Our data show that IL-18 levels were elevated in the acute phase of KD and might be related to the formation of CALs.

Kawasaki disease (KD) is the most common cause of pediatric acquired heart disease. KD patients have spontaneously high plasma/serum levels of IL-10 during the acute phase. Therefore, two independent studies were carried out to investigate the association between genetic variants in IL-10 promoter (−1082, −819, and −592) and risk of KD. A total of 134 trios were included for the family-based association study. A significantly preferential transmission of the C allele at loci −819 T > C and −592 A > C for KD cases was observed (Ppermutation = 0.029 and Ppermutation = 0.034, respectively). There was a significant increase in the transmission of haplotype CC (p = 0.016) at the above two loci (OR, 1.632; 95% CI, 1.090–2.443; Ppermutation = 0.019). We also carried out a follow-up case-control study that included 146 KD cases and 315 unrelated healthy children. {The haplotype CC (−819, −592) showed an increased risk of KD (but statistically non-significant; OR, 1.332; 95% CI, 0.987–1.797; p = 0.061). In diplotype analysis, a trend was found between number of CC haplotype and risk of KD (but non-significant, p = 0.061). In conclusion, CC genotype and CC/CC diplotype at IL-10-819T > C and −592A > C were significantly associated with risk of KD in case-parent trio study, which were replicated partially in our follow-up case-control study.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is an important factor in mediating the inflammation of Kawasaki disease (KD). The literature regarding the relationship between VEGF and KD is sparse. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation of VEGF and KD. In a prospective study of 42 Taiwanese KD patients (18.9 ± 12.2 months, M/F 22/20) treated with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), a series of VEGF levels was measured from the acute to convalescent phases. KD patients were classified into two subgroups with (n =20) and without (n = 22) acute coronary artery lesions (CALs). Control samples were obtained from 30 febrile controls (19.1 ± 13.7 months, M/F 13/17). In KD patients, VEGF levels in the pre-IVIG acute phase were significantly higher than those in the subacute and convalescent phases (both p < 0.001). In KD patients with CALs, VEGF levels significantly increased immediately in the post-IVIG phase (p = 0.039), and then significantly decreased in the subacute phase (p = 0.002). KD patients with acute CALs had higher median VEGF levels than those without acute CALs from acute to convalescent phases. In the subacute phase, KD patients with acute CALs had significantly higher VEGF levels (p = 0.022) than those without acute CALs. Our data show that VEGF did not decrease after IVIG treatment, and increased significantly after IVIG treatment in KD patients with acute CALs in acute phase. VEGF might be related to the complications of CALs in KD patients.