Monocyte platelet aggregates in children with Kawasaki disease- a preliminary study from a tertiary care centre in North-West India

BACKGROUND: Platelet activation is an integral part of pathogenesis of Kawasaki disease (KD). However, there is paucity of literature on flow-cytometry based assessment of platelet activation in KD. We aimed to analyse monocyte-platelet aggregates (MPAs), one of the sensitive markers for platelet activation, by flow cytometry in children with KD. FINDINGS: In this single-centre prospective study, we have enrolled 14 children with KD and results were compared with age-matched febrile (n = 15) and healthy (n = 13) controls. After gating monocytes in side-scatter plot, MPAs were identified based on CD14 and CD41 expression. Two (2) ml of blood samples for children with KD were collected at 3 phases of illness- acute stage before start of intravenous immunoglobulin or aspirin, 24 h after completion of IVIg infusion, and 3 months after acute episode of KD. Children with KD had a significantly higher MPA% values [Median (IQR)- 41.3% (26.6, 52.7)] when compared with febrile [Median (IQR)- 5.98% (2.98-9.72)] and normal [Median (IQR)- 4.48% (2.57-5.59)] controls, p<0.01. On follow-up, the MPA% showed a gradual decline in children with KD, but even at 3 months, the value [Median (IQR)- 7.55% (4.15-14.6)] was higher compared to healthy controls [Median (IQR)- 4.48% (2.57-5.59)]. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that MPA% was significantly elevated in acute stages in children with KD and activated platelets may continue to persist even after systemic inflammation has subsided. Future studies are warranted whether objective evidence of platelet activation may guide the use of immunomodulatory and anti-platelet therapy in KD.