Sperotto F, Friedman KG, Son MBF, VanderPluym CJ, Newburger JW, Dionne A.
Cardiac manifestations in SARS-CoV-2-associated multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children: a comprehensive review and proposed clinical approach.
Eur J Pediatr. 2021 Feb;180(2):307-322. doi: 10.1007/s00431-020-03766-6. Epub 2020 Aug 15.
Abstract/Text
Initial reports on COVID-19 described children as largely spared from severe manifestations, with only 2-6% of children requiring intensive care treatment. However, since mid-April 2020, clusters of pediatric cases of severe systemic hyperinflammation and shock epidemiologically linked with COVID-19 have been reported. This condition was named as SARS-Cov-2-associated multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children and showed similarities to Kawasaki disease. Here, we present a narrative review of cases reported in literature and we discuss the clinical acute and follow-up management of these patients. Patients with SARS-Cov-2-associated multisystem inflammatory syndrome frequently presented with persistent fever, gastrointestinal symptoms, polymorphic rash, conjunctivitis, and mucosal changes. Elevated inflammatory markers and evidence of cytokine storm were frequently observed. A subset of these patients also presented with hypotension and shock (20-100%) from either acute myocardial dysfunction or systemic hyperinflammation/vasodilation. Coronary artery dilation or aneurysms have been described in 6-24%, and arrhythmias in 7-60%. Cardiac support, immunomodulation, and anticoagulation are the key aspects for the management of the acute phase. Long-term structured follow-up of these patients is required due to the unclear prognosis and risk of progression of cardiac manifestations.Conclusion: Multisystem inflammatory syndrome is a novel syndrome related to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Evidence is still scarce but rapidly emerging in the literature. Cardiac manifestations are frequent, including myocardial and coronary involvement, and need to be carefully identified and monitored over time. What is Known: • Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) has been described associated with SARS-CoV-2. What is New: • Patients with MIS-C often present with fever, gastrointestinal symptoms, and shock. • Cardiac involvement is found in a high proportion of these patients, including ventricular dysfunction, coronary artery dilation or aneurysm, and arrhythmias. • Management is based on expert consensus and includes cardiac support, immunomodulatory agents, and anticoagulation. • Long-term follow-up is required due to the unclear prognosis and risk of progression of cardiac manifestation.
Kuniyoshi Y, Tsujimoto Y, Banno M, Taito S, Ariie T, Takahashi N, Tokutake H, Takada T.
Prediction Models for Intravenous Immunoglobulin Resistance in Kawasaki Disease: A Meta-analysis.
Pediatrics. 2023 May 1;151(5). doi: 10.1542/peds.2022-059175.
Abstract/Text
CONTEXT: Approximately 10% to 20% of patients with Kawasaki disease (KD) are refractory to initial intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy. KD is mainly associated with coronary artery abnormalities.
OBJECTIVES: To identify and evaluate all developed prediction models for IVIG resistance in patients with KD and synthesize evidence from external validation studies that evaluated their predictive performances.
DATA SOURCES: PubMed Medline, Dialog Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched from inception until October 5, 2021.
STUDY SELECTION: All cohort studies that reported patients diagnosed with KD who underwent an initial IVIG of 2 g/kg were selected.
DATA EXTRACTION: Study and patient characteristics and model performance measures. Two authors independently extracted data from the studies.
RESULTS: The Kobayashi, Egami, Sano, Formosa, and Harada scores were the only prediction models with 3 or more external validation of the161 model analyses in 48 studies. The summary C-statistics were 0.65 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.57-0.73), 0.63 (95% CI: 0.55-0.71), 0.58 (95% CI: 0.55-0.60), 0.50 (95% CI: 0.36-0.63), and 0.63 (95% CI: 0.44-0.78) for the Kobayashi, Egami, Sano, Formosa, and Harada models, respectively. All 5 models showed low positive predictive values (0.14-0.39) and high negative predictive values (0.85-0.92).
LIMITATIONS: Potential differences in the characteristics of the target population among studies and lack of assessment of calibrations.
