Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute medium vessel
vasculitis seen in children. The most significant long-term complication is related to coronary artery abnormalities. Use of
intravenous immunoglobulins, however, has led to significant reduction in incidence of
coronary aneurysms. What is more alarming is the fact that higher risk of
cardiovascular disease is seen in even those children who do not have coronary artery
aneurysms during subacute phase. Various factors like abnormal
lipid profiles, abnormal vessel wall reactivity and endothelial dysfunction have been implicated for this. Carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) has been used as a
surrogate marker for
atherosclerosis. This study was planned to evaluate cIMT in children with KD. Twenty-seven children with diagnosis of KD at least 1 year prior to enrolment were evaluated for cIMT at enrolment and then after 3 months. Fasting
lipid profile was done for all patients. Mean cIMT was significantly higher in children with KD compared to controls. In
lipid profiles, undesirable HDL-C and
triglyceride levels were seen in 2 and 3 children, respectively. Undesirable and borderline
LDL-C levels were seen in 1 and 2 patients, respectively. Undesirable and borderline total
cholesterol levels were seen in 1 and 3 patients, respectively. Higher cIMTs were seen in our cohort of KD patients. Proatherogenic abnormalities in
lipid profile were seen in a few patients. Both abnormalities may predict a higher risk of
atherosclerosis in future. The results of this study need to be replicated on a larger study sample and over longer follow-up periods.