response. Lymph node enlargement, ESR ≥75 mm/h, and PLT count ≥530 × 10(9)/L are independent risk factors for predicting non-response to sufficient IVIG doses. For patients with the tendency of being unresponsive to IVIG therapy, treatment using sufficient IVIG doses combined with hormones or immunosuppressive agents should be considered to reduce the incidence of IVIG non-response and CAL.

The role of calprotectin in pediatric disease

Calprotectin (CP) is a calcium- and zinc-binding protein of the S100 family expressed mainly by neutrophils with important extracellular activity. The aim of the current review is to summarize the latest findings concerning the role of CP in a diverse range of inflammatory and noninflammatory conditions among children. Increasing evidence suggests the implication of CP in the diagnosis, followup, assessment of relapses, and response to treatment in pediatric pathological conditions, such as inflammatory bowel disease, necrotizing enterocolitis, celiac disease, intestinal cystic fibrosis, acute appendicitis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, Kawasaki disease, polymyositis-dermatomyositis, glomerulonephritis, IgA nephropathy, malaria, HIV infection, hyperzincemia and hypercalprotectinemia, and cancer. Further studies are required to provide insights into the actual role of CP in these pathological processes in pediatrics.