Circulating soluble selectins in Kawasaki disease

To investigate the significance of circulating adhesion molecules associated with leucocyte-endothelial cell interaction in Kawasaki disease (KD), serum levels of soluble E-, P-, L-selectin (sE-, sP-, sL-selectin), and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) were measured in 16 patients with KD, eight with other febrile diseases, six with Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP), and 10 healthy children using an ELISA. Serum sE-selectin levels from patients in the acute phase of KD were significantly higher than from those in other groups (P < 0.01). The levels of sP-selectin in the subacute phase of KD were significantly higher than in other groups (P < 0.01). Serum sL-selectin levels tended to rise in the convalescent phase of KD. There were also significant correlations between sE-selectin levels and C-reactive protein (r = 0.80, P < 0.0001), and between sP-selectin levels and platelet counts (r = 0.57, P < 0.0001) in KD patients. These data indicate that circulating soluble forms of three selectins may have different kinetics during the clinical course of KD, suggesting that they may reflect its inflammatory process.