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Published on: January 31, 2020
Infliximab treatment for refractory kawasaki disease in korean children
Min Seob Song1, Sang Bum Lee, Sejung Sohn
1Department of Pediatrics, Paik Hospital, College of Medicine, Inje University, Busan, Korea.
Insights
Infliximab effectively treated refractory Kawasaki disease in Korean children, with most patients showing fever resolution and reduced inflammation. The treatment also appeared to prevent further coronary artery damage.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Rheumatology
- Immunology
Background:
- Kawasaki disease (KD) is a critical pediatric illness.
- Refractory KD cases require alternative treatment strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate infliximab's effectiveness in Korean pediatric patients with refractory KD.
- To assess the impact of infliximab on coronary artery abnormalities in KD.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 16 Korean pediatric patients with refractory KD treated with infliximab.
- Data collected on patient response, C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, and coronary artery (CA) status.
Main Results:
- 13 out of 16 patients achieved complete fever response.
- CRP levels decreased post-infliximab infusion.
- No significant progression of coronary artery lesions observed after treatment, though some initial abnormalities persisted.
Conclusions:
- Infliximab shows promise as a treatment for refractory KD in pediatric patients.
- Further multicenter trials with long-term follow-up are needed to confirm efficacy and safety.
Background And Objectives:
This was a multicenter study to evaluate the usefulness of the tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) blocker infliximab for treatment of Korean pediatric patients with refractory Kawasaki disease (KD).
Subjects And Methods:
Data from 16 patients throughout Korea who were diagnosed with refractory KD and received infliximab were collected retrospectively.
Results:
Complete response to therapy with cessation of fever occurred in 13 of 16 patients. C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations decreased following infliximab infusion in all 14 patients in whom it was measured before and after treatment. There were no infusion reactions or complications associated with infliximab except in 1 case with acute hepatitis occurring during treatment followed by calculous cholecystitis 4 months later. Fifteen patients had coronary artery (CA) abnormalities before infliximab therapy. Three had transient mild dilatation and 9 had CA aneurysms, with subsequent normalization in 4 patients, persistent mild dilatation in 3, persistent aneurysm in 2, and there were 3 cases (2 with CA aneurysm, 1 with mild CA dilatation) without follow-up echocardiography.
Conclusion:
The results of this study suggest that infliximab may be useful in the treatment of refractory KD, and it appears that there is no significant further progression of CA lesions developing after infliximab treatment. Multicenter trials with larger numbers of patients and long-term follow-up are necessary to assess the clinical efficacy and safety of infliximab in refractory KD.
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