CONCLUSIONS: None of the 5 prediction models with external validation accurately distinguished between patients with and without IVIG resistance.
Copyright © 2023 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Kobayashi T, Saji T, Otani T, Takeuchi K, Nakamura T, Arakawa H, Kato T, Hara T, Hamaoka K, Ogawa S, Miura M, Nomura Y, Fuse S, Ichida F, Seki M, Fukazawa R, Ogawa C, Furuno K, Tokunaga H, Takatsuki S, Hara S, Morikawa A; RAISE study group investigators.
Efficacy of immunoglobulin plus prednisolone for prevention of coronary artery abnormalities in severe Kawasaki disease (RAISE study): a randomised, open-label, blinded-endpoints trial.
Lancet. 2012 Apr 28;379(9826):1613-20. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(11)61930-2. Epub 2012 Mar 8.
Abstract/Text
BACKGROUND: Evidence indicates that corticosteroid therapy might be beneficial for the primary treatment of severe Kawasaki disease. We assessed whether addition of prednisolone to intravenous immunoglobulin with aspirin would reduce the incidence of coronary artery abnormalities in patients with severe Kawasaki disease.
METHODS: We did a multicentre, prospective, randomised, open-label, blinded-endpoints trial at 74 hospitals in Japan between Sept 29, 2008, and Dec 2, 2010. Patients with severe Kawasaki disease were randomly assigned by a minimisation method to receive either intravenous immunoglobulin (2 g/kg for 24 h and aspirin 30 mg/kg per day) or intravenous immunoglobulin plus prednisolone (the same intravenous immunoglobulin regimen as the intravenous immunoglobulin group plus prednisolone 2 mg/kg per day given over 15 days after concentrations of C-reactive protein normalised). Patients and treating physicians were unmasked to group allocation. The primary endpoint was incidence of coronary artery abnormalities during the study period. Analysis was by intention to treat. This trial is registered with the University Hospital Medical Information Network clinical trials registry, number UMIN000000940.
FINDINGS: We randomly assigned 125 patients to the intravenous immunoglobulin plus prednisolone group and 123 to the intravenous immunoglobulin group. Incidence of coronary artery abnormalities was significantly lower in the intravenous immunoglobulin plus prednisolone group than in the intravenous immunoglobulin group during the study period (four patients [3%] vs 28 patients [23%]; risk difference 0·20, 95% CI 0·12-0·28, p<0·0001). Serious adverse events were similar between both groups: two patients had high total cholesterol and one neutropenia in the intravenous immunoglobulin plus prednisolone group, and one had high total cholesterol and another non-occlusive thrombus in the intravenous immunoglobulin group.
INTERPRETATION: Addition of prednisolone to the standard regimen of intravenous immunoglobulin improves coronary artery outcomes in patients with severe Kawasaki disease in Japan. Further study of intensified primary treatment for this disease in a mixed ethnic population is warranted.
FUNDING: Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.
Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Newburger JW, Sleeper LA, McCrindle BW, Minich LL, Gersony W, Vetter VL, Atz AM, Li JS, Takahashi M, Baker AL, Colan SD, Mitchell PD, Klein GL, Sundel RP; Pediatric Heart Network Investigators.
Randomized trial of pulsed corticosteroid therapy for primary treatment of Kawasaki disease.
N Engl J Med. 2007 Feb 15;356(7):663-75. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa061235.
Abstract/Text
BACKGROUND: Treatment of acute Kawasaki disease with intravenous immune globulin and aspirin reduces the risk of coronary-artery abnormalities and systemic inflammation, but despite intravenous immune globulin therapy, coronary-artery abnormalities develop in some children. Studies have suggested that primary corticosteroid therapy might be beneficial and that adverse events are infrequent with short-term use.
