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EClinicalMedicine 2022 Jul 27;49:101475. Epub 2022 May 27.

Department of Paediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria.

Background: Multisystemic inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) has increasingly been documented globally with the progression of the COVID-19 pandemic and a significant proportion of cases have been noted in children of Black descent. There has been a noticeable discrepancy in the presentation and outcomes of COVID-19 infection in sub-Saharan Africa compared to the rest of the world. We documented the demography, clinical features, laboratory and imaging findings, therapeutic management, and short-term outcomes of paediatric patients with MIS-C diagnosed during the COVID-19 pandemic in Lagos, Nigeria. Read More

Children (Basel) 2022 Jun 18;9(6). Epub 2022 Jun 18.

Kawasaki Disease Center, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan.

Kawasaki disease (KD) is a febrile coronary vasculitis that affects younger children and includes complications such as coronary artery aneurysm. KD diagnoses are diagnosed based on clinical presentations, a process that still poses a challenge for front-line physicians. In the current study, we developed a novel predictor using the hemoglobin-for-age z-score (HbZ) and plasma hepcidin to differentiate Kawasaki disease (KD) from febrile children (FC). Read More

Children (Basel) 2022 Jun 8;9(6). Epub 2022 Jun 8.

Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Kyungpook National University Children's Hospital, Daegu 41404, Korea.

Diagnosis of Kawasaki disease in infants under 3 months of age is challenging. This study aimed to confirm the diagnostic efficacy of BCGitis in patients with Kawasaki disease aged <3 months. Overall, 473 children were enrolled; they were grouped by age into group 1 (≤3 months, = 19) and group 2 (>3 months, = 454). Read More

J Pediatr Intensive Care 2022 Jun 4;11(2):124-129. Epub 2020 Dec 4.

Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, United Kingdom.

We describe the critical care course of children with a novel hyperinflammatory syndrome associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome temporally associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), with focus on trajectory before and after immunomodulation. Overall, 10 patients who met the U.K. Read More

Cureus 2022 May 17;14(5):e25091. Epub 2022 May 17.

Department of Healthcare Epidemiology, Graduate School of Medicine and Public Health, Kyoto University, Kyoto, JPN.

An endovascular arteriovenous fistula is a recent technological advancement in hemodialysis vascular access. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of endovascular arteriovenous fistula (eAVF) creation compared with surgical arteriovenous fistula (sAVF) creation among patients with chronic kidney disease. We searched Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, EMBASE, Clinical Trials. Read More

Pediatr Res 2022 Jun 22. Epub 2022 Jun 22.

Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London, UK.

Background: Kawasaki disease (KD) is a systemic vasculitis that mainly affects children under 5 years of age. Up to 30% of patients develop coronary artery abnormalities, which are reduced with early treatment. Timely diagnosis of KD is challenging but may become more straightforward with the recent discovery of a whole-blood host response classifier that discriminates KD patients from patients with other febrile conditions. Read More

Allergol Int 2022 Jun 6. Epub 2022 Jun 6.

Division of Rheumatology and Allergology, Department of Internal Medicine, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan.

Background: The mechanism of allergic reactions to COVID-19 mRNA vaccines has not been clarified. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is a potential antigen in the components of vaccines. However, there is little evidence that allergy after COVID-19 mRNA vaccination is related to PEG. Read More

JAMA Netw Open 2022 Jun 1;5(6):e2217436. Epub 2022 Jun 1.

Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla.

Importance: Public health measures implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic had widespread effects on population behaviors, transmission of infectious diseases, and exposures to environmental pollutants. This provided an opportunity to study how these factors potentially influenced the incidence of Kawasaki disease (KD), a self-limited pediatric vasculitis of unknown etiology.

Objectives: To examine the change in KD incidence across the United States and evaluate whether public health measures affected the prevalence of KD. Read More

Front Pediatr 2022 31;10:890755. Epub 2022 May 31.

Department of Pediatrics, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan.

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a new syndrome involving the development of severe dysfunction in multiple organs after severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Because the pathophysiology of MIS-C remains unclear, a treatment strategy has not yet been established. We experienced a 12-year-old boy who developed MIS-C at 56 days after SARS-CoV-2 infection and for whom ciclosporin A (CsA) was effective as a third-line treatment. Read More

Paediatr Child Health 2022 Jun 1;27(3):160-168. Epub 2022 Mar 1.

Division of Rheumatology, Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Objectives: Kawasaki disease (KD) is a common childhood vasculitis with increasing incidence in Canada. Acute KD hospitalizations are associated with high health care costs. However, there is minimal health care utilization data following initial hospitalization. Read More

Vasc Health Risk Manag 2022 10;18:407-416. Epub 2022 Jun 10.

Department of Pediatrics, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi, Japan.

