Chest X-ray Findings and Serum Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha Levels in Patients with Kawasaki Disease

Kim, Ji Young; Kwon, Jung Hyun; Kim, Kyung Hyo; Yu, Jung Hyun; Hong, Young Mi

Abstract

PURPOSE
Kawasaki disease(KD) is a multisystemic inflammatory vasculitis of unknown etiology. Many complications other than cardiovascular involvement have been recognized in KD. However, there have been few reports published concerning involvement of the lungs in this disease. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between serum TNF-alpha, the degree of coronary artery dilatation and chest X-ray(CXR) findings. In addition, we have investigated serum anti-Mycoplasma antibody(AMA) titers in patients with KD who have abnormal CXR findings.
METHODS
Eighty four patients with KD were included in this study(group I; 41 patients with normal CXR fndings, group II; 43 patients with abnormal CXR findings). Serum levels of TNF-alpha and AMA titer were measured.
RESULTS
We reviewed the CXR findings and clinical courses of 84 patients with Kawasaki disease and found abnormal CXR findings in 43 patients(51.2 percent). Peribronchial cuffing was the most frequent abnormality(22.4 percent). In the group with abnormal CXR findings(group II), a statistical difference was not noted in age, sex, duration of fever, hemoglobin, WBC, platelet, ESR, and CRP levels and incidence of coronary arterial lesions as compared with the group having normal CXR findings(group I). No difference was noted in serum TNF-alpha level between group I and group II. 2 patients(12.5 percent) of 16 KD patients with abnormal CXR findings have positive AMA titer(above 1:320).
CONCLUSION
Most of the abnormal CXR findings in KD patients were peribronchial cuffing. The abnormal CXR findings in KD patients did not mean severe inflammations. It is difficult to consider that CXR abnormalities are related to coronary arterial lesions. In addition, further study on the relationship between Mycoplasma infection and Kawasaki disease is needed