Kawasaki Disease Seasonality in Venezuela Supports an Arbovirus Infection Trigger.

Paniz-Mondolfi, A E; van den Akker, T; Márquez-Colmenarez, M C; Delgado-Noguera, L A; Valderrama, O; Sordillo, E M

Kawasaki Disease (KD) is an inflammatory disease primarily affecting infants and young children, whose etiology remains uncertain. Observational studies of the overlap between KD outbreaks and seasonal peaks of arboviral infections, suggest the possible role of these pathogens as triggers of KD. In Venezuela, regions with the highest reported arboviral infections simultaneously have the highest incidence of KD. One proposed explanation for this association involves the role of pro-inflammatory mediators, interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) as mediators of coronary endothelial damage. The promotion of inflammation and tissue destruction by these cytokines is thought to contribute to the coronary endothelial damage experienced in KD. The utilization of overlapping KD and arboviral infection trends contribute to the comprehension of KD etiology, with improvements in diagnosis, prognosis and treatment. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.