title: Kawasaki disease: aetiopathogenesis and therapeutic utility of intravenous immunoglobulin.
abstract: Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute febrile childhood vasculitis, associated with the development of coronary artery abnormalities in 25-30% of untreated patients. The aetiopathogenesis is not well known but it is accepted that an undefined infectious trigger in genetically predisposed individuals results in the disease. KD is characterized by an endothelial cell injury, which could be due to abnormal cytokine production and to generation of cytotoxic antibodies against the endothelial cells. Intravenous immunoglobulin IVIG is an effective treatment in preventing the occurrence of coronary artery abnormalities in KD. Several mechanisms may explain the anti-inflammatory effects of IVIG in this disease. They include modification of the cytokine balance, and alteration on both the differentiation and the function of monocytes/macrophages, neutrophils and lymphocytes.
authors.affiliation: INSERM U 872, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Paris, F-75006, France.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Galeotti
authors.forename: Jagedeesh
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bayry
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kone-Paut
authors.forename: Srinivas V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Kaveri
mesh_terms: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007167:Immunotherapy; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D009080:Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D014657:Vasculitis
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D016207:Cytokines; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous