Kawasaki Disease News and Research

RSS

Kawasaki disease (also known as lymph node syndrome, mucocutaneous node disease, infantile polyarteritis and Kawasaki syndrome) is a disease, largely of infants, which affects many organs, including the skin, mucous membranes, lymph nodes, and blood vessel walls, but the most serious effect is on the heart where it can cause severe aneurysmal dilations.

Lab results change in consistent ways during the course of Kawasaki disease

Children with Kawasaki disease show a pattern of changing laboratory test results as the disease runs its course, according to a study in the December issue of The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal.

15 Dec 2011

Long-range wind transport of an infectious agent may cause KD

Kawasaki Disease (KD) is a severe childhood disease that many parents, even some doctors, mistake for an inconsequential viral infection. In fact, if not diagnosed or treated in time, it can lead to irreversible heart damage. After 50 years of research, including genetic studies, scientists have been unable to pinpoint the cause of the disease.

10 Nov 2011

Filipino children with KD at greater risk for inflammation of heart blood vessels

While children of all ethnicities can contract Kawasaki disease (KD), a study led by researchers at the Kawasaki Disease Research Center at the University of California, San Diego and Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego finds that Filipino children with KD are at a higher risk for inflammation of the blood vessels of the heart than those of other Asian and non-Asian backgrounds.

7 May 2011

EMA recommends lifting of suspension of marketing authorization for Octapharma's octagam

The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has recommended today to lift the EU-wide suspension of the marketing authorizations of both octagam® and octagam®10% which has been in place since September 2010, subject to certain conditions.

15 Apr 2011

Hartwell honors UCSD scientists with Individual Biomedical Research Award

Three scientists at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine are among this year's 12 winners of Hartwell Individual Biomedical Research Awards, honoring researchers whose work advances children's health.

7 Apr 2011

UC San Diego researchers receive two federal grants for biomedical informatics

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, led by Lucila Ohno-Machado, MD, PhD, chief of the Division of Biomedical Informatics in the Department of Medicine, have received two federal grants totaling more than $25 million to develop new ways to gather, analyze, use and share vast, ever-increasing amounts of biomedical information.

25 Oct 2010

Octapharma announces new study of IVIG in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy

Octapharma AG today announced the imminent start of the biggest ever study of an intravenous immunoglobulin preparation (IVIG) in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP).

8 Sep 2010

Pediatric patients face number of cardiac conditions that can impact their health

While heart disease is traditionally associated with adults, pediatric patients face a number of cardiac conditions that can impact their health.

18 Feb 2010

Octapharma initiates Phase III studies for new, high purity IVIG in treatment of primary immune deficiency

Octapharma AG today announced the start of the first of a series of Phase III studies for its new 10% high purity intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG). The study will investigate the efficacy and safety of this novel immunoglobulin in the treatment of primary immune deficiency and, together with results from additional upcoming studies, will support its regulatory filing in Europe and the US.

16 Feb 2010

Coronary artery bypass surgery provides long-term benefits for children with Kawasaki disease

Coronary artery bypass surgery provides long-term benefits for children whose hearts and blood vessels are damaged by Kawasaki disease, Japanese researchers report in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

23 Jun 2009

Australian discovers gene for deadly Kawasaki disease

An Australian researcher has identified genes which could make some children more susceptible to the deadly Kawasaki disease - an inflammatory condition in young children that can damage blood vessels.

12 Jan 2009

Genetic cause of Kawasaki disease

Researchers from Japan's RIKEN SNP Research Center, collaborating with a team at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), have discovered a new genetic variation that affects a child's risk of getting Kawasaki disease (KD), an illness characterized by acute inflammation of the arteries throughout the body.

17 Dec 2007

Antibiotics before dental procedures may do more harm than good

Taking a precautionary antibiotic before a trip to the dentist isn't necessary for most people, and in fact, might create more harm than good, according to updated recommendations from the American Heart Association.

20 Apr 2007

Possible viral cause of Kawasaki disease identified

In an important discovery in infectious disease research, a team of scientists from Northwestern University has identified a possible viral cause of Kawasaki disease, the most common cause of acquired heart disease in children in developed nations.

20 Nov 2005

Steroids significantly reduce heart damage in children with Kawasaki's disease

When added to standard treatment, steroids significantly reduce the odds of developing heart damage in children with Kawasaki's disease, according to a study in the October issue of Pediatrics. These findings address a gap in knowledge.

3 Oct 2005

Newly discovered virus, New Haven coronavirus

A newly discovered virus may be responsible for many respiratory tract illnesses in infants and children, and may be associated with an important multi-organ disease whose cause has remained a mystery for decades, according to articles in the Feb. 15 issue of The Journal of Infectious Diseases, now available online.

19 Jan 2005

Significant number of pediatric physicians fail to diagnose Kawasaki disease

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine report in the August 10 issue of Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal that a significant number of pediatric physicians fail to diagnose Kawasaki disease in children younger than six months and older than eight years.

11 Aug 2004