SERUM-SOLUBLE E-SELECTIN LEVELS IN KAWASAKI-DISEASE

Serum sE-selectin levels in KD were tested. In the KD patients' sera during the acute phase, the levels of circulating sE-selectin were markedly elevated (27.5 +/- 10.9 ng/ml) compared to 3.1 +/- 1.0 ng/ml in the control subjects (p<0.0001). The serum sE-selectin levels remained significantly elevated in the subacute phase (16.2+/-7.3 ng/ml; p<0.005). The acute phase sE-selectin levels and TNF-alpha correlated well in a linear pattern (r(2)=0.64, P<0.01). Also the acute phase sE-selectin levels and IL-6 were well correlated (r(2)=0.54, p<0.05). The elevated serum sE-selectin levels in patients with KD provides additional evidence for the relationship between acute vasculitis and serum sE-selectin.