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A recent study conducted by researchers at the Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute, part of Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, implies that Kawasaki disease may be linked to a previously unidentified respiratory virus. This discovery challenges long-standing beliefs that various pathogens or environmental toxins might trigger this condition, which poses significant cardiovascular risks for young children.
“For over five decades, the origins of Kawasaki disease have remained elusive,” stated Dr. Anne Rowley, a pediatric infectious disease expert and the lead author of the research published in Laboratory Investigation. “Our robust findings represent a significant advancement in understanding the disease and provide a focused path for researchers to isolate and sequence the virus responsible for Kawasaki disease in vulnerable children. This could play a vital role in improving diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive strategies for the condition.”
Kawasaki disease is relatively rare, predominantly impacting children aged between 6 months and 5 years. At Lurie Children’s, approximately 50 to 60 new cases are diagnosed annually.
Currently, there is no specific test to diagnose Kawasaki disease. Clinical symptoms include prolonged fever, skin rashes, swollen extremities, irritation and redness in the eyes, enlarged lymph nodes in the neck, as well as inflammation of the mouth, lips, and throat. Children diagnosed with Kawasaki disease face a 20 percent likelihood of developing heart complications, while infants face an even higher risk, with a 50 percent chance of cardiac issues. The standard treatment involves administering intravenous immunoglobulin and aspirin, which significantly reduce the likelihood of heart complications, with corticosteroids being given to those at greatest risk.
The research team, led by Dr. Rowley, utilized antibodies derived from the blood of children afflicted with Kawasaki disease to analyze tissue samples from patients who succumbed to the illness. The study revealed that the antibodies predominantly targeted inclusion bodies, which are indicative of viral infection, across all 20 tissue samples investigated, covering cases from both the U.S. and Japan spanning 50 years.
“The consistent presence of these inclusion bodies across a diverse range of historical and geographical cases underscores the likelihood that a single predominant virus is the root cause of Kawasaki disease,” Dr. Rowley explained. “The involvement of a respiratory virus is suggested by the localization of these inclusion bodies within the mid-sized airways. Future research must concentrate on analyzing pathological specimens to better understand the contents of these inclusion bodies, which will ultimately aid in identifying the causative virus of Kawasaki disease and unraveling its longstanding mystery.”
This research was funded by the National Institutes of Health (grant R01AI150719), along with contributions from the Max Goldenberg Foundation, the Center for Kawasaki Disease at Lurie Children’s, the NUSeq Core Facility, and the Flow Cytometry Core Facility at Northwestern University, supported by the Cancer Center Support Grant (NCI CA060553).
Dr. Rowley serves as a Professor of Pediatrics and Microbiology-Immunology at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University. She holds the esteemed Dorothy M. and Edward E. Burwell Board Designated Professorship in Immunobiology at Lurie Children’s.
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago is a non-profit institution dedicated to delivering exceptional medical care to every child. Recognized as the only independent research-driven children’s hospital in Illinois, it is one of fewer than 35 such institutions nationwide. The hospital serves as a premier training ground for pediatric practitioners, researchers, and educators, focusing exclusively on the needs of children. Research initiatives through the Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute aim to enhance child health and transform pediatric medicine through a committed pursuit of knowledge. Lurie Children’s is affiliated with Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine and is consistently ranked among the top pediatric hospitals in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.
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