Antimicrobial therapy using sulfamethoxazole trimethoprim for Kawasaki disease patients unresponsive to intravenous immunoglobulin

Our previous study suggested that the production of superantigens and heat-shock protein 60 by small intestinal bacteria might play a role in Kawasaki disease (KD). We demonstrated that they were all resistant to commonly used antibiotics, except for sulfamethoxazole trimethoprim (SMX-TMP). We used SMX-TMP for 7 cases of KD that were unresponsive to intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and studied the antipyretic potency of this treatment. In 6 out of the 7 cases, we demonstrated that antipyretic potency was observed without side effects within 2 days of the initial administration. Antimicrobial therapy using SMX-TMP might represent a novel strategy for cases of KD that are unresponsive to IVIG.