[Relationship between ESR, CRP, platelet count and coronary artery disease in Kawasaki disease]

ABSTRACT

Cardiac involvement that persists after Kawasaki disease is a major problem in the coarse of disease and it is the leading cause of death. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between inflammatory markers [CRP, ESR, PLT] that are potential mediators for atherogenesis at the onset of disease and coronary involvement as a sequelae and also the incidence of clinical manifestation in Kawasaki disease. A case-series study was performed to test the hypothesis that late coronary involvement is associated with elevated level of CRP, ESR and PLT at the onset of Kawasaki disease. A total of 36 patients [26 male and 10 female] were studied. All of them were treated with IVIG, and coronary involvement was studied with Echocardiography. Levels of CRP, ESR and PLI were measured in all patients. Among 14 patients [38%] that had coronary involvement ESR level was above 90 in 71% patients, CRP levels were elevated in 92.9% and PLT count was elevated in 73% of patients. The results were analyzed by ANOVA, chi-square and Independent t-test and demonstrated that there is no valuable association between the level of ESR [p= 0.38], CRP [p=0.16], PLT count [p=0.11], and cardiac involvement. Among 36 patients the clinical manifestations were as follow fever [100%]. Oropharyngeal mucosal inflammation [88%]. [lymphadenopathy [75%], skin rash [55%] and edema of the extremities [50%]. The results demonstrate that there is no statistical association between the level of ESR, CRP and PLT with late cardiac involvement. It seems that further investigations in longer period of time are needed to confirm the relation between cardiac involvement and these laboratory tests