Screening of differentially expressed genes associated with Kawasaki disease by microarray analysis

Kawasaki disease (KD) is an autoimmune disorder that can induce coronary artery aneurysms, particularly in the case of delayed diagnosis and/or treatment. Early diagnosis is important for treatment and reduces the risk of heart injury. The aim of the present study was to identify differentially expressed genes by comparing the levels of gene expression in human umbilical vein endothelial cells following treatment with plasma from healthy individuals and patients with acute or convalescent KD. Following comparison of the control and acute KD groups, 385 up-regulated and 537 down-regulated genes were identified in the acute KD group. In the convalescent group, 505 and 879 genes were up-regulated and down-regulated, respectively, relative to the control group. Genes involved in the immune system and cell growth factors were up-regulated, while genes functioning in methylation were down-regulated, following treatment with KD plasma. In addition, five potential candidate molecular markers of KD, C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CXCL2), interleukin (IL) 8, tripartite motif containing 58 (TRIM58), immunoglobulin superfamily member 3 (IGSF3) and runt related transcription factor 1 (RUNX1) were identified by microarray analysis and verified using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. A significant positive correlation was identified between the neutrophil polys and expression levels of four of these candidate genes, including CXCL2, IL8, TRIM58, and IGSF3 (all P<0.01; R²≥0.64). However, only CXCL2 expression was significantly positively correlated with neutrophil polys (P=0.01; R²=0.64) and neutrophil bands (P<0.001; R²=0.73). These results indicate that CXCL2 serves a crucial role in the injury of endothelial cells by KD plasma.