AUTHOR=Azuma Yoshihiro , Suzuki Yasuo , Okada Seigo , Matsuguma Chie , Wakiguchi Hiroyuki , Ohnishi Yuji , Furuta Takashi , Miyake Akiko , Yasudo Hiroki , Ichihara Kiyoshi , Ohga Shouichi , Hasegawa Shunji 

TITLE=Utility of Soluble CD163 in the Clinical Management of Patients With Kawasaki Disease

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pediatrics

VOLUME=Volume 8 - 2020

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pediatrics/articles/10.3389/fped.2020.00148

DOI=10.3389/fped.2020.00148

ISSN=2296-2360

ABSTRACT=Objective: Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy is a useful first-line treatment for Kawasaki disease; however, 10%-20% of patients fail to respond to this treatment. Serum levels of soluble CD163 (sCD163) are considered a biomarker for macrophage activation. There are no reports on CD163 levels in refractory Kawasaki disease. This study aimed to evaluate whether sCD163 could be a biomarker for predicting response to IVIG in Kawasaki disease. 
Methods: Eighty-seven patients with Kawasaki disease were enrolled in this study and classified into three groups, Group A: initial-IVIG responders, Group B: additional-IVIG responders, and Group C: patients who required other third-line therapies. Serum sCD163 levels in patients with Kawasaki disease were measured in serum samples collected before initial-IVIG treatment. The clinical and laboratory findings, including complete blood count, serum sodium, serum aspartate aminotransferase, serum alanine aminotransferase, serum C-reactive protein, and serum albumin levels, were obtained from their medical records.
Results: The median (interquartile range) values of serum sCD163 levels in the three groups were as follows: Group A, 699 (478-1,072) ng/mL; Group B, 1,349 (1,116-1,390); and Group C: 665 (544-1,094). Group B showed the highest serum sCD163 levels (vs. Group A, p < 0.001, vs. Group C, p = 0.035), although the levels did not differ between Groups C and A.
Conclusion: The serum sCD163 levels could be a useful biomarker for predicting the responsiveness to additional IVIG treatment in patients with Kawasaki disease.