Korean Circ J.  2015 Nov;45(6):516-521. 10.4070/kcj.2015.45.6.516.

T-Helper Cytokine Profiles in Patients with Kawasaki Disease

• Lee SB
• Kim YH
• Hyun MC
• Kim YH
• Kim HS
• Lee YH

• KMID: 2223791
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4070/kcj.2015.45.6.516

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Kawasaki disease is an acute systemic vasculitis of which pathogenesis suspected is caused by immune dysregulation. The goal of this study is to evaluate the activation pattern of T helper cell type 1 (Th1) and T helper cell type 2 (Th2) in patients with Kawasaki disease.
SUBJECTS AND METHODS
Prospective study of 60 patients (male 36, female 24) with diagnosis of Kawasaki disease were enrolled. One hundred and eighty blood samples from these patients were collected according to the different clinical stages {before initial intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), 5 days after initial IVIG, 2 months after initial IVIG}. The plasma level of Th1 cytokines; interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) & interleukin (IL)-2 and Th2 cytokines; IL-4 & IL-10 were measured by enzyme-liked immunosorbent assay.
RESULTS
In all patients, the plasma level of Th1 cytokines (IFN-gamma, IL-2) and Th2 cytokines (IL-4 and IL-10) were markedly elevated during the acute stage of Kawasaki disease. Since then, the plasma level of all these cytokines decreased significantly along with the process of clinical stages. Regardless of the existence of coronary artery lesion or no response to initial IVIG treatment, there were no significant differences between them.
CONCLUSION
These data suggest that both Th1 and Th2 cells may be activated simultaneously during the acute stage of Kawasaki disease. Further studies are therefore required to establish the difference of activation pattern of T helper cells between Kawasaki disease and other inflammatory diseases.

Keyword

Mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome; Cytokine; Th1-Th2 cytokine balance

MeSH Terms

Coronary Vessels
Cytokines
Diagnosis
Female
Humans
Immunoglobulins
Immunoglobulins, Intravenous
Interferon-gamma
Interleukin-10
Interleukin-4
Interleukins
Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome*
Plasma
Prospective Studies
Systemic Vasculitis
T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer
Th1-Th2 Balance
Th2 Cells
Cytokines
Immunoglobulins
Immunoglobulins, Intravenous
Interferon-gamma
Interleukin-10
Interleukin-4
Interleukins

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 The changes of plasma cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-4, IL-10) level according to clinical stages in patients with Kawasaki disease. *p<0.001. IFN: interferon, IL: interleukin.

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