Anti-Oxidized Low-Density Lipoprotein Antibodies Before and After Intravenous Immunoglobulin Therapy in Kawasaki Disease - Evidence for a Potentially Protective Role.

Background: The precise pathogenesis of Kawasaki disease (KD) remains unclear, but immune dysregulation involving damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), such as oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), has been implicated. We investigated the roles of 2 anti-DAMPs antibodies in KD and their associations with inflammatory and oxidative stress markers.

Methods and results: Serum levels of anti-oxidized LDL and anti-HMGB1 antibodies were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in patients with KD and in febrile disease controls (DC). Correlations with inflammatory (C-reactive protein [CRP]) and oxidative stress (red blood cell distribution width [RDW]) markers were evaluated. Serum anti-oxidized LDL antibody levels increased significantly after intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy in KD patients, suggesting a protective role of anti-oxidized LDL antibodies against vascular inflammation. Conversely, anti-HMGB1 antibody levels showed a decreasing trend post-IVIG. A significant correlation between antibody levels and CRP was observed in DC but not in KD patients. Furthermore, a weak inverse trend between anti-oxidized LDL antibodies and RDW-coefficient of variation was noted in KD patients.

Conclusions: This study highlighted the distinct roles of anti-oxidized LDL and anti-HMGB1 antibodies during the acute phase of KD. The increase in anti-oxidized LDL antibodies following IVIG treatment suggests a protective effect, while the transient nature of anti-HMGB1 antibodies warrants further exploration.