Kawasaki disease (KD), first reported as an acute febrile mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome, is a self-limiting vasculitis of unknown etiology. The most important aspect of KD is the prevention of coronary artery lesion (CAL) because myocardial ischemia or infarction due to CAL might be lethal. In addition to the CAL, patients with KD develop systemic vasculitis, which indicates the presence of vascular endothelial damage. Read More

Semin Arthritis Rheum 2022 Jun 9;55:152047. Epub 2022 Jun 9.

Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Rheumatology, Ankara, Turkey.

Objectives: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2, has opened a new era in the practice of pediatric rheumatology since it has been associated with inflammatory complications such as vasculitis and arthritis. In this review, we aimed to present a detailed analysis of COVID-19 associated pediatric vasculitis.

Methods: A systematic review of the English literature was performed through Pubmed/MEDLINE and Scopus up to January 1st, 2022. Read More

J Clin Immunol 2022 Jun 14. Epub 2022 Jun 14.

Department of Pediatric Rheumatology and Immunology, University Children's Hospital Muenster, Domagkstr. 3, 48149, Muenster, Germany.

Purpose: A recent phase II open-label study of the interleukin 1 (IL-1) receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) anakinra in treating IVIG-resistant Kawasaki disease (KD) patients reported promising results. Here, we aimed to characterize the immunological impact of IL-1 blockade in this unique study population.

Methods: Patients' and control sera and supernatants of cells (whole blood, neutrophils, coronary artery endothelial cells) stimulated with recombinant IL-1β were analyzed for single or multiple marker (n = 22) expression by ELISA or multiplexed bead array assay. Read More

Rheumatology (Oxford) 2022 Jun 14. Epub 2022 Jun 14.

Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging, Post Graduate Institute of Medical education and Research, Chandigarh, 160012, India.

J Am Heart Assoc 2022 Jun 14;11(12):e023840. Epub 2022 Jun 14.

Department of Pediatrics CHA Bundang Medical Center CHA University School of Medicine Seongnam Korea.

Background There are few studies on the association with Kawasaki disease in children and the family's history of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The aim of this study was to identify the association of increased risks for Kawasaki disease in children with a family history of CVD. Methods and Results Clinical data of children born in 2008 and 2009 (n=917 707) were obtained from the National Health Insurance Service and the National Health Screening Program for Infants and Children for this study. Read More

JAMA Netw Open 2022 Jun 1;5(6):e2216642. Epub 2022 Jun 1.

Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan.

Importance: Initial intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG)-refractory status and prolonged fever are established risk factors for the development of coronary artery abnormalities (CAAs) among patients with acute-phase Kawasaki disease (KD). However, whether different risk factors exist for initial unresponsiveness to IVIG and CAA development remains unclear.

Objective: To evaluate whether different risk factors exist for initial unresponsiveness to IVIG and CAA development among patients with KD (stratified by age at disease onset). Read More

Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022 Jun 6;19(11). Epub 2022 Jun 6.

Department of Pediatrics, Tokyo Women's Medical University Yachiyo Medical Center, 477-96 Owada-Shinden, Yachiyo 276-0046, Chiba, Japan.

The study tested the hypothesis that human mobility may be a potential factor affecting reductions in droplet-transmissible pediatric infectious diseases (PIDs) during the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic mitigation period in 2020. An ecological study was conducted using two publicly available datasets: surveillance on infectious diseases collected by the Japanese government and COVID-19 community mobility reports presented by Google. The COVID-19 community mobility reports demonstrated percentage reductions in the movement of people over time in groceries and pharmacies, parks, and transit stations. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2022 Jun 9;15(6). Epub 2022 Jun 9.

Paediatrics, Matsuyama Red Cross Hospital, Matsuyama, Japan.

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a newly described syndrome related to the COVID-19, resembling other known aetiologies, including Kawasaki disease. Cardiovascular involvement is common; left ventricle dysfunction and coronary artery aneurysm (CAA) are also observed. Many treatment guidelines recommend using intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) alone or with glucocorticoids as the first-line therapy. Read More

Neuromuscul Disord 2022 Apr 25. Epub 2022 Apr 25.

Chair for Molecular Animal Breeding and Biotechnology, Gene Center and Department of Veterinary Sciences, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany; Center for Innovative Medical Models (CiMM), Department of Veterinary Sciences, LMU Munich, 85764 Oberschleißheim, Germany; Laboratory for Functional Genome Analysis, Gene Center, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany. Electronic address:

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a fatal X-linked disease caused by mutations in the DMD gene, leading to complete absence of dystrophin and progressive degeneration of skeletal muscles and heart. Animal models are essential for preclinical evaluation of novel diagnostic procedures and treatment strategies. Gene targeting/editing offers the possibility of developing tailored pig models for monogenic diseases. Read More

Front Pediatr 2022 17;10:895408. Epub 2022 May 17.

Department of Pediatrics, Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.

Background: Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute febrile systemic vasculitis of unknown etiology. After the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), some children infected by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) showed clinical symptoms similar to KD, indicating a close relationship between KD and SARS-CoV-2. Therefore, we designed this retrospective study to analyze the characteristics of KD patients before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Read More

J Med Cases 2022 May 23;13(5):229-234. Epub 2022 Apr 23.

