Infliximab Treatment for Intravenous Immunoglobulin-resistant Kawasaki Disease: a Multicenter Study in Korea

Current knowledge of TNF-α monoclonal antibody infliximab in treating Kawasaki disease: a comprehensive review

Kawasaki disease (KD), an autoinflammatory disease primarily affecting young children, characterized by consisting of acute systemic vasculitis and coronary artery involvement in severe cases. Intravenous immunoglobulin gamma (IVIG) combined with aspirin therapy is the first-line regimen for the prevention of coronary aneurysms in the acute phase of KD. The etiology and pathogenesis of KD are unclear, but its incidence is increasing gradually, especially in the cases of IVIG-naïve KD and refractory KD. Conventional therapies for refractory KD have unsatisfactory results. At present, infliximab (IFX), a human-murine chimeric monoclonal antibody that specifically blocks tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), has made great progress in the treatment of KD. This review revealed that IFX infusion (5 mg/kg) could effectively modulate fever, reduce inflammation, improve arthritis, diminish the number of plasma exchange, decrease hospitalizations, and prevent the progression of coronary artery lesions. The adverse effects of IFX administration included skin rash, arthritis, respiratory disease, infusion reaction, hepatomegaly, and vaccination-associated complications. But the incidence of these adverse effects is low. The clear optimal application protocol of the application of IFX for either initial combination therapy or salvage therapy in KD is still under investigation. In addition, there are no effective biomarkers to predict IFX resistance. Further multicenter trials with large sample size and long-term follow-up are still needed to validate the clinical efficacy and safety of IFX for IVIG-resistant KD or refractory KD.

Infliximab as a second-line therapy for children with refractory Kawasaki disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

AIMS

Infliximab is a tumour necrosis factor-alpha inhibitor that is used to treat children with refractory Kawasaki disease (KD). Our purpose was to evaluate the safety and impact of infliximab versus intravenous immunoglobulins on the incidence of coronary artery aneurysms (CAAs) and treatment resistance in children with refractory KD.

METHODS

The Medline/PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and clinical trials registries were searched to December 2021. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing infliximab as second-line therapy to a second dose of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) in children with refractory KD, reported in abstract or full text, were included. Studies were selected and assessed for risk of bias by two reviewers. Data were extracted and pooled using conventional random-effects meta-analysis. The certainty of evidence was assessed using the GRADE system.

RESULTS

A total of 199 participants from four RCTs were included. The pooled risk ratio (RR) for the incidence of treatment resistance in patients treated with infliximab was 0.40 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.25-0.64). For incidence of CAAs RR was 1.20 (95% CI 0.54-2.63), the incidence of adverse effect "infusion reactions" RR was 0.48, (95% CI 0.12-1.92) and for "infections" RR was 0.55 (95% CI 0.27-1.12). Overall, the GRADE strength of evidence for the primary outcomes was low. Evidence on the duration of fever and inflammatory biomarkers was sparse, heterogeneous and inconclusive.

CONCLUSION

Moderate-certainty evidence indicates that infliximab may reduce the incidence of treatment resistance in children with refractory KD. However, the limited strength of evidence warrants further research.

Methylprednisolone pulses as an initial treatment in hyperinflammatory syndrome after COVID-19 in children: evaluation of laboratory data, serial echocardiography and outcome: a case series

BACKGROUND

Hyper-inflammatory syndrome in children and young adult occur 2-6 weeks after COVID-19 infection or closed contact with COVID-19 persons. In this study, the laboratory data and echocardiography and abdominal ultrasonography assessments were evaluated before and after Methylprednisolone pulse as an initial treatment of hyper-inflammatory syndrome. Therefore, the aim of this study is to assessment the clinical manifestations and laboratory data and outcome after methylprednisolone pulse as an initial treatment.

METHOD

In this retrospective study, the demographic status, clinical features, laboratory data, echocardiography, abdominal ultrasound, treatment and outcome of 31 pediatric patients under 16 years old, with inflammatory process after COVID-19 were evaluated. The clinical assessments, laboratory data, sonography and echocardiography were evaluated before and after methylprednisolone pulse. The patients were divided in two age group < and ≥ 7 years old and the clinical manifestations were compared with each other. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to assess the difference in quantitative variables between two groups. To compare pre- and post- treatment values, Wilcoxol test was used. To assess the correlation between qualitative variables chi-square test was used. The level of significant was considered 0.05. These patients with fever and hyper-inflammation features admitted to the referral pediatric rheumatology ward in Children Medical Center of Tehran University of medical sciences, from April 2020 to May 2021 were assessed.

RESULT

The mean age ± SD were (5.94 ± 3) and 51.6% (16) patients were male and 48.4% (15) patients were female. The most documented of previous COVID infection were antibody positive in about 27 (87%) patients. Moreover, 1 (3.8%) was PCR positive, 2 (7.7%) were positive in both PCR and serology and 3(11.5%) had closed contact with COVID-19 patients. About 9(29%) of patients were admitted in Intensive Care Unit (ICU). There were significant correlation between days of delay in starting treatment and ICU admission (P-value = 0.02). The mortality rate was negative in patients and no re-hospitalization was documented. There were significant differences (P-value < 0.05) between lymphocytes, platelet, Erythrocyte Sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, Aspartate transaminase, Alanine transaminase and ferritin before and after treatment. Skin rashes and cardiac involvement totally as carditis (myocarditis, vulvulitis and pericarditis) (33.3%) and coronary involvements (53.3%) were the most prominent initial presentation in patients. There were near significant correlation (P-value = 0.066) between ferritin level and carditis before treatment. Cervical lymphadenopathy was seen significantly more in ≥ 7 years old (P-value = 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Multisystem inflammatory system in children as a hyperinflammatory syndrome could be treated with first step methylprednisolone pulse with decreasing inflammation in laboratory data and cardiac involvements and good outcome. Furthermore, the ferritin level may be one of the predictor of severe hyper-inflammatory syndrome leading to aggressive and urgent treatment with methylprednisolone pulse.

Intravenous Methylprednisolone Pulse Therapy Versus Intravenous Immunoglobulin in the Prevention of Coronary Artery Disease in Children with Kawasaki Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Kawasaki disease (KD) is often complicated by coronary artery lesion (CAL), including dilatation or aneurysms. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is used with aspirin to prevent CAL in KD.

Objective: Given that the primary treatment for other vasculitis is the use of corticosteroids, this study has been performed to evaluate the effect of intravenous methylprednisolone pulse (IVMP) therapy in preventing CAL in KD.

Method: A randomized, single-blind clinical trial was conducted on 40 KD patients aged six months to five years. Patients were randomized into two groups according to the main treatment plan in addition to aspirin: case group (IVMP for three consecutive days and then oral prednisolone for three days) and control group (intravenous immunoglobulin 2 g/kg). Echocardiography was performed for all children at least three times, during the acute phase, two weeks, and two months later.

Results: Data analysis at the end of the study was done on 40 patients (20 patients in each group). There were no significant differences in age and sex distribution, mean fever, and acute phase duration, as well as baseline echocardiography in the two groups. The frequency of CAL was 20% in the case group and 45% in the control group, after two weeks (p<0.05), but there was no significant difference between two groups in types of coronary artery lesion after two weeks and the frequency and severity of CAL after two months.

Conclusion: IVMP as initial line therapy effectively control systemic and vascular inflammation and decrease coronary artery damage in KD.

Refractory Kawasaki disease: modified methylprednisolone regimen decreases coronary artery dilatation

BACKGROUND

The use of corticosteroids in Kawasaki disease (KD) is still controversial. The aim of this study was to investigate the safety and effectiveness of modified methylprednisolone (mPSL) regimen as an initial treatment for refractory KD.

METHODS

This is a real-world observational study. We identified refractory KD with a self-developed scoring system. Patients were divided into the intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) + mPSL group and the IVIG group. Clinical outcomes and changes in coronary arteries after the treatment during a 12-week period were observed. Propensity-score matching was used to analyze those patients with similar baseline characteristics.

RESULTS

Of a total of 168 patients, 104 patients were assigned into the IVIG group and 64 patients into the IVIG + mPSL group. The therapeutic response rate of the IVIG + mPSL group was significantly higher than that of the IVIG group (98.4 vs 76.0%, P < 0.05). The IVIG + mPSL group had a shorter duration of fever and a higher rate of C-reactive protein decline than the IVIG group (1.17 ± 0.64 vs 1.81 ± 1.16 days; 88.1 vs 83.5%; P < 0.05). The luminal diameter and Z-score of the left circumflex coronary artery (LCX) were significantly smaller and lower in the IVIG + mPSL group than that in the IVIG group at weeks 2 and 12.

