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Updated: May 31, 2025
Microbiota Analysis Using Two-step PCR and Next-generation 16S rRNA Gene Sequencing
Published on: October 15, 2019
Gut Microbiota Alterations in Patients With Kawasaki Disease
Prasant K Jena1,2, Moshe Arditi1,2,3, Magali Noval Rivas1,2
1Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Guerin Children's (P.K.J., M.A., M.N.R.), Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA.
Insights
Altered gut bacteria may contribute to Kawasaki disease (KD), a childhood inflammatory condition affecting blood vessels. Further research is needed to confirm the link and explore potential gut microbiome therapies for KD.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Immunology
- Pediatric Cardiology
Background:
- The intestinal microbiota plays a crucial role in host metabolism, immunity, and barrier function.
- Alterations in gut microbiota composition are linked to inflammatory and cardiovascular diseases, including Kawasaki disease (KD).
- KD is a leading cause of acquired pediatric heart disease in the US, characterized by acute vasculitis of unknown origin.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the evidence connecting gut microbiota alterations to Kawasaki disease development.
- To assess potential mechanisms underlying the gut microbiota's role in KD.
- To discuss the therapeutic potential of targeting the gut microbiota in KD.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on gut microbiota and Kawasaki disease.
- Analysis of studies reporting fecal bacterial community alterations in KD patients.
- Discussion of causality and functionality gaps in current research.
Main Results:
- Observational studies show altered fecal bacterial communities in KD patients, with increased pathogenic bacteria and decreased short-chain fatty acid producers.
- Gastrointestinal symptoms in acute KD correlate with treatment resistance and coronary artery aneurysm risk.
- Current evidence is primarily observational, necessitating further rigorous studies.
Conclusions:
- An altered gut microbiota composition is associated with Kawasaki disease development.
- Potential mechanisms linking gut dysbiosis to KD pathogenesis require further investigation.
- Targeting the gut microbiota may offer novel therapeutic strategies for Kawasaki disease.
Abstract:
The intestinal microbiota influences many host biological processes, including metabolism, intestinal barrier functions, and immune responses in the gut and distant organs. Alterations in its composition have been associated with the development of inflammatory disorders and cardiovascular diseases, including Kawasaki disease (KD). KD is an acute pediatric vasculitis of unknown etiology and the leading cause of acquired heart disease in children in the United States. The presence of gastrointestinal symptoms in the acute phase of KD has been associated with an increased risk of treatment resistance and the development of coronary artery aneurysms. Studies report alterations in fecal bacterial communities of patients with KD, characterized by the blooming of pathogenic bacteria and decreased relative abundance of short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria. However, causality and functionality cannot be established from these observational patient cohorts of KD. This highlights the need for more advanced and rigorous studies to establish causality and functionality in both experimental models of KD vasculitis and patient cohorts. Here, we review the evidence linking an altered gut microbiota composition to the development of KD, assess the potential mechanisms involved in this process, and discuss the potential therapeutic value of these observations.
