Heat shock proteins and superantigenic properties of bacteria from the gastrointestinal tract of patients with Kawasaki disease

We previously suggested that gut bacteria may be involved in the onset of Kawasaki disease (KD). In this study, we evaluated the production of heat shock proteins (hsps) and superantigens (sAgs) by microorganisms isolated from the jejunal mucosa of 19 children with KD in the acute phase and from 15 age-matched control children. We identified 13 strains of Gram-negative microbes from patients with KD; these microbes produced large amounts of hsp60 and induced pro-inflammatory cytokine production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The Gram-negative microbes also elicited endogenous hsp60 production, leading to the secretion of anti-inflammatory intereukin-10 (IL-10). We also identified 18 strains of Gram-positive cocci that had superantigenic properties and which induced the expansion of Vβ2 T cells in vitro. All bacteria identified in this study were antibiotic resistant. These data suggest that sAg and hsps produced by gut bacteria might be involved in KD.