METHODS: We conducted a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to determine whether the addition of intravenous methylprednisolone to conventional primary therapy for Kawasaki disease reduces the risk of coronary-artery abnormalities. Patients with 10 or fewer days of fever were randomly assigned to receive intravenous methylprednisolone, 30 mg per kilogram of body weight (101 patients), or placebo (98 patients). All patients then received conventional therapy with intravenous immune globulin, 2 g per kilogram, as well as aspirin, 80 to 100 mg per kilogram per day until they were afebrile for 48 hours and 3 to 5 mg per kilogram per day thereafter.
RESULTS: At week 1 and week 5 after randomization, patients in the two study groups had similar coronary dimensions, expressed as z scores adjusted for body-surface area, absolute dimensions, and changes in dimensions. As compared with patients receiving placebo, patients receiving intravenous methylprednisolone had a somewhat shorter initial period of hospitalization (P=0.05) and, at week 1, a lower erythrocyte sedimentation rate (P=0.02) and a tendency toward a lower C-reactive protein level (P=0.07). However, the two groups had similar numbers of days spent in the hospital, numbers of days of fever, rates of retreatment with intravenous immune globulin, and numbers of adverse events.
CONCLUSIONS: Our data do not provide support for the addition of a single pulsed dose of intravenous methylprednisolone to conventional intravenous immune globulin therapy for the routine primary treatment of children with Kawasaki disease. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00132080 [ClinicalTrials.gov].)
Copyright 2007 Massachusetts Medical Society.
Hamada H, Suzuki H, Onouchi Y, Ebata R, Terai M, Fuse S, Okajima Y, Kurotobi S, Hirai K, Soga T, Ishiguchi Y, Okuma Y, Takada N, Yanai M, Sato J, Nakayashiro M, Ayusawa M, Yamamoto E, Nomura Y, Hashimura Y, Ouchi K, Masuda H, Takatsuki S, Hirono K, Ariga T, Higaki T, Otsuki A, Terauchi M, Aoyagi R, Sato T, Fujii Y, Fujiwara T, Hanaoka H, Hata A; KAICA trial Investigators.
Efficacy of primary treatment with immunoglobulin plus ciclosporin for prevention of coronary artery abnormalities in patients with Kawasaki disease predicted to be at increased risk of non-response to intravenous immunoglobulin (KAICA): a randomised controlled, open-label, blinded-endpoints, phase 3 trial.
Lancet. 2019 Mar 16;393(10176):1128-1137. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)32003-8. Epub 2019 Mar 7.
Abstract/Text
BACKGROUND: Genetic studies have indicated possible involvement of the upregulated calcium-nuclear factor of activated T cells pathway in the pathogenesis of Kawasaki disease. We aimed to assess safety and efficacy of ciclosporin, an immunosuppressant targeting this pathway, for protection of patients with Kawasaki disease against coronary artery abnormalities.
METHODS: We did a randomised, open-label, blinded endpoints trial involving 22 hospitals in Japan between May 29, 2014, and Dec 27, 2016. Eligible patients predicted to be at higher risk for intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) resistance were randomly assigned to IVIG plus ciclosporin (5 mg/kg per day for 5 days; study treatment) or IVIG (conventional treatment) groups, stratified by risk score, age, and sex. The primary endpoint was incidence of coronary artery abnormalities using Japanese criteria during the 12-week trial, assessed in participants who received at least one dose of study drug and who visited the study institution at least once during treatment. This trial is registered to Center for Clinical Trials, Japan Medical Association, number JMA-IIA00174.
FINDINGS: We enrolled 175 participants. One patient withdrew consent after enrolment and was excluded and one patient (in the study treatment group) was excluded from analysis because of lost echocardiography data. Incidence of coronary artery abnormalities was lower in the study treatment group than in the conventional treatment group (12 [14%] of 86 patients vs 27 [31%] of 87 patients; risk ratio 0·46; 95% CI 0·25-0·86; p=0·010). No difference was found in the incidence of adverse events between the groups (9% vs 7%; p=0·78).
INTERPRETATION: Combined primary therapy with IVIG and ciclosporin was safe and effective for favourable coronary artery outcomes in Kawasaki disease patients who were predicted to be unresponsive to IVIG.
FUNDING: Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (grant CCT-B-2503).
Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Miura M, Kobayashi T, Igarashi T, Hamada H, Iwata N, Sasaki Y, Matsukawa M, Sato N, Kubo H, Takei S.
Real-world Safety and Effectiveness of Infliximab in Pediatric Patients With Acute Kawasaki Disease: A Postmarketing Surveillance in Japan (SAKURA Study).
Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2020 Jan;39(1):41-47. doi: 10.1097/INF.0000000000002503.
Abstract/Text
BACKGROUND: In 2015, infliximab was approved for the treatment of patients with intravenous immunoglobulin-refractory Kawasaki disease (KD) in Japan. However, limited real-world data exist on the usefulness of infliximab for acute KD patients. We conducted a postmarketing surveillance study in patients with acute KD refractory to conventional therapies to evaluate the safety (including any live vaccine-related infections) and the effectiveness of infliximab.
METHODS: This was a multicenter, prospective, open-label, single-cohort, observational study in patients with acute KD refractory to conventional therapy who were prescribed a single 5 mg/kg dose of infliximab. Safety and effectiveness of infliximab were evaluated at 1 month, and live vaccine-related infections were further observed until 6 months from KD onset. Effectiveness assessments included fever resolution rate, the incidence of coronary artery lesions and change in coronary diameter Z scores.
RESULTS: A total of 291 patients were enrolled, and all patients completed the study. Adverse drug reactions and serious adverse drug reactions were reported in 12.4% and 3.1% of patients, respectively. Live vaccine-related infections were not observed. In the 208 patients with effectiveness assessments, the fever resolution rate within 48 hours after infliximab infusion was 77.4% (95% confidence interval: 71.1-82.9). Median time until fever resolution was 16.6 hours. After infliximab administration, the incidence (at baseline: 10.9%; at the final observation point: 12.0%; maximum value: 14.6%) and severity of coronary artery lesions did not change notably.
CONCLUSIONS: In this study, Infliximab for patients with acute KD refractory to conventional therapies was well tolerated and effective.
Kato T, Miura M, Kobayashi T, Kaneko T, Fukushima N, Suda K, Maeda J, Shimoyama S, Shiono J, Hirono K, Ikeda K, Sato S, Numano F, Mitani Y, Waki K, Ayusawa M, Fukazawa R, Fuse S; Z‐Score Project 2nd Stage Study Group *.
Analysis of Coronary Arterial Aneurysm Regression in Patients With Kawasaki Disease by Aneurysm Severity: Factors Associated With Regression.
J Am Heart Assoc. 2023 Feb 7;12(3):e022417. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.121.022417. Epub 2023 Jan 31.
Abstract/Text
Background Coronary arterial aneurysms (CAAs) associated with Kawasaki disease (KD) significantly affect prognosis. However, the clinical course of CAAs and factors associated with CAA regression have not been well analyzed. Methods and Results The cohort of the Z-Score 2nd Project Stage study, a multicenter, retrospective, cohort study involving 44 institutions in Japan including 1006 patients with KD, was examined. CAAs were classified by the z score of their internal diameter in the acute phase: small (z<5), medium (5≤z<10), and large (z≥10). The lower limit of small CAA was based on the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare criteria. In the right coronary artery, the CAA regression rates 10 years after diagnosis were 95.5% for small, 83.2% for medium, and 36.3% for large. In the proximal left anterior descending artery, the regression rates 10 years after diagnosis were 95.3% for small, 80.1% for medium, and 28.8% for large. Cox regression analysis showed that diagnosis under the age of 1 year and onset of KD in 2010 to 2012 for the right coronary artery and the left anterior descending artery, and female for the right coronary artery were significantly associated with a high regression rate, whereas large CAAs for the right coronary artery and the left anterior descending artery were significantly associated with a low regression rate. Conclusions The current study, the largest Japanese study of its kind, found that small aneurysm, recent onset, and diagnosis under the age of 1 year predict regression, and that even giant aneurysms could regress. These data may contribute to long-term management of coronary aneurysms. Registration URL: https://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/; Unique identifier: UMIN000010606.
