Atherosclerosis in survivors of Kawasaki disease.
OBJECTIVE
To test the hypothesis that long-term survivors of low-risk Kawasaki disease (KD) have ongoing vascular inflammation and dysfunction and a higher risk of accelerated atherosclerosis than healthy control subjects.


METHODS
Twenty-eight patients with KD (7-20 years after acute illness) and 27 age-matched healthy control subjects were examined for medical and dietary history, serum markers of atherosclerotic risk and inflammation, carotid intimal-medial thickness (CIMT) with vascular ultrasound scanning and arterial stiffness with applanation tonometry.


RESULTS
Patients and control subjects were similar in age, sex, body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, blood pressure, cigarette smoking, family history, diet, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level, lipoprotein (a) level, homocysteine level, glucose level, insulin level, CIMT, arterial stiffness, C-reactive protein level, and inflammatory cytokine level. Levels of total cholesterol and apolipoprotein B were significantly higher in patients with KD than in control subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
There was no evidence of increased atherosclerosis. Small but significant differences in cholesterol and apolipoprotein B levels could suggest increased future risk for atherosclerosis and warrant further study.
Gupta-Malhotra
Monesha
M
Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, Komansky Center for Children's Health, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill-Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA. monesha.gupta@uth.tmc.edu
Gruber
Dorota
D
Abraham
Seena S
SS
Roman
Mary J
MJ
Zabriskie
John B
JB
Hudgins
Lisa C
LC
Flynn
Patrick A
PA
Levine
Daniel M
DM
Okorie
Uzoma
U
Baday
Aline
A
Schiller
Myles S
MS
Maturi
Janet
J
Meehan
Diane
D
Dyme
Joshua
J
Parker
Thomas S
TS
Wittkowski
Knut M
KM
Gersony
Welton M
WM
Cooper
Rubin S
RS
D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000097:blood; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009080:Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult
D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D015415:Biomarkers; D016207:Cytokines; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D008055:Lipids