CONCLUSIONS

Modified mPSL regimen has minimal side effects. It might improve the initial response to IVIG and decrease the dilation of LCX for refractory KD.

IMPACT

Modified mPSL regimen (2-4 mg/kg/day, divided into 2-3 doses for 3-5 days, then 1 mg/kg/day, once a day for 3-5 days, then oral prednisone was tapered over 3-5 weeks in 5-7 days steps) as an intensive initial treatment can decrease LCX dilation in high-risk IVIG-resistant KD patients. Our self-developed scoring system has been proven validated and can be used to identify high-risk IVIG-resistant KD patients in North China. The present study provides an alternative therapeutic regimen for high-risk refractory KD patients.

Higher efficacy of infliximab than immunoglobulin on Kawasaki disease, a meta-analysis

This meta-analysis evaluated the efficacy and safety of infliximab as initial therapy for patients with Kawasaki disease (KD) and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) resistant KD. Studies of infliximab in KD, published between January 2004 and December 2019, were curated from PubMed, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Library. Data were analyzed using STATA Version 12.0. Of the 8 studies considered, 4 evaluated the effect of infliximab combined with IVIG as primary therapy in KD, and the remaining investigated the effect of infliximab in IVIG resistant patients. Infliximab was more effective than the control group, with the total summary odds ratio (OR) of 0.34 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.19-0.62). The treatment resistance of the infliximab group was lower than the IVIG group (0.36 [95% CI: 0.14-0.92]) when infliximab was combined with IVIG as the initial treatment. However, infliximab treatment for IVIG resistant KD was more effective than the IVIG group (0.28 [95% CI: 0.12-0.66]). There was no significant increase in the incidence of coronary artery lesions. The total summary OR for the incidence of coronary artery lesions and infliximab treatment was 0.88 (95% CI: 0.48-1.62). There was no statistically significant difference in adverse events (AEs) when compared between the groups (0.71 [95% CI: 0.44-1.16]). Infliximab combined with IVIG reduced treatment resistance in KD patients vs. conventional IVIG therapy. Infliximab improved clinical course in IVIG resistant KD patients. Infliximab treatment did not reduce the incidence of coronary artery lesions and did not show any significant increase in the incidence of AEs. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42020218554.

Efficacy of infliximab in the treatment of Kawasaki disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis

The present study aimed to review the relevant studies in order to determine the efficacy of infliximab (IFX) in the treatment of Kawasaki disease (KD). The relevant studies were retrieved using the PubMed, Cochrane and Embase databases. Key sources in the literature were reviewed; all articles published by July 2019 were considered for inclusion. For each study, odds ratios, mean difference and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were assessed to evaluate study outcomes. A total of 16 studies involving 429 patients were relevant to the questions of interest of the current meta-analysis. Compared with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), IFX or IFX plus IVIG significantly reduced the incidence of adverse events, including the number of patients with fever, changes in lip and oral cavity and/or cervical lymphadenopathy. The white blood cell (WBC), neutrophil and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were also reduced in the IFX or IFX plus IVIG group compared with those in the IVIG or polyethylene glycol-treated human immunoglobulin (VGIH) groups. The platelet counts, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels and Z-scores were increased in the IFX or IFX plus IVIG groups compared with those in the IVIG or VGIH groups. In the single-arm studies, the incidence of coronary artery aneurysm was 0.150 (95% CI: 0.024, 0.277), the non-response rate was 0.097 (95% CI: 0.056, 0.138), and the incidence of adverse events was 0.156 (95% CI: 0.122, 0.190). IFX not only effectively reduced the incidence of fever, conjunctival injection, changes in lip and oral cavity and cervical lymphadenopathy polymorphous exanthema, but also the WBC, neutrophil, ALT and CRP levels. The platelet levels were increased in patients after the IFX therapy compared with patients in the IVIG or VGIH groups. IFX or IFX plus IVIG exhibited improved clinical efficacy in the treatment of KD compared with that of IVIG or VGIH. However, as a limited number of studies was included in the current study, the findings should be verified further.

