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.