Persistence of endothelial cell damage late after Kawasaki disease in patients without coronary artery complications

BACKGROUND Recent studies proposed an increased risk of atherosclerosis in patients with a history of Kawasaki disease. This study aimed to investigate the persistence of vascular injury after an acute phase of the Kawasaki disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS We determined the number of circulating endothelial cells (CEC) in the peripheral blood of 13 patients with a history of Kawasaki disease within four to ten years, in comparison with 13 healthy relative controls. The CECs were counted as CD146+/CD34 + cells by the standard flow cytometry technique, and the independent t-test was employed to compare the mean number of CECs in the two groups. RESULTS The mean number of CECs was significantly higher in patients than in controls (12 ± 3.03 vs. 2.38 ± 0.87, respectively, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION This study elucidates the persistence of vascular injury late after Kawasaki disease. This finding suggests that prolonged administration of vascular anti-inflammatory agents might be beneficial for preventing atherosclerosis in the subsequent years, in these patients.