TARC/CCL17 gene polymorphisms and expression associated with susceptibility and coronary artery aneurysm formation in Kawasaki disease.
BACKGROUND
Kawasaki disease (KD) is a systemic vasculitis of unknown etiology. Thymus and activation-regulated chemokine/chemokine ligand 17 (TARC/CCL17) is one of the Th2 chemokines and has been suggested as a candidate gene for conferring susceptibility to Th2 associated with allergy diseases. This study examined the correlation between gene polymorphisms and plasma levels of TARC/CCL17 in patients with KD and the outcomes of KD.


METHODS
A total of 381 KD patients and 564 controls were subjected to determination of five tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms of TARC/CCL17. In addition, plasma TARC/CCL17 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.


RESULTS
Polymorphisms of TARC/CCL17 were significantly different between normal children and patients with KD. A allele of rs4784805 has better intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) treatment response to KD. Furthermore, plasma TARC/CCL17 levels were higher in KD patients than that in controls before IVIG treatment. After IVIG treatment, plasma TARC/CCL17 levels decreased significantly.


CONCLUSIONS
This study provides the first evidence supporting the association between TARC/CCL17 polymorphisms, susceptibility of KD, and IVIG responses in KD patients.
Department of Pediatrics, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Chiu-Ping
CP
Lee
Ying-Hsien
YH
Huang
Yu-Wen
YW
Hsu
Kuender D
KD
Yang
Hsu-Chen
HC
Chien
Hong-Ren
HR
Yu
Ya-Ling
YL
Yang
Chih-Lu
CL
Wang
Wei-Chiao
WC
Chang
Ho-Chang
HC
Kuo
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D054414:Chemokine CCL17 / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics*; D003323:Coronary Aneurysm / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009080:Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics*; D013624:Taiwan
C106230:CCL17 protein, human; D054414:Chemokine CCL17; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous