Estimation of myocardial damage in Kawasaki disease using antimyosin antibody.
In a retrospective study, 121 children with Kawasaki disease (KD) were investigated to determine (i) the incidence of myocardial damage using the antimyosin antibody (AMA) titer; (ii) the differences in the electrocardiograms between the AMA-positive and -negative patients; and (iii) the effect of treatment with intravenous gamma globulin (IVGG) on the AMA. Comparisons were made with 117 normal children (controls). Patients with KD showed a significantly higher mean AMA titer and more patients were positive for AMA than the controls. The AMA titer in the KD group was not related to the presence of coronary artery lesions. Electrocardiograms obtained during the acute and the convalescent stage of KD revealed that patients positive for AMA had a significantly lower voltage of T wave in lead V6 at week four than at week two of illness, whereas patients negative for AMA showed no T wave change after week two. The group treated with IVGG showed a significantly lower AMA titer than that not given IVGG. These observations suggest that myocardial damage occurs in some patients with KD which is unrelated to the presence of coronary artery lesions and that the treatment with IVGG reduces the AMA titer in patients with KD.
Nomura
Y
Y
Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Kagoshima University, Japan.
Yoshinaga
M
M
Oku
S
S
Kono
Y
Y
Yuasa
Y
Y
Noda
T
T
D000328:Adult; D000906:Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D009080:Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D009218:Myosins / Q000276:immunology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D005719:gamma-Globulins / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000906:Antibodies; D005719:gamma-Globulins; D009218:Myosins