Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 22, 2026
Coronary Progenitor Cells and Soluble Biomarkers in Cardiovascular Prognosis after Coronary Angioplasty
Published on: January 28, 2020
High Sensitivity C Reactive Protein (hs-CRP) in Adolescent and Young Adult Patients with History of Kawasaki Disease
Yung-Chuan Chen1, Ching-Tsuen Shen1, Nan-Koong Wang1
1Department of Pediatrics, Cathay General Hospital;
Insights
High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels are elevated in adolescents and young adults with a history of Kawasaki disease (KD). Body mass index (BMI), not coronary severity, independently predicts hs-CRP levels in these patients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Research
- Pediatric Inflammation
- Biomarker Analysis
Background:
- Kawasaki disease (KD) is a pediatric illness that can lead to coronary artery lesions (CAL).
- Low-grade inflammation is typically linked to persistent CAL in children with KD.
- The association between inflammation and CAL in KD adolescents and young adults remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between inflammation, indicated by high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and coronary artery lesions (CAL) in KD adolescents and young adults.
- To identify predictors of elevated hs-CRP levels in this patient population.
Main Methods:
- 104 subjects were divided into four groups: KD patients with persistent CAL, regressed aneurysms, no coronary complications, and healthy controls.
- Plasma hs-CRP levels were measured in all participants.
- Linear regression analysis was used to identify predictors of hs-CRP levels.
Main Results:
- KD patients exhibited significantly higher hs-CRP levels compared to controls, irrespective of coronary severity.
- No significant difference in hs-CRP levels was observed among KD patients with varying CAL severity.
- Body mass index (BMI) was the sole independent predictor of elevated hs-CRP levels (β = 0.306, p = 0.01).
Conclusions:
- Adolescent and young adult KD patients have elevated hs-CRP levels compared to controls, suggesting low-grade inflammation may play a minor role in adulthood.
- BMI, rather than coronary severity, is independently associated with elevated hs-CRP levels in this cohort.
- Managing BMI may be a beneficial strategy to mitigate hs-CRP elevation and potential cardiovascular events in KD patients.
Background:
For children with a history of Kawasaki disease (KD), low grade inflammation was generally reported to be associated with persistent coronary artery lesions (CAL). However, this association has not been clearly demonstrated to hold true in KD adolescents and young adults (10-25 years of age).
Methods:
We enrolled 104 subjects into our study, who were separated into the following 3 groups and controls: 1): 22 KD patients with angiography-confirmed CAL which persisted for an average of 12.5 years after onset of KD; 2) 38 KD patients with regressed aneurysms; 3) 44 KD patients without any coronary complications from the disease onset; and 4) 31 age-matched (18.7 ± 1.88 years old) healthy controls. Plasma levels of high-sensitivity C reactive protein (hs-CRP) were measured for all participants.
Results:
Plasma levels of hs-CRP were significantly higher in KD patients than in the controls, regardless of their coronary severity. However, there was no significant difference in hs-CRP levels among KD patients with different severities of CAL. Of the candidate risk factors of elevated hs-CRP such as body mass index, gender, coronary severity, and levels of high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, linear regression analysis showed the only independent predictor of hs-CRP levels was BMI (β = 0.306, p = 0.01), rather than patient grouping (p = 0.091).
Conclusions:
Our study found that levels of hs-CRP are significantly higher in adolescent and young adult patients with a history of KD, compared with age-matched controls. Low grade inflammation may play a minor role when KD patients enter into adulthood. body mass index (BMI), rather than coronary severity, was independently associated with the elevation of hs-CRP levels, one of biomarkers for further cardiovascular event. Therefore, ongoing control and management of BMI may be one of beneficial strategies that can be employed to help avoid elevation of hs-CRP levels in KD patients.
Key Words:
Adolescents; High sensitivity-C reactive protein; Kawasaki disease; Young adult.
Related Concept Videos
01:19Blood Studies for Cardiovascular System II: CRP, Hcy, and Cardiac Natriuretic Peptide Markers
These markers indicate stress or strain on the heart muscle:
Natriuretic Peptides (BNP)
Cardiac myocytes produce these hormones in response to ventricular stretching...
01:22Rheumatic Heart Disease II: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Studies
01:30Acute Coronary Syndrome III: Diagnostic Studies
01:25Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System VI: Calcium -Scoring CT
01:20Rheumatic Heart Disease IV: Nursing Management
01:23Rheumatic Heart Disease I: Introduction