Kawasaki disease (KD) is a vasculitis disease in children that is associated with coronary artery ectasia (CAE). We investigated whether inducible nitric oxide synthase (i-NOS) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) could be used to predict CAE secondary to KD. We enrolled 65 children with KD (35 cases with CAE and 30 cases without CAE), 33 healthy children, and 32 children with fever but without vasculitis disease (febrile group). We measured plasma nitric oxide (NO), total nitric oxide synthase (Total-NOS), i-NOS, constructive nitric oxide synthase (c-NOS) levels, and H2S content in all patients. Plasma NO, Total-NOS, i-NOS, and H2S were higher in KD children than in healthy and febrile children (P < 0.05). The i-NOS level was higher in KD children with CAE compared to those without CAE, while the H2S was lower (both P < 0.05). Using a combination of i-NOS (higher than 10 U/mL) and H2S (lower than 3.31 μmol/L) to predict CAE had 80 % sensitivity and 81 % specificity (P < 0.05). Elevated plasma i-NOS and decreased plasma H2S levels in the acute phase of KD have good predictive value for CAE and may be used to guide appropriate clinical treatment and prevent future cardiovascular complications.
Keywords: Coronary artery ectasia; Hydrogen sulfide; Inducible nitric oxide synthase; Kawasaki disease.