title: CD8 T lymphocytes and macrophages infiltrate coronary artery aneurysms in acute Kawasaki disease.
abstract: The pathogenesis of coronary arterial inflammation in acute Kawasaki disease (KD) is unclear. To test the hypothesis that the KD vascular lesion is an activated T lymphocyte-dependent process, immunohistochemical studies were done on coronary artery aneurysms from 8 fatal acute KD cases by using antibodies to CD45RO (activated or memory T lymphocyte), CD8 (cytotoxic T lymphocyte), CD4 (helper T lymphocyte), HAM56 (macrophage), and CD20 (B lymphocyte). Acute KD coronary arteritis was characterized by transmural infiltration of CD45RO T lymphocytes with CD8 T lymphocytes predominating over CD4 T lymphocytes. Macrophages were present primarily in the adventitial layer; B lymphocytes were notably absent. These data lend support to the hypotheses that KD results from infection with an intracellular pathogen, such as a virus, whose antigens are presented by major histocompatibility complex class I molecules, and that CD8 T lymphocytes and macrophages are important in the pathogenesis of KD coronary aneurysms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Medical School, and Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA.
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Crawford
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Cornwall
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Shulman
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Rowley
mesh_terms: D018951:Antigens, CD20 / Q000032:analysis; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003323:Coronary Aneurysm / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000276:immunology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007223:Infant; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D009080:Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D018951:Antigens, CD20; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens