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Abnormalities of immunoregulation in Kawasaki syndrome
K Barron1, C DeCunto, J Montalvo
1Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Houston, TX.
The object of our investigation was to determine the immunoregulatory abnormalities in 48 children with Kawasaki syndrome. We demonstrated a global lymphocytosis with marked expansion of the B cell subset. Despite an increase in B cell numbers, there was a decrease in in vitro immunoglobulin production in response to pokeweed mitogen and hydrocortisone stimulation. These abnormalities correlated with a marked increase in the percentage of CD4+2H4+ (CD4+CD45R+) T cells, a T cell subset thought to be responsible for inducing suppression. Other abnormalities of T cells include cutaneous and in vitro anergy and evidence of T cell activation. Our results suggest that the B cell abnormalities seen in Kawasaki syndrome may be partially explained by defects in T cell immunoregulation.
The object of our investigation was to determine the immunoregulatory abnormalities in 48 children with Kawasaki syndrome. We demonstrated a global lymphocytosis with marked expansion of the B cell subset. Despite an increase in B cell numbers, there was a decrease in in vitro immunoglobulin production in response to pokeweed mitogen and hydrocortisone stimulation. These abnormalities correlated with a marked increase in the percentage of CD4+2H4+ (CD4+CD45R+) T cells, a T cell subset thought to be responsible for inducing suppression. Other abnormalities of T cells include cutaneous and in vitro anergy and evidence of T cell activation. Our results suggest that the B cell abnormalities seen in Kawasaki syndrome may be partially explained by defects in T cell immunoregulation.