Pediatr Allergy Respir Dis.  2000 Jun;10(2):153-160.

NRAMP1 Gene Expression in Patients with Kawasaki Disease

• Kim HY
• Kim DS
• Shin JS

Abstract

PURPOSE
Kawasaki disease (KD) is considered to be an immunologic disease, although the exact etiology of the disease is still unknown. It is well known that the erythema on the BCG injected site are observed in patients with KD. In mouse, bcg gene was reported to be involved in the natural immune response to Mycobacterium. The correspondent gene in human, NRAMP1, is studied recently for its role and function. This study was to investigate whether the erythema developed on BCG injected site in patients with KD is related to NRAMP1 gene activation.
METHODS
Ten patients diagnosed as KD, 10 febrile controls and 10 healthy normal controls were enrolled in the study. Total RNA of PBMC was isolated and used to synthesize cDNA. RT-PCR was done and amplified products were subjected to electrophoresis on 1.5% agarose gel electrophoresis. The bands were quantified with densitometry and the values were corrected according to beta-actin values.
RESULTS
The NRAMP1 expression was notably increased in patients with acute and subacute stage of KD and there was no difference in the degree of expression between the two groups. NRAMP1 expression was also increased in febrile control groups and was not different from patients group.
CONCLUSION
Increased NRAMP1 expression in KD is suggested to be developed for the expression of heat shock protein, and not to be the specific finding of KD.

Keyword

Kawasaki disease; BCG; NRAMP1

MeSH Terms

Actins
Animals
Densitometry
DNA, Complementary
Electrophoresis
Electrophoresis, Agar Gel
Erythema
Gene Expression*
Heat-Shock Proteins
Humans
Immune System Diseases
Mice
Mucocutaneous Lymph Node Syndrome*
Mycobacterium
Mycobacterium bovis
RNA
Transcriptional Activation
Actins
DNA, Complementary
Heat-Shock Proteins
RNA