New Discoveries for Kawasaki Disease

Kawasaki Disease is an autoimmune disease that mostly affects children under 5 years of age. Recent research has focused on finding the cause of the disease and new treatments.

Genetic Causes

• Because of strong evidence that the disease has a genetic component (including the fact that it is much more common among people of Japanese descent than other groups), much recent research has focused on finding a genetic cause. A recent study by Onouchi Y. et al. at the SNP Research Center in Japan has found a gene that seems to be connected with the disease.

External Causes

• While most of the focus of study has been on genetic causes, the Children's Hospital Boston has suggested that environmental factors may play a key. This evidence suggests a connection between Kawasaki Disease and exposure to carpet cleaners or stagnant water.

Infectious Causes

• There is also the possibility that Kawasaki Disease is triggered by a viral or bacterial infection, and some recent studies have supported this connection. (Nakamura Y. et al.)

Aspirin Treatment

• While treatment with aspirin has been a long accepted way to approach the illness, some recent research has called the safety of this treatment into question.

Corticosteroids Treatment

• The use of corticosteroids has also been investigated, and corticosteriods are now used when other treatments fail to cure the disease.