Increased levels of circulating intercellular adhesion molecule 1 in Kawasaki disease.
OBJECTIVE
We investigated whether levels of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) antigen shed into the circulation increase during acute Kawasaki disease (KD). We also compared ICAM-1 levels in acute KD with those in anaphylactoid purpura (AP) and in measles.


METHODS
Serum ICAM-1 levels were measured by a double-determinant immunoassay using 2 monoclonal antibodies in the FAST (Falcon assay screening test) system. Serum levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) were measured by a specific and sensitive sandwich enzyme immunoassay.


RESULTS
Patients with KD, but not those with AP or measles, had increased levels of shed ICAM-1 antigen in serum samples obtained during acute stages. Moreover, during the acute stage, KD patients with coronary artery lesions (CAL) had still higher levels of shed ICAM-1 than did those without CAL. We found a positive correlation between serum levels of shed ICAM-1 and levels of TNF alpha during acute KD.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that the serum ICAM-1 level is an important immunologic parameter for determining the severity of vascular damage during acute KD.
Department of Pediatrics, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
S
S
Furukawa
K
K
Imai
T
T
Matsubara
K
K
Yone
A
A
Yachi
K
K
Okumura
K
K
Yabuta
D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000097:blood*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D008297:Male; D009080:Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D013997:Time Factors; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis
D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1