[Levels of serum heart-type fatty acid-binding protein and its clinical significance in children with Kawasaki disease].
OBJECTIVE
This study examined serum level of heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (h-FABP) in children with Kawasaki disease (KD) in order to assess its value in KD.


METHODS
Forty children with KD and 30 healthy children were enrolled. Serum levels of h-FABP and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) were measured using ELISA. Serum creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) level was detected using an autoanalyer. The KD group was classified into two subgroups, with or without coronary artery lesions, based on the findings of the echocardiography.


RESULTS
Mean serum levels of h-FABP (18.17+/-13.38 ng/mL vs 6.25+/-1.70 ng/mL; P<0.01) and cTnI (0.27+/-0.22 ng/mL vs 0.11+/-0.02 ng/mL; P<0.05) in the KD group was significantly higher than those in the control group. There was no significant difference in serum CK-MB concentrations between the two groups. Twenty-six patients (65%) and eight patients (20%) showed abnormally increased h-FABP and cTnI levels respectively in the KD group, but none of the control group showed increased levels of both. In the KD group, the percentage of patients with increased h-FABP was significantly higher than those with increased CTnI (P<0.01). The patients with coronary artery lesions had higher serum h-FABP level than those without (28.14+/-14.26 ng/mL vs 11.52+/-6.28 ng/mL; P<0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Serum levels of h-FABP and cTnI increase and can be used as the biomarkers of myocardial damage in children with KD. h-FABP appears to be more sensitive and specific. Detection of serum h-FABP level is useful for diagnosis of KD and coronary artery lesions secondary to KD.
Sun
Yu-Ping
YP
Qingdao Children's Hospital, Qingdao, Shangdong 266011, China. sunyuping999@163.com
Wang
Wen-Di
WD
Wang
Jin-Ju
JJ
Wang
Li-Yan
LY
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D052279:Creatine Kinase, MB Form / Q000097:blood; D000074026:Fatty Acid Binding Protein 3; D050556:Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009080:Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome / Q000097:blood*; D019210:Troponin I / Q000097:blood
C493408:FABP3 protein, human; D000074026:Fatty Acid Binding Protein 3; D050556:Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins; D019210:Troponin I; D052279:Creatine Kinase, MB Form