Clinical characteristics of Kawasaki disease with sterile pyuria

Sterile Pyuria in Kawasaki Disease: A Large Prospective Cohort Study

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.

Aims

We aimed to analyze the clinical profiles of sterile pyuria in KD, to determine whether sterile pyuria is an indicator of the disease severity in patients with KD, and to assess the associations between sterile pyuria and IVIG resistance as well as CALs.

Methods

We prospectively collected data from 702 patients with KD between January 2015 and June 2020. Profiles of patients with sterile pyuria (group A, n = 63) were compared to those of patients without sterile pyuria (group B, n = 639). The associations between sterile pyuria and IVIG resistance as well as CALs in KD were further determined by univariate and/or multivariate logistic regression analysis.

Results

Sterile pyuria was observed in 9.0% of patients with KD, without predominance in age spectrum and gender. The levels of neutrophil percentages, alanine transaminase, total bilirubin, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, the incidence of initial IVIG resistance, and rate of moderate/giant coronary artery aneurysms (CAAs) were significantly higher in group A than that in group B. Sterile pyuria was identified as an independent risk factor for initial IVIG resistance, yielding high specificity (92.7%) and low sensitivity (18.5%). However, sterile pyuria was not associated with repeated IVIG resistance and persistence of CALs in KD.

Conclusion

The incidence of sterile pyuria is relatively low in KD patients. Patients with sterile pyuria in KD exhibited a more severe inflammatory burden and were more likely to develop the initial IVIG resistance and moderate/giant CAAs. The overall prognosis of KD patients with sterile pyuria was satisfactory.

Multisystem Imaging Manifestations of Kawasaki Disease

Kawasaki disease (KD) is a common pediatric vasculitis syndrome involving medium- and small-sized arteries that is especially prevalent in early childhood (ie, age 6 months to 5 years). The diagnosis of KD is made on the basis of clinical features, such as fever, characteristic mucocutaneous changes, and nonsuppurative cervical lymphadenopathy. However, early diagnosis is often challenging because many children with KD present with atypical symptoms. The most serious complication of KD is coronary artery aneurysm caused by coronary arteritis. Prompt intravenous immunoglobulin therapy reduces the risk of cardiac morbidity. In addition, the systemic extension of KD-related vasculitis during the acute phase causes a variety of multisystem manifestations, including encephalopathy, stroke, retropharyngeal edema, pericarditis, myocarditis, KD shock syndrome, pulmonary lesions, intestinal pseudo-obstruction, gallbladder hydrops, arthritis, and myositis. These complications tend to be more common in affected children with atypical presentation. Radiologists can play an important role in the timely identification of diverse KD-associated morbidities and thus may contribute to the early diagnosis of atypical KD. Online supplemental material is available for this article. ^©RSNA, 2021.

Profile of Urinary Cytokines in Kawasaki Disease: Non-Invasive Markers

This cohort study aimed to investigate urinary cytokines expression to help identify a less invasive method of cytokine detection for Kawasaki disease (KD). Patients with confirmed KD were recruited. Patients with fever or urinary tract infection (UTI) were enrolled as control groups. Urinary samples were collected before and 3 days after intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) treatment. The levels of cytokines were detected by MILLPLEX^® MAP human multiplex assay. All cytokines, i.e., epidermal growth factor (EGF), interferon (IFN)-γ, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-9, IL-10, IL-13, IL-17A, IL-33, interferon-gamma-induced protein (IP)-10, macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1β, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) except monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 were significantly higher in the KD group, compared with the fever-control (FC) group, whereas the expressions of IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-17A, IL-33, MCP-1, MIP-1β, and TNF-α were significantly lower in the urine of KD patients, as compared with the UTI group. The expressions of EGF, IFN-γ, IL-8, IL-13, and IL-17A were higher in the urine of KD patients than in the FC group, whereas the level of IL-1β was lower in KD than in the UTI group after age adjustment by logistic regression. Levels of IL-6, IL-8, IL-13, IP-10, and MCP-1 were significantly higher in the pre-IVIG urine of KD patients than in the post-IVIG treatment group. Additionally, urine IL-4 and blood C-reactive protein were higher in the KD group with coronary artery lesion (CAL) than in the non-CAL group. Results of this study provide a new view of urinary cytokine expression in the disease progress of KD, which may help clinicians to predict and prevent morbidity early and non-invasively.