Department of Pediatrics, Kitami Red Cross Hospital, Kitami, Hokkaido 090-8666, Japan.

Human parvovirus B19 (B19) is a single-stranded DNA virus that targets erythroid progenitor cells in the bone marrow. B19 causes erythema infectiosum in children, transient aplastic anemia, pure red cell aplasia, hydrops fetalis, and contributes to other illnesses. An association between B19 infection and hypocomplementemia and rheumatoid arthritis has been reported, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Read More

Zhongguo Dang Dai Er Ke Za Zhi 2022 Jun;24(6):597-603

Kawasaki disease (KD) is one of the common acquired heart diseases in children aged <5 years and is an acute systemic vasculitis. After nearly 60 years of research, intravenous immunoglobulin combined with oral aspirin has become the first-line treatment for the prevention of coronary artery lesion in acute KD; however, there are still controversies over the role and optimal dose of aspirin. The consensus was formulated based on the latest research findings of KD treatment in China and overseas and comprehensive discussion of pediatric experts in China and put forward recommendations on the dose, usage, and course of aspirin treatment in the first-line treatment of KD. Read More

Front Cardiovasc Med 2022 12;9:895627. Epub 2022 May 12.

Kawasaki Disease Center, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

Kawasaki disease (KD) is a systemic vasculitis that primarily affects children under the age of 5 years old and is among the most common acquired heart disease in developed countries, particularly in Asia. No effective treatment is currently available for aneurysm formation in KD. In this report, we showed a KD patient with an aneurysm over the right coronary artery with a size of 6. Read More

Front Cardiovasc Med 2022 11;9:856144. Epub 2022 May 11.

Department of Pediatric Cardiology, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.

Background: Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute systemic vasculitis and is becoming the leading cause of acquired cardiac disease in Children. Sterile pyuria is a known complication of KD. However, its associations with the inflammatory reaction severity, IVIG resistance as well as coronary artery lesions (CALs) in KD remain elusive. Read More

Indian J Pediatr 2022 May 30. Epub 2022 May 30.

Department of Pediatrics, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, 160012, India.

Children (Basel) 2022 May 5;9(5). Epub 2022 May 5.

Department of Clinical-Surgical Diagnostic and Pediatric Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy.

Kawasaki disease (KD) is rare in infants less than 3 months of age, and its recurrence is exceptional. Infants with KD are at higher risk of severe clinical presentation, therapy failure, complications and coronary aneurysms (CAAs), and this is the reason they deserve more aggressive therapy and a strict clinical follow-up. We report a 2-month-old male with KD, complicated by Macrophage Activation Syndrome (MAS). Read More

Children (Basel) 2022 Apr 28;9(5). Epub 2022 Apr 28.

Kawasaki Disease Center and Department of Pediatrics, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung 83301, Taiwan.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been an emerging, rapidly evolving situation in China since late 2019 and has even become a worldwide pandemic. The first case of severe childhood novel coronavirus pneumonia in China was reported in March 2020 in Wuhan. The severity differs between adults and children, with lower death rates and decreased severity for individuals under the age of 20 years. Read More

Pediatr Cardiol 2022 May 27. Epub 2022 May 27.

Division of Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, Children's National Hospital, George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences, 111 Michigan Ave, NW, Washington, DC, 20010, USA.

Studies on Kawasaki disease (KD) in Arab countries are scarce, often providing incomplete data. This along with the benefits of multicenter research collaboratives led to the creation of the KD Arab Initiative [Kawarabi] consortium. An anonymous survey was completed among potential collaborative Arab medical institutions to assess burden of KD in those countries and resources available to physicians. Read More

Nat Commun 2022 May 27;13(1):2979. Epub 2022 May 27.

Division of Pediatric Critical Care, University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital, Minneapolis, MN, 55454, USA.

Neutralization capacity of antibodies against Omicron after a prior SARS-CoV-2 infection in children and adolescents is not well studied. Therefore, we evaluated virus-neutralizing capacity against SARS-CoV-2 Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Omicron variants by age-stratified analyses (<5, 5-11, 12-21 years) in 177 pediatric patients hospitalized with severe acute COVID-19, acute MIS-C, and in convalescent samples of outpatients with mild COVID-19 during 2020 and early 2021. Across all patients, less than 10% show neutralizing antibody titers against Omicron. Read More

Front Neurosci 2022 10;16:885335. Epub 2022 May 10.

Group of Brain Function and Development, Nagoya University Neuroscience Institute of the Graduate School of Science, Nagoya, Japan.

Rett syndrome (RTT) is a severe progressive neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by various neurological symptoms. Almost all RTT cases are caused by mutations in the X-linked methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 () gene, and several mouse models have been established to understand the disease. However, the neuroanatomical abnormalities in each brain region of RTT mouse models have not been fully understood. Read More