[Value of serum soluble interleukin-2R, interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein in the early diagnosis of Kawasaki disease].
OBJECTIVE
Immunovasculitis is a pathologic process of Kawasaki disease (KD) in the early stage and it is more likely to result from abnormal immunoactivation. It is thus speculated that the serum levels of some cytokines have changed before immunovasculitis occurs, suggesting the cytokines may be useful markers for the early diagnosis of KD. In this study, we measured the serum levels of soluble interleukin-2 receptors (sIL-2R), interleukin-6(IL-6) and high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) in patients with KD to evaluate the significance of these cytokines in the early diagnosis of KD.


METHODS
Serum levels of sIL-2R and IL-6 were measured by rapid one-step sandwich enzyme immunoassay and the serum hs-CRP level was measured by Dade Behring BN ProSpec in 32 KD patients before and after intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy. Twenty healthy children were used as the controls.


RESULTS
Before IVIG therapy serum levels of sIL-2R (9253.41 +/- 2568.38 pg/mL vs 2161.53 +/- 696.92 pg/mL; P < 0.05), IL-6 (57.19 +/- 45.78 ng/mL vs 7.04 +/- 1.69 ng/mL; P < 0.05) and hs-CRP (117.69 +/- 42.05 mg/L vs 1.15 +/- 0.54 mg/L; P < 0.05) in KD patients were significantly higher than those in healthy controls. After IVIG therapy in KD patients serum IL-6 levels returned to normal and sIL-2R and hs-CRP levels decreased significantly but remained significantly higher than controls (P < 0.05). There was a positive correlation between sIL-2R and hs-CRP levels (r=0.60, P < 0.01). IL-6 levels positively correlated with hs-CRP levels in KD patients before IVIG therapy (r=0.68, P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
IL-2R, IL-6 and hs-CRP are activated in the development of KD, and they may be of important value in the early diagnosis of KD.
Peng
Qian
Q
Department of Pediatrics, People's Hospital of Sichuan Province, Chengdu 610072, China. qian70910@263.net
Wu
Qing
Q
Chen
Chang-Hui
CH
Hong
Hua
H
Zhang
Ling-Ying
LY
D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007223:Infant; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D009080:Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood*
D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D015850:Interleukin-6; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D002097:C-Reactive Protein