Clinical manifestations of Kawasaki disease in different age groups: retrospective data from Southwest China

OBJECTIVES

The aim of the present study is to identify the clinical manifestations and laboratory findings of children with Kawasaki disease (KD) in different age groups and to recognize and treat KD in a timely manner.

METHODS

A total of 213 children with KD were divided into the following age groups: (1) infants, (2) toddlers, and (3) preschool age. Retrospective analysis of clinical data was performed among the groups. Categorical data were statistically compared by Chi-square analysis, and measurement data were compared using one-way ANOVA analysis.

RESULTS

Our study showed that (1) cough (40.5%), diarrhea (16.9%), and vomiting (8.5%) were also very common in KD patients. (2) Patients in the infant group more commonly developed cough and diarrhea, but were less frequently documented with lymphadenopathy and skin rash. (3) Elevation of platelets was more common in the infant group. When urine tests were compared among the three groups, the toddler group had a higher proportion of sterile pyuria, and infants younger than 1 year old had a lower proportion of proteinuria and positive urine ketones.

CONCLUSION

Cough, diarrhea, vomiting, and sterile pyuria were very common in infant KD patients less than 1 year old. They should be noted in patients with suspected KD for earlier diagnosis and timely treatments. Key Points • Patients with Kawasaki disease (KD) in different age groups showed different clinical manifestations and laboratory findings. • Cough, diarrhea, vomiting, and sterile pyuria were very common in infant KD patients less than 1 year old. • Paying more attentions to respiratory, gastrointestinal, and urinary manifestations or abnormalities might be helpful for earlier diagnosis of KD, especially incomplete KD, though they were not list in the diagnostic criteria.

Kawasaki disease: characteristics, diagnosis, and unusual presentations

Introduction: Kawasaki disease (KD) is one of the commonest pediatric vasculitides and is associated with a significant risk of development of coronary artery abnormalities if left untreated. Areas covered: In this review, we have highlighted the incomplete and unusual presentations of KD and also emphasize the controversies pertaining to 2D echocardiography in KD. A PubMed search was performed regarding diagnosis and unusual presentations of KD. Expert opinion: Diagnosis of KD is essentially clinical and based on recognition of typical clinical features that may appear sequentially and all signs and symptoms may not be present at one point of time. There is no confirmatory laboratory test for diagnosis of this condition. Further complicating the picture is the fact that incomplete and atypical forms KD may be seen in up to 50% patients. Although 2D echocardiography continues to be the preferred imaging modality for cardiac assessment in patients with KD, it has its limitations.

Early features of Kawasaki disease with pyuria in febrile infants younger than 6 months

Background

Children with Kawasaki disease (KD) and pyuria have been misdiagnosed with urinary tract infection (UTI). We compared clinical and laboratory features at admission between two groups of infants under 6 months of age who showed initial pyuria, to identify the initial clues suggestive of KD.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of children with fever who were under 6 months of age with pyuria, over a 10-year period (2007–2017). We included infants with sterile pyuria who were finally diagnosed with KD and those with UTI.

Results

During the period investigated, 12 (9.9%) KD patients with sterile pyuria and 378 infants with UTI were included in this study. Older age (P < 0.01), a longer duration of fever; total and before admission (P < 0.01), more negative nitrite test (P < 0.01), higher platelet count (P = 0.04), increased C-reactive protein (CRP) (P < 0.01) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (P < 0.01), were identified as initial features of infants finally diagnosed with KD. In the receiver operating characteristic analysis, optimal cut-off values of 509 k/μL for platelet count, 60 mg/L for CRP, and 68 mm/H for ESR were selected. Patients with ESR > 68 mm/hr had a ninefold higher odds of KD compared to those with lower ESR levels (odds ratio: 8.963, 95% confidence intervals: 1.936–41.493, P = 0.005), whereas CRP and platelet count could not significantly increase in the odds of KD at a cut-off point.

