title: Role of Antioxidants in Horse Serum-mediated Vasculitis in Swine: Potential Relevance to Early Treatment in Mitigation of Coronary Arteritis in Kawasaki Disease.
abstract: Horse serum-induced immune complex coronary vasculitis in swine is the first experimental model to mimic most of the pictures of Kawasaki disease. Immune complex mechanism has been implicated as one of the possible mechanisms in the pathogenesis of vasculitis in Kawasaki disease. Antioxidants have a significant role in the reduction of cardiovascular diseases in both human and animal studies. We tried giving vitamins A, E, and C to treat immune complex vasculitis, in the hope of mitigating coronary vasculitis in Kawasaki disease.
  
  
  
  Our study group consisted of 30 pure bred male piglets of 2-3 months of age, and they were divided into test and control groups. The test (AEC) group (n = 20) received two doses of horse serum, 10 mL (0.65 g protein)/kg body weight at 5-day intervals, and oral vitamins A, E, and C once daily for 14 days. The control group (n = 10) was further divided into the saline group (n = 3) receiving two doses of normal saline and the horse serum group (n = 7) receiving two doses of horse serum at 5-day intervals. Piglets were observed for the rashes and coronary artery dimensions.
  
  
  
  Both the AEC and the control horse serum group developed rashes after horse serum infusions, but the AEC group developed significantly fewer rashes, and no rashes were seen in the saline group. The control horse serum group (mean ± standard deviation = 2.13 ± 0.72) showed significant coronary artery dilatation, whereas there was no significant dilatation in the AEC group (mean ± standard deviation = 0.81 ± 0.58) or the control saline group (p = 0.002).
  
  
  
  Serum sickness is a prototype of immune complex vasculitis, and the severity can be ameliorated with antioxidants. A trial of therapeutic dosages of vitamins A, E, and C in acute phase of Kawasaki disease, may be effective in mitigation of coronary artery lesion in addition to intravenous immunoglobulin and aspirin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Cardiology, St. Gregorios Cardio-Vascular Center, Parumala, Kerala, India; Division of Biotechnology, Cardiovascular Research Centre, Animal Technology Institute, Miaoli, Taiwan. Electronic address: tfcsaji@yahoo.co.in.
authors.forename: Saji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Philip
authors.affiliation: Division of Biotechnology, Cardiovascular Research Centre, Animal Technology Institute, Miaoli, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wen-Chuan
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Cardiology, St. Gregorios Cardio-Vascular Center, Parumala, Kerala, India; Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Frontier Lifeline Hospital, Dr. K. M. Cherian Heart Foundation, Chennai, India.
authors.forename: Kotturathu Mammen
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Cherian
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, National Taiwan University Children's Hospital, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Mei-Hwan
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, National Taiwan University Children's Hospital, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hung-Chi
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Lue
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001835:Body Weight; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D008297:Male; D009080:Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D013552:Swine; D014657:Vasculitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D014815:Vitamins / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D000975:Antioxidants; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D014815:Vitamins
keywords: Kawasaki disease; antioxidants; coronary artery lesions; immune complex vasculitis; swine