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Intravenous immune globulin plus corticosteroids in refractory Kawasaki disease
Author(s) -
Jibiki Toshiaki,
Kato Izumi,
Shiohama Tadashi,
Abe Katsuaki,
Anzai Satoshi,
Takeda Nobue,
Yamaguchi Kenichi,
Kanazawa Masaki,
Kurosaki Tomomichi
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
pediatrics international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.49
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1442-200X
pISSN - 1328-8067
DOI - 10.1111/j.1442-200x.2011.03338.x
Subject(s) - medicine , kawasaki disease , refractory (planetary science) , gastroenterology , prednisolone , regimen , retrospective cohort study , prospective cohort study , gamma globulin , incidence (geometry) , antibody , artery , immunology , physics , astrobiology , optics
Background: The aim of the present study was to investigate the efficacy of i.v. immune globulin (IVIG) therapy combined with corticosteroids for additional treatment of acute Kawasaki disease (KD) unresponsive to initial IVIG treatment. Methods: In 50 prospective KD patients, six IVIG non‐responders without clinical improvement within 24–48 h after completion of initial IVIG, received 2 g/kg IVIG concurrently with 2 mg/kg i.v. prednisolone sodium succinate (PSL) until normalization of C‐reactive protein level. Treatment was then changed to oral PSL, which was tapered over time. Clinical and coronary artery lesion (CAL) outcomes were compared with those of 13 IVIG non‐responders who received additional heterogeneous therapies in 125 retrospective KD patients. In addition, the scoring system of Kobayashi et al . for prediction of non‐responsiveness to initial IVIG treatment was retrospectively verified in 175 KD subjects, consisting of 50 prospective and 125 retrospective patients in order to evaluate the efficacy of the re‐treatment regimen. Results: Incidence of CAL in the study patients was lower than in the control patients, although differences were not significant both in the acute stage (within 1 month: 1/6, 16.7% vs 7/13, 53.8%; P = 0.177) and in the convalescent stage (after 1 month: 0/6, 0.0% vs 4/13, 30.8%; P = 0.255). According to the non‐responder prediction system, the scores of six study and 13 control patients before initial IVIG treatment were similar (7.2 ± 1.9 vs 5.3 ± 3.1; P = 0.200). No serious adverse effects related to each treatment were noted in patients of either group. Conclusions: Additional IVIG combined with concurrent PSL appears to be safe and worth evaluation for the treatment of acute KD unresponsive to initial IVIG treatment.