Conclusion

Persistent fever, elevated ESR, and negative urine nitrite test can serve as early clues to suspect KD in febrile infants with pyuria.

Differentiating Kawasaki disease from urinary tract infection in febrile children with pyuria and C-reactive protein elevation

Background

Kawasaki disease (KD) is sometimes confused with urinary tract infection (UTI) because both can present with pyuria and C-reactive protein (CRP) elevation. The present study investigated the clinical and laboratory findings that can differentiate KD from UTI in febrile children with pyuria and CRP elevation.

Methods

Medical records were retrospectively reviewed for children with KD and those with UTI. The clinical and laboratory findings between the KD with pyuria group (n = 48) and the UTI group (n = 118) were compared.

Results

The KD with pyuria group had older age (P < 0.001) and longer duration of fever (P < 0.001) than the UTI group. In blood tests, both groups showed increased CRP level, but the value of CRP was higher in the KD with pyuria group than in the UTI group (P < 0.001). The KD with pyuria group also showed higher values for liver enzymes than the UTI group (P < 0.001); > 70.0% of children in the KD with pyuria group, but < 20.0% of children in the UTI group possessed elevated liver enzymes (P < 0.001). On urinalysis, 40.7% of the UTI group had a positive nitrite test, but 0.0% of the KD with pyuria group had a positive nitrite test (P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Elevated liver enzymes are more specific to KD than to UTI, whereas a positive nitrite test is more specific to UTI than to KD. Our findings can be used as diagnostic clues to differentiate KD from UTI in febrile children with pyuria and CRP elevation.

Controversies in diagnosis and management of Kawasaki disease

Kawasaki disease (KD) is a common medium vessel systemic vasculitis that usually occurs in small children. It has a predilection for the coronary arteries, but other medium sized arteries can also be involved. The etiology of this disorder remains a mystery. Though typical presentation of KD is quite characteristic, it may also present as incomplete or atypical disease in which case the diagnosis can be very challenging. As both incomplete and atypical forms of KD can be associated with serious coronary artery complications, the pediatrician can ill afford to miss these diagnoses. The American Heart Association has enunciated consensus guidelines to facilitate the clinical diagnosis and treatment of this condition. However, there are still several issues that remain controversial. Intravenous immunoglobulin remains the cornerstone of management but several other treatment modalities, especially glucocorticoids, are increasingly finding favour. We review here some of the contemporary issues, and the controversies thereon, pertaining to management of KD.

Pyuria in patients with Kawasaki disease

Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute, febrile vasculitis that predominantly develops in children ≤ 5 years of age and can lead to multiple organ injuries including the kidneys. Of these injuries, pyuria is a common feature of patients with KD, occurring in 30%-80% of patients. Sterile pyuria is most common in KD patients ≤ 1 year of age. KD patients with sterile pyuria exhibit more severe inflammatory reactions and may have sub-clinical renal injuries. Sterile pyuria in KD is associated with mononuclear cells (not neutrophils) in the urine. Although sterile pyuria in KD was at one time thought to be due to urethritis caused by a non-specific vasculitis of the urethra, recent studies suggest that sterile pyuria in KD originates from the urethra, the kidney as a result of mild and sub-clinical renal injuries, and/or the bladder due to cystitis. Pyuria is not always sterile in KD, but can result from a urinary tract infection (UTI). As causative pathogens, Escherichia coli and Klebsiella oxytoca have been reported. The clinical phenotypes do not differ between those with or without UTI. Because some KD patients with UTIs have urinary tract abnormalities such as vesicoureteral reflux, a complete UTI workup including renal ultrasound, voiding cystourethrogram and/or dimercaptosuccinic acid renal scan recommended in KD patients with UTIs.