Serum C-Reative Protein As a Predictor for Cardiac Sequelae in Kawasaki Disease

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to identify the predictive factors in the early laboratory findings for cardiac sequelae in Kawasaki disease(KD). METHODES: A retrospective review of the records was conducted of all children with KD who were admitted to the Ulsan Dongkang General Hospital, Masan Samsung Hospital, and Gyeongsang National University Hospital between January 1995 and December 1999. We analyzed and compared the early laboratory findings between the patients with and without coronary artery dilatation. RESULTS: A total of 981 patients were divided into two groups : 826 patients(84.3%) with normal coronary artery and 155 patients(15.7%) with coronary artery dilatation. Age and sex were not significantly different between the two groups. The mean serum C-reactive protein(CRP) in the coronary artery dilatation group and in the normal coronary artery group were 5.0 mg/dl(+/-5.3) and 4.1 mg/dl(+/-5.0), respectively, with a significant difference(P<0.05), whereas the other early laboratory findings had no difference between the groups. CONCLUSION: This study shows that the early serum CRP was higher in patients with KD who had coronary artery dilatation than in those with normal coronary artery. There may be a strong possibility of cardiac sequelae at a high level of serum CRP. However, the cut-off value of serum CRP could not be determined for the prediction of cardiac sequelae in patients with KD.

Epidemiological Study of Kawasaki Disease in Kyung Nam Area

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine the epidemiology of Kawasaki disease in the Kyung Nam area and to evaluate whether the results of this epidemiological study could support infectious etiology. METHODS: We sent a questionnaire to three training hospitals in the Kyung Nam area and retrospectively reviewed their medical records of Kawasaki disease from Jun. 1995 to Dec. 1999. RESULTS: The total number of patients was 717 cases, with little differences of annual prevalence during the five years. In all cases, the monthly prevalence of Kawasaki disease was high in Apr. and Jul. At the eastern of Kyung Nam, the monthly prevalence was high in Apr. and Jul. in 1995 and 1996, Jul. in 1997, Apr. in 1998 and Apr. and Jul. in 1999. In the central area of Kyung Nam, the monthly prevalence was high in Apr. in 1995 and 1996, Apr. and Jul. in 1997 and Jul. in 1998 and 1999. In the western Kyung Nam, the monthly prevalence was high in Nov. in 1995, Aug. in 1996, Oct. in 1997, Dec. in 1998 and Nov. in 1999. CONCLUSION: In the eastern and central areas of Kyung Nam, the monthly prevalence of Kawasaki disease was similarly high in Apr. and Jul. However, in the western district, the prevalence was high in late fall and winter. We could not prove the hypothesis that Kawasaki disease occurred with the spread of single infectious agent, but the a nnually similar prevalence in eastern and central Kyung Nam supported the infection theory for the etiology of the disease.