Diagnosis and management of Kawasaki disease

Kawasaki disease, also known as mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome, is a common form of vasculitis in childhood. Among the recent trends in Kawasaki disease, it is notable that the prevalence rate is increasing, and the proportion of “incomplete” Kawasaki disease is also increasing. A delayed diagnosis with prolonged fever can cause complications, such as coronary artery aneurysm and decreased myocardial contractility. These complications might lead to significant morbidity and mortality. Kawasaki disease is diagnosed when the patient meets the principal criteria for clinical symptoms. Following the diagnostic criteria can prevent overdiagnosis but lead to missing of the incomplete form of the disease. Therefore, it is important to accurately understand Kawasaki disease. As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues, concerns about a novel severe Kawasaki-like disease in children related to COVID-19 emerges. Indeed, there have been several reports of Kawasaki-like disease related to COVID-19 in children. Kawasaki disease is no longer rare and is often encountered at hospitals. This paper will provide useful and accurate information on Kawasaki disease.

Exploring Kawasaki disease-specific hub genes revealing a striking similarity of expression profile to bacterial infections using weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and co-expression modules identification tool (CEMiTool): An integrated bioinformatics and experimental study

Kawasaki disease (KD) has been declared a rare idiopathic condition for a long time. The children age less than five years, as the most susceptible group, are at risk of this disease. Since the cause of the disease is unknown, this study was designed to investigate the cause of KD. We applied metaDE and WGCNA packages in order to perform a meta-analysis and identify network modules of co-expressed genes, respectively, on three expression array datasets and also CEMiTool package to confirm detected modules by WGCNA. Using the Pearson correlation coefficient, the resemblance of KD to other symptomatic-similar diseases, including bacterial infections, viral infections, JIA (juvenile idiopathic arthritis), HSP (Henoch-Schönlein purpura), GAS (group A streptococcal), and HAdV (adenovirus) was accurately estimated. In addition to validation by more three expression array datasets, serum samples of 16 patients and eight control participants have undergone the Real-Time PCR assay so as to evaluate produced bioinformatic results. WGCNA showed 3840 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in KD in comparison with other diseases accompanying resembling clinical manifestations. Through further bioinformatic analysis and validation, 42 out of DEGs were introduced as hub genes, which the results of Real-Time PCR assay subsequently attested to the majority of them. The DEGs possessed a remarkable commonality with those of bacterial conditions. According to our exhaustive results, the origin of KD has been revealed pertinent to bacterial infections. Another interesting finding in this study is introducing IVIG in combination with particular antibiotics as a novel therapeutic approach, which supported by a score of authentic research studies to overcome KD.

Complete Regression of Giant Aneurysms in an Infant with Delayed Diagnosis and Refractory Kawasaki Disease via Combination Anticytokine Therapy: Case Report and Review of Similar Cases

Background

Kawasaki disease (KD) is an inflammatory vasculitis and is the most common cause of acquired childhood heart disease in developed countries. Current treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is often ineffective in patients with delayed or refractory disease. We present a case of combination anticytokine therapy in an infant with delayed and refractory KD. Case Presentation. A 3-month-old infant presented with refractory KD with giant aneurysms after a delayed diagnosis of one month. Use of combination anticytokine therapy led to resolution of giant aneurysms over approximately 6 months.

Conclusions

Our case is unique in effective use of anticytokine therapy in very delayed disease with giant aneurysms. Additionally, we review other cases for a broader perspective. Prospective study of anticytokine therapy for patients with giant aneurysms may be warranted.

Resolution of Giant Coronary Aneurisms in a Child With Refractory Kawasaki Disease Treated With Anakinra

Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute, febrile illness of unknown etiology that mainly affects children under 5 years of age. intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), the standard treatment, has reduced coronary involvement to <5%. Patients who do not improve after an initial IVIG have a higher risk of developing coronary arteries aneurysms, and its optimal treatment remains controversial. We present a case of IVIG, steroids, and infliximab-resistant KD in a 9-month-old child, which developed giant aneurysms and was successfully treated with anakinra, a recombinant antagonist of the IL-1 receptor. In our case, the introduction of IL-1 receptor antagonist therapy seems to have blocked the disease from both a clinical and a laboratory point of view. We also noted a very rapid regression of coronary aneurysms passed from giant aneurysms to small ones, or, as in the case of the anterior descending artery, the complete disappearance of the aneurysm formation. We think that our case adds more evidences to the potential role of IL-1RA as therapy in some selected cases of refractory KD, in particular with severe involvement of coronary arteries, although new efficacy trials are needed to better understand the role of Anakinra in these patients.

