title: Kawasaki disease: infection, immunity and genetics.
abstract: Kawasaki disease is an acute multisystem vasculitic syndrome of unknown etiology occurring mostly in infants and children younger than 5 years of age. In developed countries, Kawasaki disease is currently the leading cause of acquired heart diseases in children. However, it is still a mysterious disease. In this article, we reviewed and summarized from the aspects based on infection agents, host immune dysregulation and genetic background intended to establish a feasible infection-immunogenetic pathogenesis for this mysterious disease and also provided the rational strategy to explore optimal treatment of this disease.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Immunology, Chang-Gung Children's Hospital at Kaohsiung, 123 Ta-Pei Road, Niau-Sung, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chih-Lu
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yu-Tsun
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Chieh-An
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ho-Chang
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.forename: Kuender D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009080:Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D011322:Primary Prevention