2010 Volume 54 Issue 3 Pages 53-58
This study analyzed the genomic DNA extracted from 170 patients with Kawasaki disease as well as their clinical and laboratory parameters to determine whether uteroglobin gene polymorphism, which may be associated with the morbidity rate and severity of IgA nephropathy, is involved in the pathogenesis of Kawasaki disease, which is another type of vasculitic syndrome in childhood. The uteroglobin genotype at position 38 was determined by Sau96I digestion of PCR products. The uteroglobin genotype and allele frequency in Kawasaki disease patients were compared with those of published control data reported by three independent studies on Japanese individuals. The clinical parameters investigated were age at onset, gender, duration of fever, white blood cell count, C-reactive protein, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and total protein. No significant difference associated with the uteroglobin genotype was observed in the clinical parameters. The genotypic and allele frequencies at position 38 of the uteroglobin gene did not differ significantly in the three studies of Japanese healthy controls and the present study. The logistic regression analysis demonstrated that no clinical parameter was associated with the progression to coronary artery lesions except for the duration of fever (odds ratio = 1.7; 95% confidential interval = 1.42-2.05). In conclusion, the present study failed to prove an association of uteroglobin gene polymorphism with the morbidity rate or the severity of Kawasaki disease, but suggested the existence of a factor contributing to the onset of Kawasaki disease and progression to coronary artery lesions in Kawasaki disease patients.