TNF-α blockers for the treatment of Kawasaki disease in children

BACKGROUND

Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute inflammatory vasculitis (inflammation of the blood vessels) that mainly affects children between six months and five years of age. The vasculitis primarily impacts medium-sized blood vessels, especially in the coronary arteries. In most children, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and aspirin therapy rapidly reduce inflammatory markers, fever, and other clinical symptoms. However, approximately 15% to 20% of children receiving the initial IVIG infusion show persistent or recurrent fever and are classified as IVIG-resistant. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) is an inflammatory cytokine that plays an important role in host defence against infections and in immune responses. Several studies have established that blocking TNF-α is critical for obtaining anti-inflammatory effects in children with KD, thus, there is a need to identify benefits and risks of TNF-α blockers for the treatment of KD.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of using TNF-α blockers (i.e. infliximab and etanercept) to treat children with Kawasaki disease.

SEARCH METHODS

The Cochrane Vascular Information Specialist searched the Cochrane Vascular Specialised Register, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase and CINAHL databases, the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform and ClinicalTrials.gov trials register to 19 September 2018. We also undertook reference checking of grey literature.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that compared TNF-α blockers (i.e. infliximab and etanercept) to placebo or other drugs (including retreatment with IVIG) in children with KD, reported in abstract or full-text.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently applied the study selection criteria, assessed risk of bias and extracted data. When necessary, we contacted study authors for additional information. We used GRADE to assess the certainty of the evidence.

MAIN RESULTS

We included five trials from 14 reports, with a total of 494 participants. All included trials were individual RCTs that examined the effect of TNF-α blockers for KD.Five trials (with 494 participants) reported the incidence of treatment resistance. TNF-α blockers reduced the incidence of treatment resistance (TNF-α blocker intervention group 30/237, control group 58/257; risk ratio (RR) 0.57, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.38 to 0.86; low-certainty evidence).Four trials reported the incidence of coronary artery abnormalities (CAAs). Three trials (with 270 participants) contributed data to the meta-analysis, since we could not get the data needed for the analysis from the fourth trial. There was no clear difference between groups in the incidence of CAAs (TNF-α blocker intervention group 8/125, control group 9/145; RR 1.18, 95% CI 0.45 to 3.12; low-certainty evidence).Three trials with 250 participants reported the adverse effect 'infusion reactions' after treatment initiation. The TNF-α blocker intervention decreased infusion reactions (TNF-α blocker intervention group 0/126, control group 15/124; RR 0.06, 95% CI 0.01 to 0.45; low-certainty evidence).Two trials with 227 participants reported the adverse effect 'infections' after treatment initiation. There was no clear difference between groups (TNF-α blocker intervention group 7/114, control group 10/113; RR 0.68, 95% CI 0.33 to 1.37; low-certainty evidence).One trial (with 31 participants) reported the adverse effect 'cutaneous reactions' (rash and contact dermatitis). There was no clear difference between the groups for incidence of rash (TNF-α blocker intervention group 2/16, control group 0/15; RR 4.71, 95% CI 0.24 to 90.69; very low-certainty evidence) or for incidence of contact dermatitis (TNF-α blocker intervention group 1/16, control group 3/15; RR 0.31, 95% CI 0.04 to 2.68; very low-certainty evidence).No trials reported other adverse effects such as injection site reactions, neutropenia, infections, demyelinating disease, heart failure, malignancy, and induction of autoimmunity.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

We found a limited number of RCTs examining the effect of TNF-α blockers for KD. In summary, low-certainty evidence indicates that TNF-α blockers have beneficial effects on treatment resistance and the adverse effect 'infusion reaction' after treatment initiation for KD when compared with no treatment or additional treatment with IVIG. Further research will add to the evidence base. Due to the small number of underpowered trials contributing to the analyses, the results presented should be treated with caution. Further large high quality trials with timing and type of TNF-α blockers used are needed to determine the effects of TNF-α blockers for KD.

Predictors and management of intravenous immunoglobulin-resistant Kawasaki disease

Kawasaki disease (KD) is a systemic vasculitis that mainly affects younger children. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) resistant cases are at increasing risk for coronary artery complications. The strategy on prediction of potential nonresponders and treatment of IVIG-resistant patients is now controversial. In this review the definition and predictors of IVIG-resistant KD and current evidence to guide management are discussed.