J Korean Med Sci.  2003 Jun;18(3):381-386. 10.3346/jkms.2003.18.3.381.

Production and Expression of Gro-alpha and RANTES by Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells Isolated from Patients with Kawasaki Disease and Measles

• Kim HS
• Kim WD
• Lee YH

• KMID: 2157654
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2003.18.3.381

Abstract

We investigated whether the production and gene expression of Gro-alpha and RANTES in Kawasaki disease differ in measles. Forty-two samples from 14 patients in different clinical stages of Kawasaki disease, eight samples from 8 patients in the acute stage of measles and seven samples from 7 healthy children were collected. The present study was performed using ELISA and RT-PCR for the productions and gene expression of the chemokines. The production of Gro-alpha was markedly elevated during the acute stage of measles compared with Kawasaki disease. Moreover, the expression of Gro-alpha was increased in every case of measles, but not in Kawasaki disease. The production of RANTES was elevated in the acute stage of both diseases when compared to the healthy control. However, the plasma RANTES level did not change significantly according to the clinical stages of Kawasaki disease. A correlation between the production and gene expression of RANTES and Gro-alpha was not found in Kawasaki disease. These results suggest that Kawasaki disease differs from measles with regard to Gro-alpha production and expression, but not RANTES. Gro-alpha might play an important role in the acute stage of measles, however not in Kawasaki disease. Further studies are needed to clarify the efficacy of Gro-alpha as a marker in measles.

Keyword

Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome; Vasculitis; Measles; Chemokines; RANTES

MeSH Terms

Biological Markers
Chemokines/blood/*genetics
Chemotactic Factors/blood/*genetics
Child
Child, Preschool
Comparative Study
Female
Gene Expression/immunology
Human
Infant
Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/blood/*genetics
Leukocytes, Mononuclear/*physiology
Male
Measles/*immunology/physiopathology
Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome/*immunology/physiopathology
RANTES/blood/*genetics
RNA, Messenger/analysis