Expression of CD40 ligand on CD4+ T-cells and platelets correlated to the coronary artery lesion and disease progress in Kawasaki disease.
OBJECTIVE
Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute febrile vasculitic syndrome in children. CD40 ligand (CD40L) has been implicated in certain types of vasculitis. We proposed that CD40L expression might be correlated with coronary artery lesions in KD.


METHODS
Blood samples were collected from 43 patients with KD before intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) treatment and 3 days afterward. Forty-three age-matched febrile children with various diseases were studied in parallel as controls. CD40L expression on T-cells and platelets were detected by flow cytometry, and soluble CD40L (sCD40L) levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.


RESULTS
We found that CD40L expression on CD4(+) T-cells was significantly higher in patients with KD than in the febrile control (FC) group (28.69 +/- 1.17% vs 4.37 +/- 0.36%). CD40L expression decreased significantly 3 days after IVIG administration (28.69 +/- 1.17% vs 13.53 +/- 0.55%). CD40L expression on platelets from patients with KD was also significantly higher than in the FC group (8.20 +/- 0.41% vs 1.26 +/- 0.12%) and decreased after IVIG therapy. sCD40L levels were also significantly higher in KD patients with those of FC (9.69 +/- 0.45 ng/mL vs 2.25 +/- 0.19 ng/mL) but were not affected by IVIG treatment 3 days afterward (9.69 +/- 0.45 ng/mL vs 9.03 +/- 0.32 ng/mL). More interesting, we found that in KD patients, CD40L expression on CD4(+) T-cells and platelets but not on CD8(+) T-cells or sCD40L was correlated with the occurrence of coronary artery lesions.


CONCLUSIONS
CD40L might play a role in the immunopathogenesis of KD. IVIG therapy might downregulate CD40L expression, resulting in decrease of CD40L-mediated vascular damage in KD. This implicates that modulation of CD40L expression may benefit to treat KD vasculitis.
Wang
Chih-Lu
CL
Division of Allergy and Immunology, Chang-Gung Children's Hospital at Kaohsiung, Chang-Gung University, Niau-Sung, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Wu
Yu-Tsun
YT
Liu
Chieh-An
CA
Lin
Mei-Wei
MW
Lee
Chia-Jung
CJ
Huang
Li-Tung
LT
Yang
Kuender D
KD
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D023201:CD40 Ligand / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology; D006232:Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D011695:IgA Vasculitis / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D009080:Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D010976:Platelet Count; D011018:Pneumonia, Pneumococcal / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology
D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D023201:CD40 Ligand; D002097:C-Reactive Protein