Related Experiment Videos
Estimation of myocardial damage in Kawasaki disease using antimyosin antibody
1Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Kagoshima University, Japan.
Insights
Kawasaki disease (KD) can cause myocardial damage, indicated by higher antimyosin antibody (AMA) titers. Intravenous gamma globulin (IVGG) treatment effectively reduces these AMA titers in children with KD.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Cardiology
- Immunology
Background:
- Kawasaki disease (KD) is a critical pediatric illness.
- Myocardial damage is a potential complication of KD.
- Antimyosin antibody (AMA) titers can indicate cardiac muscle injury.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate myocardial damage incidence in KD using AMA titers.
- To compare electrocardiogram (ECG) findings between AMA-positive and -negative KD patients.
- To assess the impact of intravenous gamma globulin (IVGG) on AMA titers in KD.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 121 children with KD and 117 controls.
- Measurement of AMA titers to assess myocardial damage.
- ECG analysis during acute and convalescent stages.
- Comparison of AMA titers between IVGG-treated and untreated KD patients.
Main Results:
- KD patients exhibited significantly higher AMA titers than controls.
- AMA titers did not correlate with coronary artery lesions in KD patients.
- AMA-positive KD patients showed decreased T wave voltage in lead V6 at week four compared to week two; AMA-negative patients did not.
- IVGG treatment significantly reduced AMA titers in KD patients.
Conclusions:
- Myocardial damage occurs in some KD patients, independent of coronary artery lesions.
- ECG changes suggest ongoing myocardial injury in AMA-positive KD patients.
- IVGG therapy is effective in reducing myocardial damage markers (AMA titers) in KD.
Abstract:
In a retrospective study, 121 children with Kawasaki disease (KD) were investigated to determine (i) the incidence of myocardial damage using the antimyosin antibody (AMA) titer; (ii) the differences in the electrocardiograms between the AMA-positive and -negative patients; and (iii) the effect of treatment with intravenous gamma globulin (IVGG) on the AMA. Comparisons were made with 117 normal children (controls). Patients with KD showed a significantly higher mean AMA titer and more patients were positive for AMA than the controls. The AMA titer in the KD group was not related to the presence of coronary artery lesions. Electrocardiograms obtained during the acute and the convalescent stage of KD revealed that patients positive for AMA had a significantly lower voltage of T wave in lead V6 at week four than at week two of illness, whereas patients negative for AMA showed no T wave change after week two. The group treated with IVGG showed a significantly lower AMA titer than that not given IVGG. These observations suggest that myocardial damage occurs in some patients with KD which is unrelated to the presence of coronary artery lesions and that the treatment with IVGG reduces the AMA titer in patients with KD.